HubSpot Ideas

david-perroud

Append new values to multiple checkbox property instead of overwriting previous values

Currently:

When using a multiple checkbox property in a form, the user inputs overwrite any previous data in this property. This is a major flaw in many cases.

 

Should be:

When creating the form, we should have the ability to choose if the new values should overwrite the old values or if they should be appended to the old values.

30 Replies
timnz
Participant

Also running into the same issue. Want to capture an "interest" or "topics" relating to landing page to help profile the users. However, the multiple check box property clears existing values. 

RiccardoPisani
Top Contributor

yes amazing idea!

EmmaRecruitee
Member

This also happens with integrations like Zapier and even your own imports. There's no way to functionally update multi-select properties other than manually or through a workflow, rendering them extremely tedious. This would be a valuable improvement.

JamesEC4P
Member

+1 feature request.

 

I've just spent two days exporting and processing data from Mailchimp, created a custom property for the Mailchimp "tags", imported each tag list and then discovered that HubSpot can only append the values via Workflows if you have the Professional (with quite the price jump). Additionally, our web forms are now rendered fairly useless in terms of updating tags as each submission overrites all other tags.

akillingsworth
Member

Also running into this same issue. We need to capture "interest" related to the downloaded content to help segment the users. However, the multiple check box property clears existing values. 

 

Very annoying and impossible to scale with workflows

danielrnorris
Contributor | Elite Partner

Any updates on this? There are multiple threads about Appending/Updating properties and I am surprised that now at the end of 2021 we still dont seem to have any movement. For a CRM this is a major piece for data integrity.

DeanFrazier
Contributor

Still hoping for an update on this request. Even a workaround would be nice.

 

Would someone be willing to share their process for setting up a workflow that accomplishes the desired outcome of appending new values upon resubmissions of forms?

danielrnorris
Contributor | Elite Partner

@DeanFrazier yeah they have been slow to this but thankfully we can now mass select contacts in the Saved contact view to append. But yeah with forms the best workaround I have found is to use a duplicate Property on all forms and then have a workflow that will take that properties value and append to your master. An extra step but technically does the trick.

DeanFrazier
Contributor

Thanks @danielrnorris!! It wasn't too much extra work to clone the properties and use the clones in the forms and have a workflow to append the responses to the master. I appreciate the detailed walkthrough and your quick response!

JMaupin6
Member

Hi! Running into this issue and we use the tagging feature daily. Would anyone be willing to send me the directions for building the workflow for this? Thanks in advance for the help! 

 

HDang0
Participant

+1.

Still a no/not yet from HubSpot

IBrockschmidt
Participant

I want to use this in the capacity of a Hidden Field on a form.  Each form sets a different choice (that I set as a deafult), but doesn't remove all the others!  Thanks for considering this feature.

Justjack296
Member

+1 - Using in hidden form field and it is overwriting.  Any update from HS?

OBulava
Member

+1

This feature is crucial for the forms we are using: it's important to keep track of the old values, but not overwrite them.

froettgen
HubSpot Employee

+1

JKozak
Member

+1
I have the same problem. I'm using multiple checkboxes and If someone fills the form for the second time and there is a different "interest" related to it, the system clears the previous one. Thus, I can't really track all interests of my target group.  Are there any updates on this? 

gkorm
Member

+1

We found a workaround using a tool called Make (make.com). They allow you to take existing values and add new values to the field. It's quite a complicated tool though, so be ready for the learning curve.

MFischer
Participant | Platinum Partner

+1
Running into this issue all the time. It should be possible to tell HubSpot if the values submitted should overwrite previous values or if they should be appendet.

phbokka
Member | Diamond Partner

Is there any solution here yet from HubSpot? We are launching a site for a client that has dozens of multi-select forms that users will be filling out a different times ALL of which the data is relevant to the client. None of it should be overridden. I cannot build a workflow to append a specific value as there are dozens of options on each multi-select form. No way to know what the selection will be ... from location to price to product type ... 

I am so confused as to why this isn't available in HubSpot. I can manually select multiple options for the Contact Record and save it. Why can't that happen when the same contact, using the same email, "adds" to their selection? Any updates or guidance will be much appreciated 🙂

FFBendix
Member

I think I've got a workaround, but it's not pretty.

 

As I understand from this thread (https://community.hubspot.com/t5/HubSpot-Ideas/Trigger-a-workflow-when-a-property-value-has-been-cha...), if you use the trigger "Is known", a contact will reenroll every time the property is updated. Because of that, we should be able to make a workflow that can fix this.

 

Enrollment trigger: Multiple checkbox property "Is knows"

 

If/then branch: Multiple checkbox property "Has ever been any of X"
If yes: Set property value: Append Multiple checkbox property with X

 

Now you just need to do this for every option in the series. The contact needs to be guided through each one. Otherwise, it will stop after the first match.

 

append - hubspot.png

 

Am I off, or could this work? Please let me know because we are using this solution as of today.