Workflow Task: How to Merge Fields from Form and Task for Single Output

Hello,

I'm trying to create a workflow where client fill fields on a form, once complete I need to fill some other fields, I created a task for that.

I would like to have all the fields from the form and the fields completed in the task to be merged in one output, that I can send to my supervisor for approval and sign.

I'm stuck on the merge fields aspect.

Do you have any tips ? thanks

Hi Guillaume,

Thank you for contacting Jotform for support; I am an artificial-intelligence assistant and I am here to help.

Let me help you with that:

From what you described, you have a form that your client fills out, then a Task in your workflow where you (or someone else) add more information, and you want a single output (email or document) that shows both the original form answers and the task answers for your supervisor to review and sign.

Currently, Jotform Workflows lets you:

• Use form fields in emails and PDFs.
• Customize Task notification/reminder emails and attach PDFs or files to them.
• Send a submission PDF as an attachment in emails (including in workflow emails).
• Require a signature from an approver using the Approve & Sign element.

However, there is no direct option documented to “merge” form fields and task fields into a brand-new combined data source. The practical way to achieve what you want is to design a single PDF or email template that already contains all the information you need, and then use the workflow to route that to your supervisor.

Option 1 – Use a single submission PDF as the merged output

If the extra fields you fill at the task stage are still part of the same form submission (for example, you open the submission via an edit link and complete internal fields), then you can:

1. Design a detailed PDF in PDF Editor that includes all the form fields you need (client fields + internal fields).
2. In your workflow, configure the email that goes to your supervisor (for approval or sign) to attach the submission PDF as an attachment.

To attach the submission PDF to an email (Notification/Autoresponder or workflow email):

1. In Form Builder, click Settings.
2. Click Emails.
3. Edit the email you are using for your supervisor (click the Pencil icon).
4. Open the Attachments tab.
5. Turn on Attach PDF and select the PDF document you created.
6. Click Save.

Then, in your workflow, make sure that this email is the one sent to your supervisor after the task is completed, so they always receive the up-to-date PDF that includes everything.

Option 2 – Use an Approve & Sign step for supervisor signature

If you want your supervisor to approve and sign directly in the workflow:

1. In Workflow Builder, add an Approve & Sign element after your task.
2. Open its properties (gear icon).
3. Under Require signature for, choose the outcomes that must be signed (for example, Approve).
4. Under Signers, enter your supervisor’s email or select it from Form Fields if it is captured on the form.
5. Customize the email content so it clearly summarizes the key form fields (client data) and any important task information (you can manually include text or mapped fields that are part of the submission).

Your supervisor will then receive an email where they can approve/deny and sign; the signed document is stored in Sign Inbox and can be downloaded when needed.

Option 3 – Use Tables/Prefill to combine data before sending

If some of the information you add at the task stage actually lives in a separate form or table, you can:

• Use Jotform Tables to bring data from multiple forms into one table (for example, using the “get data from other forms in Jotform Tables” approach).
• Use Tables Prefill or Form Prefill to prepopulate a final “summary” form with data from other tables/forms, then generate a PDF or Sign document from that summary form.

This is more advanced and depends on how you currently store the task data, so if you are interested in this route, it would help to know whether your task responses are stored as edits to the same submission or as a separate form.

To give you more concrete tips, could you clarify:

• Are the extra fields you fill in the task step fields on the same original form (edited later), or are they part of a separate task response form?
• Do you want your supervisor to sign a PDF, or is an Approve & Sign step in the workflow enough?

Once we know that, we can outline exact steps for your specific setup (which element to use, where to attach the PDF, and how to structure the form fields so they all appear in one output).

Please let us know these details so we can suggest the most suitable configuration for your workflow.

they are a separate task response form, approve and sign is enough for my supervisor but the second approver need to signe the final PDF

Hi Guillaume,

Let me help you with that:

Given your setup:

• Client fills Form A.
• You complete extra details in a separate Task response form (Task element’s own form).
• Step 1 approver (your supervisor) can use Approve & Sign.
• Step 2 approver must sign the final PDF.

Jotform Workflows supports both multi-step approvals and Approve & Sign, and you can chain them so that the second approver signs after the supervisor.

1. Configure Approve & Sign for your supervisor (first approver)

1. In Workflow Builder, add an Approve & Sign element after your Task element.
2. Click the element’s gear icon to open its properties.
3. Under Require signature for, select the outcome(s) that must be signed (for example, Approve).
4. Under Signers, enter your supervisor’s email address or choose it from Form Fields if it is captured on the form.
5. Complete the rest of the flow from this element’s Approve outcome.

This ensures your supervisor both approves and signs in one step.

