Enabling inbox for certain users

[migforst6]

Hi everybody,

I want to enable inbox for certain users (admins) and restrict it for other ones (fieldworkers). Admin users will be able to answer a repeat question through the inbox. How can I do so on Survey123 Connect?

Thanks in advance.

[ZacharySutherby]

Hello @migforst6, 

There are two ways you could go about this, the first if you truly don't want the Inbox enabled for the fieldworkers you will need two surveys that point to the same feature service. One survey where the Inbox is enabled (admin form) and another where the Inbox is disabled (fieldworker form). Enabling the Inbox is an all or nothing setting for the form there is no way to conditionally enable it for select users. 

Another workflow would be to enable the Inbox (all users will see the Inbox), but set a "Where" expression so that records will only display in certain users Inboxes. For example, you can add a field in the feature service called "assigned_to" and in that field populate the username of the admin you want to edit that feature. Then in Connect for the Where expression set it to assigned_to=${username}, this will make it so that any user that has their username in the assigned_to field will see those records in their Inbox and any user that has no records with their username in the assigned_to field won't see anything in the Inbox. 

[migforst6]

Hi, greetings for you.

Thanks for your answer and your help. What I need in this case is that Admin user can edit the repeat question (does not matter whether the survey was sent by admin or fieldworkers) and fieldworkers just record everything that goes before the repeat.

[RobertAnderson3]

The second option you have there with the WHERE clause using ${username} seems like a great way to get this to work. Thanks!

I do wish this could be a simpler setting and use some level of permissions like Groups to make it easier. In my case we have several supervisors or admin people who could be responsible for updating these, and having to add each name to the WHERE clause is, tedious at best. Is there an enhancement request to make the process of sharing with only specific users a more simplified process?

This also really makes it harder for business continuity if someone new needs access while the survey owner isn't available to make the change to the WHERE clause. But if it was done via permissions/Groups any AGOL admin would be able to update these settings.

[RobertAnderson3]

@ZacharySutherby Are there any other variables like ${username} that can be used in this context?

I think extending this to something such as ${group} referring to groups in an ArcGIS Online organization in some way would be an interesting way to extend this functionality! Perhaps using the ID that presents in a URL for the group in question to maintain the uniqueness across AGOL?