What it does
Some feedback has to come from people who never log in — patients, visiting preceptors, event attendees. Public form links produce a shareable web address (and QR code) that opens a form without an account, while external form links send a tokenized invitation to a named outside individual. Administrators track responses and can revoke or reissue links at any time.
Who it's for
Program administrators and coordinators needing responses from outside the platform's user base — the people responding need nothing but the link, no account or login.
How it works
Public links. From the public links page, select New public link, pick the template, set an optional expiration and max starts, and select Generate link. The result is a unique tokenized web address you can distribute or display as a QR code — anyone who opens it can submit the form. Each link's activity is tracked as events; revoke a link to shut it off or regenerate it to issue a fresh address.
Person QR badges. For evaluations about a specific person, you can generate a personal QR badge — individually or in bulk for a whole group — so an evaluator can scan a learner's badge and immediately open the right form about the right person.
External form links. For a response from one named external individual, create an external link addressed to them; they receive a tokenized address that opens the form directly. Monitor submissions on the external submissions page, cancel a pending submission, resend the email invitation, or regenerate a token if the original should stop working.
Before you start
The form must already be published; you cannot generate a link for a draft template.
Decide who should have access: an open audience (public link) or one named person (external link).
Have your distribution plan ready — a poster, a badge scan, or an emailed invitation — since links work the moment they exist.
Do this
Open the public links page (
/forms/public-links) → you should see the Form, Program, Status, Starts, and Expires columns.Select New public link → the panel opens with a Template field.
Choose the Template field, and set the Expires and Max starts fields on the same panel if you want limits → leave them on Never expires and unlimited starts otherwise.
Select the Generate link button on the panel → a Generated link address appears, ready to copy or open.
Distribute the address, or select the QR code icon on that same panel to show it as a scannable code → the code renders next to the address.
You're done when
The new link shows in the public links list with Status active.
The address opens the form for someone with no account.
Submissions and opens appear as tracked events for that link.
Boundaries and limits
A link token grants access to exactly one form (and for personal QR badges and external links, to a specific subject or invitee); it does not open anything else in the platform.
Tokens are validated on every open; revoked links and cancelled submissions no longer accept responses.
Regenerating a token issues a new address to replace the old link.
Public links accept submissions from anyone holding the address — treat distribution as the access control, and revoke links when a collection window ends.
Link and submission activity is tracked (creation, opens, submissions) for accountability.
Creating and managing links happens in the administrative forms area; responders on the public side see only the form itself.
Common questions
Q: Do external responders need an account? A: No. Both public links and external links open the form directly from the tokenized address without login.
Q: How do I stop collecting responses on a public link? A: Revoke the link from the public links page. The address stops working immediately.
Q: What's the difference between a public link and an external link? A: A public link is one address for an open audience. An external link is a personal invitation to a named individual, tracked as its own submission with resend and cancel controls.
Q: Can I put a form link on a printed poster? A: Yes. Public links can be presented as QR codes, which suits posters, badges, and kiosk-style collection.
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