Always create contact for new email address on a progressive form

[#1]

I want to create a form for my company with the option "Always create contact for new email address" but it seems like if I use this option I can't use progressive fields. Why?

I don't understand what does one thing have to do with the other. I want clients to be able to fill a form from any computer using their email address as a reference field but I would want to offer them a form that only displays certain fields if a variable is true.

Any help?

[#2 · Accepted solution]

>>"I want clients to be able to fill a form from any computer using their email address as a reference field but I would want to offer them a form that only displays certain fields if a variable is true."

You might consider using another forms tool to achieve your goal -- e.g., Typeform.

As that 'Learn more' article describes ...
"If this option is enabled, if a contact submits the form using a different email on a browser where there is already a cookie, views will not be tracked for this contact. Therefore, form fields will not pre-populate with known information."

Think of this setting sorta like an 'Ignore Cookies' setting.

No cookies. === No way to gather known information.

No way to gather known information. === No way to pre-populate with known information.

No way to pre-populate with known information. === No progressive fields.

Progressive fields functionality depends (in part) on the ability of the form to pull known information FROM THE COOKIE at render time. As such, the 'known information' must...

1) exist in the CRM.

AND

2) be accessible via the cookie at the time the form is rendered.

If either of these criteria are not be met, pre-population AND progressive fields cannot work.

[#3]

Thanks so much Frank!  

[#4]

This reply got a little long so better to put my summary here at the top.

Don't use Always create contact for new email address if you care about reporting revenue by contact, desire to minimize duplicate contacts, or want to merge the most current and relevant email address into existing contacts. Turn it off so that you can pre-populate known values to increase submissions and get more value from your form by queueing progressive fields. Turn on the Add reset link if you want existing contacts using a shared device to have an fresh form. Pre-populating, progressive forms, and new email address new contact creation are settings that only impact existing contacts. Keep that in mind as you target the traffic you want for each form or landing page.

1. If existing contacts filled out your form using a new email address, which results in creating a new and separate contact, would that create any problems for your operations? For some, having multiple contacts with different email addresses that actually represent the same person could prove to be a pain. This can create duplicate opportunities and/or disassociated revenue reporting based on deals that should belong to the same contact. 

- If YES, you may want to turn off Always create contact for new email address. If this is turned off and the contact has the browser cookie from a previous encounter with your HS content (landing page, another form, etc.) and the contact enters a new email address, it will be merged into the existing contact and set as the PRIMARY email address. This PRIMARY email address is used when you send emails (workflows, sequences, etc.) or email lookups through integrations. The old email address is not lost and can be manually reset (huge hassle) as the PRIMARY if need be.

2. If the contact chooses to input a new email address, the new address merges into the contact and is now the PRIMARY email address, would that create any problems for your operations? Keep in mind, integrations that rely on the contact email address (Zapier - Find Contact in Hubspot CRM via email address) would break down if the primary email address changes without warning. 

- If NO, you may not need to worry at all about merging a new email address as the PRIMARY into the existing contact. It may actually provide you with the most current and relevant email address for your contact. This is more likely to be the case with B2C and less likely with B2B. For B2C where the best email address available is paramount, turn off Always create contact for new email address, do not pre-populate known values, and do not replace email with a queued progressive field. 

- If YES, you may want to Pre-populate contact fields with know values. This is the safest way to make sure that existing customers don't change their email address by filling out a form that perhaps is meant for a new lead. Go a step further and replace the email field when it is already known with a queued progressive field in order to take that contact down a different funnel.

3. Would you improve the customer/contact experience by pre-populating the contact's email address (when known by HS and accessible via browser cookie) for them? Short attention spans and long forms don't mix well. Eliminate field entry whenever possible to encourage submissions.

- If YES, Turn off Always create contact for new email address and turn on Pre-populate contact fields with known values. 

4. If your contact saw the pre-populated form and wanted to use a different email address (creating a new contact in HS), would that create any problems for your operations? Pre-populated values won't work well for contacts that use a shared device.

- If NO, then give the contact that option by turning on Add link to reset form.

@javieryebenes - I think this might be the solution for you. It sounds like Progressive Fields is a priority but you don't want to constrain contacts to the email address you have on file. By providing this link, it will wipe out any pre-populated fields and give the contact a clean form that in turn, creates a new contact upon submission. Remember, it only matters when the contact is already known. New leads won't have the browser cookie to begin with. Progressive Fields, the Reset Form link, and New Contact from New Email Address settings only matter for existing contacts.