topic Re: Start new survey with submitting current one in ArcGIS Survey123 Questions

Start new survey with submitting current one

MarcelBeckmann — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 10:01:15 GMT

Hello,

we want to create a survey where users can report the sighting of a beetle inluding setting a point in a map. Users should be able to open the survey with desktop and smartphone app.

At the end of the survey we want to ask the user if he wants to report another sighting of this beetle. If he clicks 'yes' and submitts the survey, it would be great if automaticly a new survey would open and some fields are already populated from the submitted survey. For example first- and last name. Is it possible to achieve this behaviour with survey?

I know there is the option of repeats. But for the following reasons I think to open a new survey (with already populated fields) is a more elegant and also more stable way to solve this:

it will be rather rare that someone is reporting multiple sightings of the beetle
with the smartphone app, the repeats including the map, seems to overcrod the screen a little
This is a survey for the puplic. So everyone can report a sighting. I am not sure if everyone, especially users who are not tech-savvy, will understand how the repeat is working.

Any help is appreciated. Thank you all!

Re: Start new survey with submitting current one

TravisSaladino — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 14:15:28 GMT

@MarcelBeckmann almost all the questions in a Survey123 form give you the option to "cache answer". It's a check box at the bottom of the question configuration.

When enabled, this will do exactly what you are looking for... soft of 😞. Unfortunately, this only functions in the web app, not the mobile app according to the help at:

https://doc.arcgis.com/en/survey123/get-started/faqcreatesurveys.htm#anchor11:~:text=For%20each%20question%20that%20you%20define%20in%20the%20Survey123%20website%2C%20there%20is%20a%20cache%20answer%20to%20this%20question%20option

But! we do make a suggestion at:

https://doc.arcgis.com/en/survey123/browser/create-surveys/webdesigneressentials.htm#:~:text=Other%20options-,Cache%20answer,-%E2%80%94After%20the%20survey

to "set and apply favorite answers, which works similarly." I hope that helps 🤞

Re: Start new survey with submitting current one

MarcelBeckmann — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 14:27:53 GMT

@TravisSaladinoThank you for your answer.

You are right. Not exactly what I was looking for and also dissapointing that this feature only works in the web app. Why is ESRI doing so many things only half way?!

Anyway: I will give it a try.

Thanks a lot.

Re: Start new survey with submitting current one

DougBrowning — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 14:34:34 GMT

You can do it with a launch URL to pass over the fields you want. See here https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-survey123-blog/understanding-survey123-s-custom-url-scheme/ba-p/900291

BUT note this will open a new survey and leave the first one open in the background. When they submit the second one the first one will come back on screen then submit that one. So probably not what you want but its close.

Re: Start new survey with submitting current one

TravisSaladino — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 14:43:28 GMT

I get it. So there's two thing to consider here. 1) A long time ago when we made Survey123 we used an external standard XSLForms. We need to stick with it for backwards compatibility reasons and that's the root of the limitation. 2) You can open surveys on your mobile device's web browser and get this functionality in the field still. Just not in a offline state like you can with the mobile app.

Re: Start new survey with submitting current one

MarcelBeckmann — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 14:46:32 GMT

@DougBrowningThank you for your answer.

Yes, also not exactly what we are looking for. But I will take a look at the blog post.

Thank you very much.

Re: Start new survey with submitting current one

MarcelBeckmann — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 15:11:19 GMT

Hey Travis,

thanks a lot for clarification.

I think the cached answers would be a very good and absolutely acceptable solution to our problem.

And with all respect, I do not understand what the XSLForms has to do with the fact that the smartphone app cannot cache some answers. I absolutely do not have any technical unserstandig and for sure you are absolutely right. But as an unknowing customer I cannot empathise why this functionality is not implemented in the field app. Maybe you can understand.

Also thank you for pointing out that we also can open the survey on the smartphone via browser. Maybe this is a possible scenario for us.

Thanks you for all your answer. This gives us several options we can check and try and see which one will work best for us.

Re: Start new survey with submitting current one

JenniferAcunto — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 13:03:03 GMT

You can add the URL with a message to the generated_note question type- which would add it to the Thank You screen. So they would submit and then be prompted to submit another survey.