2. Add a second approval step for the final PDF signer

To handle the second approver, you can create a multi-step approval:

1. From the supervisor’s Approve outcome on the Approve & Sign element, drag a connector and add a second Approval or Approve & Sign element (depending on whether the second approver must sign inside the workflow or only sign the PDF externally).
2. Configure this second element as another step in a multi-step approval chain (first supervisor, then second approver). The guide on multi-step approvals shows the pattern of connecting Approval/Approve & Sign elements one after another.

If the second approver must sign the PDF itself (not just approve in the workflow), you have two main patterns:

• Pattern A – Both approvers sign via Approve & Sign
  You can use two Approve & Sign elements in sequence (supervisor first, second approver second). Each element collects its own signature as part of the workflow. This keeps everything inside Jotform Workflows and Jotform Sign, and the final signed document can be downloaded from Sign Inbox once the flow is complete.
• Pattern B – Second approver signs a separate Sign document PDF
  Alternatively, you can enable Jotform Sign Automation on the form so that, after the workflow is approved, a Sign document is generated from a selected PDF and sent for signature. In that case:
  • In Form Builder, go to Settings → Jotform Sign.
  • Enable Jotform Sign Automation.
  • Select an Email field that holds the second approver’s email.
  • Select the PDF document that should be signed.
  The second approver will receive an email from Jotform Sign with the PDF to sign, and the signed PDF will be available in Sign Inbox and can also be sent to that email.

3. About “merging” the client form and task response form

The Task element uses its own Task Response Form, which you can customize (Short Text, Long Text, Dropdown, etc.). The documentation describes how to add fields and outcomes, but it does not state a built-in feature that automatically merges those task responses into the original form’s PDF as a single combined data source.

Because of that, the supported approaches are:

• Use Approve & Sign steps to collect all signatures on the same workflow entry (Pattern A above).
• Or generate a Sign Automation PDF from the main form and send it to the second approver (Pattern B above), while the task responses remain part of the workflow record and task response form.

If you tell me which pattern you prefer (two Approve & Sign steps in the workflow vs. a final Sign Automation PDF sent to the second approver), I can outline the exact connection order and which emails each person will receive.

Please let us know which of these options you want to implement so we can refine the steps for your specific flow.

I don' really care about the approve or sign aspect, I need help with the merge data

Hi Guillaume,

Let me help you with that:

Because your client form and your Task response form are two separate forms, there is no single built-in button that “merges” their fields into one live submission. What you can do is merge their submission data into one place, then use that as your combined output.

There are two main supported ways to do this, depending on whether you want a combined table/file or a summary form/PDF:

Option 1 – Combine both forms’ submissions in Jotform Tables (one data view / export)

This gives you one table that shows data from both forms side by side, and you can export it as CSV/Excel/PDF if needed.

1. Open Jotform Tables for one of the forms (for example, the client form).
2. Add a new tab and choose to Connect to Form so you can pull data from the other form:
   • Follow the guide on How to Get Data From Other Forms in Jotform Tables.
   • Select your Task response form as the source and choose the columns you want to include.
3. Now you have a workspace where you can see and manage data from both forms in one place.
4. If you want a single file that contains all rows, you can also use the Combine Submissions app:
   • Go to Combine Submissions.
   • Select the forms and fields you want to merge.
   • Generate one combined file (note that combined submissions may appear in separate tabs, but they are in one export).

This approach is best if your “output” can be a table export (CSV/Excel/PDF) that your supervisor can review.

Option 2 – Use a “summary” form and prefill it from Tables (for a single PDF output)

If you want one final PDF that contains selected fields from both the client form and the Task form, you can:

1. Create a new summary form that has all the fields you want to show (client info + internal/task info).
2. In Jotform Tables, use Tables Prefill to prepopulate that summary form from your existing data:
   • Follow the guide on How to Prefill Form Fields With Data From Other Tables.
   • Choose the table/tab that holds the data you want (you can connect other forms into a table as in Option 1).
   • Map the table columns (from client form and task form) to the fields on your summary form.
3. Submit that summary form (manually or via prefilled links) so it creates one combined submission.
4. Design a PDF in PDF Editor for the summary form and use that as your single merged PDF to send or sign.

This option is more setup work, but it gives you a clean, single submission + PDF that truly merges the data from both forms.

Important limitation

The Task element’s response form is its own form. The available documentation does not show a direct feature to automatically push those task fields into the original client form’s submission so that one standard submission PDF contains both. That’s why the supported methods are:

• Combine data at the Tables / export level (Option 1), or
• Use a summary form + prefill to create a new, merged submission (Option 2).

If you tell me whether you prefer a combined table/file or a single final PDF from a summary form, I can walk you through the exact steps for that path using your two specific forms.

Please choose which of these two directions you want to follow so we can detail the concrete steps for your setup.