Intermediate: Data Workflows
This section builds on the project you created in Beginner. You will import a larger dataset, add photo capture to your form, export results, manage tasks, document your project, build a public app, and collect data offline.
This section assumes you have completed the Beginner tutorial and have the Fynbos in Siberia project with the Species Observations table and Field Observation Form already set up.
Step 1: Import data from a spreadsheet
Dr. Mwangi's colleague Dr. Volkov has been collecting observations in a spreadsheet. Instead of re-entering everything by hand, she imports the file directly.
Add latitude and longitude columns
The standard for storing location data is two separate columns - one for latitude and one for longitude. Before importing, add these to the Species Observations table:
Open the Species Observations table.
Click ADD in the toolbar, then Add Column.
Add two columns:
Name:
latitude, type: Double PrecisionName:
longitude, type: Double Precision
Click Save.
With separate latitude and longitude columns in place, you can now return to the Field Map dashboard from the Beginner section and configure the Map component's lat/lng fields. See Beginner step 7 for the Map component setup.
Prepare the file
Create a CSV file (.csv) or TSV file (.tsv) with the same column names as the Species Observations table. Here is an example with 20 rows:
Import the file
In the project sidebar, click Tables and open Species Observations.
Click the ADD button in the toolbar, then select Import Data.
Select your CSV or TSV file.
The import preview shows you how the file's columns map to the table's columns. Verify the mapping looks correct.
Click Import.
The 20 new rows are added to the table. You should now have 28 rows total (5 manual + 3 from form + 20 imported).
See Import Data for more details on column mapping and handling mismatched headers.
Step 2: Add photo capture to the form
Field workers photograph each plant specimen as part of the observation. Dr. Mwangi adds a File Upload question to the form so photos are captured in the same submission as the measurements.
Add a File Upload column to the table
First, the table needs a column to hold the photo references.
Open the Species Observations table.
Click ADD in the toolbar, then Add Column.
Enter the name
plant_photoand set the data type to File.Click Save.
File columns require a storage path configuration - this tells the platform where uploaded files are saved in your project's Storage. When you create the column, a path is set automatically. You can customise it in the column settings. See Super: Dynamic file paths for how to organise uploads by site and date automatically.
Add the question to the form
Open the Field Observation Form in the form builder (click Edit in the form toolbar).
At the bottom of the Observation Details section, click CLICK HERE TO ADD A QUESTION.
Name the question Plant Photo.
Set the Type to File Upload.
Link it to the plant_photo column in the Species Observations table.
Click Save.
What field workers see
When filling in the form, the Plant Photo question shows four capture buttons:
File icon
Opens the device file picker - browse existing photos
Camera icon
Opens the device camera to take a photo on the spot
Video icon
Records a short video clip
Mic icon
Records an audio note
On a phone in the field, the camera button is the most useful - it opens the camera directly without leaving the form.
After taking a photo, it appears as a thumbnail with a link. A trash icon removes it if the wrong photo was taken. Multiple files can be attached to a single question.
Submit one of the existing test observations again (via the form) and attach a photo. Then open the Species Observations table and click on the File cell for that row - the photo appears as a clickable link.
Step 3: Export data
Dr. Mwangi wants to share a snapshot of the data with a collaborator who uses Excel.
Open the Species Observations table.
Click the Export button in the toolbar.
Choose the format:
Export as TSV - tab-separated values, works in any spreadsheet tool
Export as XLSX - Microsoft Excel format
The file downloads to your device immediately.
See Export Data for details on the export options and how to share a read-only public view of a table.
Step 4: Storage - working with archives
In the Beginner section you uploaded individual files. Storage also supports working with archives.
Upload and extract a ZIP file
Dr. Volkov has sent a ZIP archive containing 50 site photos organised into folders.
Go to Storage in the project sidebar.
Upload the ZIP file.
After the upload completes, click the ellipsis (...) next to the ZIP file and select Extract. Information Hub unpacks the archive and creates the folder structure automatically.
Browse the extracted folders to verify the photos are in place.
Download files
To download a file, click the ellipsis next to it and select Download. For folders, downloading produces a ZIP archive of the folder's contents automatically.
Step 5: Manager - plan fieldwork with kanban boards
Dr. Mwangi uses the Manager to organise upcoming fieldwork tasks.
In the project sidebar, click Manager.
Click the + button to create a new workbook.
Name it March Fieldwork.
The board opens with default columns: To Do, Busy, and Done.
Add task cards
Click the + button in the To Do column.
Add cards for upcoming tasks:
"Collect Site Alpha measurements - March 15"
"Collect Site Beta measurements - March 16"
"Download weather station data"
"Review and clean imported data"
"Prepare monthly report"
As work progresses, drag cards from To Do to Busy, and then to Done.
You can assign cards to team members, set due dates, and add descriptions in Markdown. See Manager for the full guide.
Step 6: Wiki - document field protocols
The project Wiki is the place for long-form documentation that the whole team can reference.
