Trying to think of a succinct title for this hack is NOT easy, because there are SO. MANY. possible uses for it, and yet the technical side of what we’re doing here doesn’t make much sense without the context of how you might be using it. Stick with me, I’m going to do my best to explain all the cool ways that you could be using Dubsado Custom Mapped Fields as links in forms to make your process 1000 times easier!

So rather than trying to explain these words, I’m going to provide you some possible uses for this hack so that you can see how it might be helpful for you!:

• Asking clients to upload files to google drive, dropbox, or box or another outside file service
• Providing call recordings to clients
• Providing a customized Canva document, deliverable, or other outside link to clients

I originally developed this hack because I’m very particular about my onboarding process. I need all client information dropped into not just one Google Drive folder, but FIVE Google Drive folders. I needed to minimize the (1) amount of time that I was spending on this part of the process and (2) the possibility of errors which would cause confusion for my clients and extra time with me trying to untangle things.

How to do this:

On your template

These are the directions you have to follow ONCE in order to set up this system for your continued use moving forward.

1. Create custom mapped fields for each folder, video, or asset that you’re going to want to share with your clients
2. Go to the form TEMPLATE where you’re going to share the folder, video, or asset with your client. Insert a text box.
3. Inside that text box, enter the custom mapped fields that you created in Step 1. This will allow you to copy and past them!
4. Insert a link as a “Button” in Dubsado. The URL will be the custom mapped field that you copied in Step 3. The text will be whatever you want the client to see!
5. Close the text box, and insert the next one as needed!

On the individual client projects

These are the directions that you’ll follow for each client before sending them the form template you created above.

1. Add the link to the folder, video, or asset to the custom mapped field side panel

THAT’S IT! You copy and paste the link into the side panel and it will automatically be inserted into the form. This is a much faster and less tedious way to update linked content in your forms, especially if you need to update multiple assets in the form for each client.

Watch me!

This demonstrates the steps above so that you can see how to use this hack!

Limitations

Note that this does NOT work on buttons in canned emails. This ONLY works on buttons in forms. If you try to do this in a canned email, especially if that canned email is in a workflow, it won’t send!

Bonus Hack

If you are creating unique google drive or file sharing folders for each client, you need Zapier! With paid Zapier, all of the following happens automatically for me:

• Create a custom Google folder with the client’s name
• Create subfolders as needed/named appropriately
• Update sharing permissions of all Google folders created
• Send a Slack message or email with all of the Google folder links