By default, every form you build in Cognito Forms is accessible via public link. Found on the Publish page, the public link provides users a direct link to the form.

Using the settings in the Workflow menu, you can control who has access to public links based on dates, times, or your own custom criteria. You can also require authentication to ensure that only organization members can access the public link.

Enabling public links

To enable Public Links, click Workflow at the top of the Build page. In the Workflow menu that opens, toggle Public Links to On if it isn’t already.

To disable public links, simply toggle Public Links to Off. Don’t forget to include your own Not Available Message.

Please note that public link availability settings do not affect Save and Resume links or Workflow links.

Allow Links

Quick Tip

Form availability times are based on your browser’s timezone. The time is stored in UTC and does not change or adjust across different timezones.

• Always – Make public links available for everyone at all times.
• By Date – Define the times your public link will display and accept submissions.
  • Available From – Choose the time when your form will begin displaying and accepting entries. If someone visits your form before this time, they will not be able to see your form. If you set only the Available From date and time, your form will be able to accept submissions indefinitely once the start time has passed.
  • Available To – Choose the time when your form will stop displaying and accepting entries. If someone visits your form after this time, they will not be able to see your form. If you set only the Available To date and time, your form will be able to accept submissions as soon as you publish, but only until the end time has passed.
• When – Make public links available when certain conditions are met.

Not Available Message

Customize the message that displays when the form isn’t available or accepting entries. Use the formatting toolbar to insert hyperlinks/images and change the formatting of selected text. Please note that values from protected fields cannot be inserted into the Not Available Message.

Require Authentication

Quick Tip

The authentication settings for public links also apply to Save & Resume links. Learn more about Authenticated Forms.

• Always – Ensure that only organization members can access public links and/or Save & Resume links.
• Never – Never require authentication to access public links.

How to use public links

Only allow form submissions during business hours

1. Select Workflow at the top of the Build page.
2. Select Public Links from the Workflow menu.
3. Set Allow Links - When to only allow public links on weekdays during business hours. For example, to make public links available only on Mondays and Tuesdays from 8AM to 5PM:
   =(DateTime.Today.DayOfWeek = "Monday") and (DateTime.Now < DateTime.Today.AddHours(17).AddMinutes(0)) and (DateTime.Now > DateTime.Today.AddHours(8).AddMinutes(0)) or (DateTime.Today.DayOfWeek = "Tuesday") and (DateTime.Now < DateTime.Today.AddHours(17).AddMinutes(0)) and (DateTime.Now > DateTime.Today.AddHours(8).AddMinutes(0))
4. Update the Not Available Message that displays when the form is not available (ex: “Please submit requests during our business hours.”).
   

Close the form when a quantity limit is reached

1. Select Workflow at the top of the Build page.

2. Select Public Links from the Workflow menu.

3. Set Allow Links - When to only allow public links when the quantity remaining value is greater than 0.
   

4. Update the Not Available Message that displays when the form is not available (ex: “We are sold out!”).