{"id":6603,"date":"2023-01-13T08:00:27","date_gmt":"2023-01-13T08:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/docs\/auto-fill-form-fields\/"},"modified":"2026-07-06T09:56:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T09:56:16","slug":"auto-fill-form-fields","status":"publish","type":"ht_kb","link":"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/docs\/auto-fill-form-fields\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Set Default Values and Auto-Fill Form Fields"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Adding default values to form fields allows you to always show those values in your workflow runs. For example, a set price for a product or service in a number form field, a website in a URL field, or a pre-selected option in a dropdown.<\/p>\n<p>You can also use the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/docs\/variables\/\">variables<\/a> magic wand to add a <em><strong>dynamic default value<\/strong><\/em>. This allows you to connect your form fields to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/docs\/global-variables\/\">global<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/docs\/variables\/\">workflow<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/docs\/data-sets\/\">Data Set<\/a> variables, which helps streamline building workflows and completing workflow runs.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Users: To create or update default values in workflows, you must be an Administrator or a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/docs\/what-is-a-full-member\/\">Builder<\/a> with &#8220;edit&#8221; permissions.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 62.5%; height: 0;\"><iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.loom.com\/embed\/13122d4d657043bc8741ba9c46f44478\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>These are the form fields you can add default values to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/docs\/form-fields\/\">Short text<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/docs\/form-fields\/\">Long text<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/docs\/form-fields\/\">Email form field<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/docs\/form-fields\/\">Website\/URL<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/docs\/form-fields\/\">Number field<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/docs\/form-fields\/\">Date field<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/docs\/form-fields\/\">Hidden field<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/docs\/form-fields\/\">Dropdown<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/docs\/form-fields\/\">User (Member) field<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/docs\/form-fields\/\">Table<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Each of these has a meatball menu from where you can add a static or variable default value.<\/p>\n<p>In the workflow editor, click the three dots at the top right of each field, then click <strong>Settings<\/strong> to access the default values, shown below.<\/p>\n<h2>Static default values<\/h2>\n<p>Static defaults are default values that remain the same when you run your workflows.<\/p>\n<p>In this example, our sales proposals have a minimum value of $5000.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14619\" src=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Static-default-value-scaled.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"100%\" \/><\/p>\n<p>When the workflow is run, that value appears in the form field as a value.<\/p>\n<p>It can be overwritten if our proposal is higher than that value. For example, the person filling out the workflow run can change the value manually.<\/p>\n<p>If needed, you can revert to the default value by clicking the link <strong>Reset to default value<\/strong> below the form field.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14620\" src=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Manually-change-a-default-value.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"50%\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Default values for Dropdown fields<\/h2>\n<p>Dropdown fields support default values, so you can pre-select the most common option for each workflow run.<\/p>\n<h3>Set a static default for a Dropdown<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Open the workflow in the editor.<\/li>\n<li>Click the three dots at the top right of the Dropdown field and select <strong>Settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>In the <strong>Default value<\/strong> box, type the option you want pre-selected (for example, &#8220;Yes&#8221;).<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Apply<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Publish the workflow.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>When the workflow is run, the dropdown displays your default selection. The person working on the workflow run can choose a different option if needed, or click <strong>Reset to default value<\/strong> to restore it.<\/p>\n<h3>Use a variable as a Dropdown default<\/h3>\n<p>You can also set the default dynamically using a variable. This is useful when the selection depends on data from another form field or a connected Data Set.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Open the Dropdown field&#8217;s <strong>Settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>In the <strong>Default value<\/strong> box, click the variables button (magic wand).<\/li>\n<li>Select the variable you want to use \u2014 for example, a form field from earlier in the workflow or a column from a linked Data Set.<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Apply<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The dropdown default updates automatically based on the variable&#8217;s value in each workflow run.<\/p>\n<h2>Default values for User (Member) fields<\/h2>\n<p>User (Member) fields now support default values, letting you pre-assign a team member to a field each time a workflow runs.<\/p>\n<h3>Set a static default for a User field<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Open the workflow in the editor.<\/li>\n<li>Click the three dots at the top right of the User (Member) field and select <strong>Settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>In the <strong>Default value<\/strong> box, type the email address of the person you want pre-selected.<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Apply<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Publish the workflow.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>When the workflow is run, that person appears as the selected user. The person working on the workflow run can change the selection if needed.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> The email address must belong to someone in your organization or in the group selected for that User field.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>Use a variable as a User field default<\/h3>\n<p>You can set the default dynamically using a variable \u2014 for example, to auto-assign the workflow runner.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Open the User (Member) field&#8217;s <strong>Settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>In the <strong>Default value<\/strong> box, click the variables button (magic wand).<\/li>\n<li>Select the variable you want to use. For example, choose <code>Workflow Runner Email<\/code> to always assign the person who started the workflow run.<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Apply<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>You can also use a variable from an Email form field, as long as the email belongs to someone in your organization or the selected group.<\/p>\n<h2>Default values for Date fields<\/h2>\n<p>Date fields support default values, letting you pre-fill a date each time a workflow runs. You can set a static date or use a variable to calculate the date dynamically.<\/p>\n<h3>Set a static default for a Date field<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Open the workflow in the editor.<\/li>\n<li>Click the three dots at the top right of the Date field and select <strong>Settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>In the <strong>Default value<\/strong> box, enter the date you want pre-filled.<\/li>\n<li>Choose a <strong>Time option<\/strong> if the field includes a time component.<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Apply<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Publish the workflow.