Offline first
The phone is the source of truth until it syncs
This is the line between a field tool and a web form on a small screen. A record exists and is valid before it ever reaches the server. Sync is an event that happens later, not a condition for working.
What the person in the field sees
Not a spinner and not an error. A count of exactly what is waiting, and why — so nobody drives back to town wondering whether the morning's work was saved.
Uploaded once, never twice
Every record carries an identifier generated on the device. Send the same one twice and the server quietly ignores the duplicate.
Photos travel separately
A text record is a few kilobytes and gets through anywhere. A photo is megabytes and fails halfway. Together, the photo drags the record down with it.
Drafts survive anything
Half-filled forms are kept if the phone is killed mid-entry, restarted, or runs flat.
Forms are versioned
Adding a field doesn't make old records look incomplete. They were filled under a different version, and reports know it.
Set up your first form today
If you run field teams and the offline problem sounds familiar, create an account and build your first form in minutes.