In the project sidebar, click Wiki (or Documentation).
Click the + button to create a new page.
Name it Field Protocol.
Write the measurement procedure:
Field Protocol - Species Observations
Arrive at the site and record GPS coordinates using the Location question on the form.
Locate the tagged plant specimen.
Measure the height from soil level to the tallest point in centimetres.
Count all visible leaves on the main stem.
Take a soil pH reading at the base of the plant using the handheld meter.
Record all values in the Field Observation Form on your phone.
Use the Plant Photo question to photograph the specimen.
Click Save.
Create a second page called Species Descriptions with notes on each of the three species.
Share the protocol publicly
Dr. Mwangi wants to share the field protocol with collaborators who do not have an account.
Open the Field Protocol page.
Click the Settings (gear icon) button in the toolbar.
Enable Allow Sharing and click Save.
Return to the page view. Click Share and copy the public URL.
Anyone with the link can read the page without logging in.
See Wiki for more details on page settings and pinning.
Step 7: Apps - build a public-facing view
Dr. Mwangi wants to share the data collection form and some results with external collaborators who do not have Information Hub accounts.
Create an app
In the project sidebar, click Apps.
Click the + button to create a new app.
Name it Fynbos in Siberia - Collaborator Portal.
Add pages
Apps are made up of pages. Each page can display a form, a dashboard, or a wiki page.
Click Add Page and paste the shared link of the Field Observation Form (enable sharing on the form first if you have not already).
Click Add. The form page is added to the app.
Click Add Page again and paste the shared link of the Field Map dashboard (enable sharing on the dashboard first).
Click Add.
Share the app
Click the Share button in the toolbar to open the share popover.
Copy the public link and send it to collaborators.
Anyone with the link can access the app pages without needing an Information Hub account. See Apps for the full guide.
Step 8: Offline forms - collect data without internet
Field sites in Siberia do not always have reliable internet. Information Hub supports offline data collection.
Save the form to your device
Do this while you still have internet access.
Open the Field Observation Form.
In the action bar at the top of the form view, tap Save for Offline (bookmark icon).
The form is saved to your device. You can now use it without a connection.
Save the form for offline use before you go into the field. The button is not available once you are offline.
Collect data without internet
Turn off WiFi and mobile data on your device.
Open the form as normal - it loads from the local cache.
Fill in observations and tap Submit. Each submission is queued locally.
Repeat as needed. All submissions stay on the device until you sync.
Monitor and upload with Jobs
When you are back online, submitted observations do not upload automatically - you manage the sync from the Jobs page.
From the Home screen, click Jobs in the sidebar.
The Overview tab shows all pending jobs (one per offline submission).
For each pending job, click the ellipsis (...) button to open the options menu:
Execute - uploads the submission to the server immediately.
Download - saves a local ZIP of the submission data before uploading.
Click Execute on each job to push the data to the Species Observations table.
Switch to the History tab to see completed uploads.
If a submission fails to upload (for example, a required field was empty), it appears in the Manager tab. From there you can retry or download the failed job data to investigate the issue.
Do not clear your browser data or app cache while you have pending jobs. This will permanently delete locally stored submissions before they are uploaded.
Step 9: Email notifications on form submission
Dr. Mwangi wants her field assistant to be notified by email every time someone submits the Field Observation Form.
Open the Field Observation Form and click Settings in the toolbar.
In the General settings section, find the Email List field.
Enter Dr. Mwangi's email address (and any other recipients, comma-separated).
Make sure the Send Custom Email toggle is OFF (this is the default).
Click Save.
From now on, every form submission will send a notification email to the submitter and to everyone in the Email List.
Turning the Send Custom Email toggle ON suppresses all notification emails entirely - including to the submitter and to addresses in the Email List. Use it when you want silent submissions during high-volume data entry.
Submit a test observation and check your inbox to verify the notification arrives.
Step 10: Update forms - revisit existing records
Sometimes a field worker needs to go back and update a previous observation - for example, to correct a measurement or add a note.
Go to Forms in the project sidebar.
Click Create Form and name it Update Observation.
In the create form dialog, set the form type to Update.
Select the Species Observations table.
Tick the columns you want field workers to be able to update (e.g., height_cm, leaf_count, soil_ph).
Click Create.
When a team member opens the update form, they select an existing row by its primary key (the observation ID). The form loads the current values and the user can edit and re-submit. Only the changed fields are updated in the table.
What you have learned
How to import data from CSV or TSV files
How to add a File Upload question so field workers can capture photos on the form
How to export table data as TSV or XLSX
How to upload, extract, and download files in Storage
How to plan and track tasks with kanban boards in the Manager
How to write and share project documentation in the Wiki
How to build and publish a public app for external collaborators
How to collect data offline and sync via the Jobs page
How to configure email notifications for form submissions
How to create Update forms for revisiting existing records
Next steps
In the Advanced section, you will add more dashboard components, use advanced question types, configure fine-grained permissions, create project templates, and explore the FILE column trick for linking to external resources.
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