Import data from Zoho Forms

Zoho DataPrep allows you to seamlessly bring in your data from Zoho Forms using the Zoho Forms connector. Using Zoho Forms, you can easily build an online form for all your business needs. Create and customize the form, add the required fields, and send it to your customers, thus facilitating data collection.

To import data from Zoho Forms

1. Open an existing pipeline or c reate a pipeline from the Home Page, Pipelines tab, or Workspaces tab and click the Add data option.

Info: You can also click the Import data

icon at the top of the pipeline builder to bring data from multiple sources into the pipeline.

2. Choose the Zoho Apps category from the left pane and click on Zoho Forms. You can also directly search the option in the search box.

3. You can choose to import all data or configure your import since a previous date.

a) If you choose to import all data - All data available in the selected forms will be imported.

b) If you choose to import data from a specific date - All data recorded in the selected forms (both added and modified) since (on or after) the chosen date will be imported.

4. In the Forms and Fields box, you can choose the required forms and fields to be imported from your Zoho Forms application.

Note: You must select at least one field for the selected forms. Record ID field will be imported by default.

5. Click Import to import the selected forms and fields into Zoho DataPrep.

6. Once you have completed importing data, the Pipeline builder page will open from where you can start applying transforms. You can also right-click the stage and choose the Prepare data option to prepare your data in the DataPrep Studio page. Click here to know more about the transforms.

7. Once you are done creating your data flow and applying necessary transforms in your stages, you can right-click a stage and add a destination to complete your data flow.

Note: After adding a destination to the pipeline, you can try executing your pipeline using a manual run at first. Once you make sure manual run works, you can then set up schedule to automate the pipeline or select the run you want to execute. Learn about the different types of runs here.

Import configuration

For any type of run, the import configuration needs to be mandatorily setup for all the sources in the pipeline. You can configure how to import and fetch incremental data from Zoho Forms using the Import configuration option.

Note: Without setting up the import configuration, any type of run cannot be saved.

8. Select the run you want to execute from the Schedule dropdown in the pipeline builder and select the Click here link to set the import configuration.

9. Select the required option from the How to import data from source? drop down. You can choose to import modified and new data, or only new data using this option.

Incremental data fetch

Only modified and new data

To import the modified and new data incrementally from the last imported time, select Only modified and new data option from the drop-down.

Info: The modified and new data will be fetched using the Modified_Time and Added_Time columns from the last imported time.

Use existing data if new data is not available:

During incremental import,

If the checkbox is checked: When there is no new data in the source, the last fetched data will be imported again.
If the checkbox is unchecked: When there is no new data in the source, the import will fail and no files will be imported. This will, in turn, cause the entire pipeline job to fail.

Only new data

To import the new data incrementally from the last imported time, select Only new data option from the drop-down.

Info: The new data will be fetched using the Added_Time columns from the last imported time.

Do not import data

The data is imported only once. The second time, the rules gets applied on the same data and gets exported.

10. Click Save to save the import configuration.

Settings

Stop export if data has invalid values: Enabling this will stop the export when prepared data still has invalid values.

Order exports

You can use this option when you have configured multiple destinations and would like to determine in what order the data has to be exported to destinations.

If not enabled, export will run in the default order.

Note: This option will be visible only if you have added more than one destination in your pipeline.

To rearrange the order of your export destinations

1) Click the Order exports toggle

2) You can drag and drop to change the order of the destinations and then click Save.

Note: Click the Edit order link if you want to rearrange the order again.

11. After you configure the schedule or any other run, click Save to execute the run. This will start the pipeline.

Each run is saved as a job. When a pipeline is scheduled, the data will be fetched from your data sources, prepared using the series of transforms you have applied in each of the stages, and then data will be exported to your destination at regular intervals. This complete process is captured in the job history.
12. To go to the jobs list of a particular pipeline, go to the ellipses icon in the pipeline builder, and click on the Job history menu to check the job status of your pipeline.

13. Click the required job ID in the Jobs history page to navigate to the Job summary of a particular job.

The Job summary shows the history of a job executed in a pipeline flow. Click here to know more.

14. When the run is completed, the data prepared in your pipeline will be exported to the configured destinations.

Info: You can also view the status of your run later on the Jobs page.

Note: If you make any further changes to the pipeline, the changes are saved as a draft version. Choose the Draft option and mark your pipeline as ready for the changes to reflect in the run.

After you set your schedule or any other run, you can choose to Pause schedule or Resume schedule, Edit schedule and Remove schedule using the Schedule Active option in the pipeline builder.

Note: If you have already configured a schedule or any other run from Zoho Forms, data will be reloaded based on your earlier configuration under the Import configuration section when you click on the Edit schedule option and set a new schedule.

Exporting data to Zoho Forms is in our roadmap and will be available soon.

SEE ALSO

How to schedule pipeline?

Data sources in Zoho DataPrep
Export destinations in DataPrep

Types of run

How to import data from Zoho Forms?