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>When the workflow is run, that date appears in the field. The person working on the workflow run can change it if needed, or click <strong>Reset to default value<\/strong> to restore it.<\/p>\n<h3>Use a variable as a Date field default<\/h3>\n<p>You can set the default dynamically using a variable \u2014 for example, to auto-fill today&#8217;s date or a date from another form field.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Open the Date field&#8217;s <strong>Settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>In the <strong>Default value<\/strong> box, click the variables button (magic wand).<\/li>\n<li>Select the variable you want to use.<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Apply<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The date default updates automatically based on the variable&#8217;s value in each workflow run.<\/p>\n<h2>Default values for Table fields<\/h2>\n<p>Table fields support default values, letting you pre-fill rows and columns each time a workflow runs.<\/p>\n<h3>Set a static default for a Table field<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Open the workflow in the editor.<\/li>\n<li>Click the three dots at the top right of the Table field and select <strong>Settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>In the <strong>Default value<\/strong> box, enter your table data. Type each row on a separate line and separate column values with a comma (no spaces before or after the comma). Each line must have the same number of values.<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Apply<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Publish the workflow.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>When the workflow is run, the table displays your default rows and columns. The person working on the workflow run can edit the values if needed, or click <strong>Reset to default value<\/strong> to restore them.<\/p>\n<h3>Use a variable as a Table field default<\/h3>\n<p>You can also set the default dynamically using a variable. In the <strong>Default value<\/strong> box, click the variables button (magic wand) to insert a variable that populates the table data in each workflow run.<\/p>\n<h2>Dynamic default values<\/h2>\n<p>Dynamic defaults are <em>variable<\/em> default values that change when you enter details into another field in your workflow run.<\/p>\n<p>In our sales proposal example below, we&#8217;ve pulled in the opportunity details from an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/docs\/salesforce\/\">integration with Salesforce<\/a>, which we&#8217;re using to auto-fill the opportunity description form field.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14652\" src=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Variable-default-answers-scaled.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"100%\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Each time this workflow is run, the current opportunity description is automatically filled out and whoever is working on the workflow run can update it with more details if needed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> The variables in a default value will be updated (based on the default value entered by the builder) until the task containing the form field is completed, or the form field is updated manually by the runner or via automation.<\/p>\n<h2>Auto-filling form fields with Data Sets<\/h2>\n<p>You can connect a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/docs\/data-sets\/\">saved view from a Data Set<\/a> to your workflow, which allows you to use your own data as <em>variable default values<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>In the example below, we&#8217;ve connected a saved view from a Data Set to a dropdown form field. When we select the new hire&#8217;s first name in the drop-down, their last name, email address and region are auto-filled into the next two form fields.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14662\" src=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Data-set-variable-defaults-scaled.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"100%\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Combining multiple default values<\/h2>\n<p>You can combine static and variable default values or dynamic values with other dynamic values.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s say you have two drop-down fields in your risk assessment workflow run. When selections are made in both of them, their combined output can be shown in another form field, or a text widget by using the two variables.<\/p>\n<p>For example, the person working on the risk assessment run selects a score of 4 for Likelihood and a severity rating of A. The combined risk output 4A is auto-filled into another field in the workflow run.<\/p>\n<p>{{form.likelihood.rating}}{{form.severity.rating}} = 4A.<\/p>\n<h3>FAQs<\/h3>\n<p><em><strong>What happens if I&#8217;m already using these form fields in an integration and I add defaults or variables to them?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>You won&#8217;t need to change anything in your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/kb\/integrations\/\">integration<\/a>. The updates to your form fields will be reflected in your integration tool.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>What if the person using the workflow run empties a field with a default value in? <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>They can restore the default value by clicking a link under the form field on the workflow run.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Can I use these form fields in workflow run links?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Email fields, short text, long text, website, hidden fields and number fields will work in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/docs\/workflow-run-link\/\">Run links<\/a>. However, drop-down fields connected to data sets will not.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Can I use fallback values or URL encode options on these form fields? <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Yes, you can use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/docs\/variables\/#advanced-variable-options\">fallback values or URL encodes<\/a> the same way that you would do without having default values in your form fields.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>What happens if I have validations set on my form fields?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>When your workflow is run, static and default values appear in the form fields. If those values don&#8217;t meet your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/docs\/form-fields\/#short-text-field\">validation settings<\/a>, then you&#8217;ll see the same validation error message as you would without using default values. You can overwrite these values manually, or adjust your validation settings to rectify this.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>What happens when I update my workflow to add default values?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Default values are stored in the revision and will appear when you update changes to your workflow runs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Adding default values to form fields allows you to always show those values in your workflow runs. For example, a set price for a product or service in a number form field, a website in a URL field, or a pre-selected option in a dropdown. You can also use the variables magic wand to add [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"available_plan":"All plans","available_product":"Integrations, Workflows","footnotes":""},"ht_kb_category":[194,158],"ht_kb_tag":[480,481,184],"class_list":["post-6603","ht_kb","type-ht_kb","status-publish","hentry","ht_kb_category-integrations","ht_kb_category-build-edit-workflows","ht_kb_tag-data-sets","ht_kb_tag-defaults","ht_kb_tag-form-fields"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht_kb\/6603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht_kb"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/ht_kb"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht_kb\/6603\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10092,"href":"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht_kb\/6603\/revisions\/10092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"ht_kb_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht_kb_category?post=6603"},{"taxonomy":"ht_kb_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht_kb_tag?post=6603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}