Limiting Form Submissions - Within a Certain Time Period

Max Classic
,
#1

Hi Everyone,

I am looking for an intelligent way to limit the number of times a form can be submitted within a defined time period. There are two parts to this issue for us.

Part 1 - Multiple Rapid Clicks
Multiple rapid clicks on the form submit button, produces multiple form submissions.

Sometimes either our web hosting service or Infusionsoft’s servers are a little bit slower, than ideal, in responding to a form POST submission and the contact is not taken to the Thank You page quick enough so they “click again and again…” till something visibly happens in the client’s web browser.

For Part 1 part of the problem is fixed by setting up a “Confirmation Started” tag that gets applied before the standard double opt-in confirmation sequence starts; then test for that tag being present using a decision diamond. If the Confirmation Started tag is present the contact does not enter the opt-in sequence a second or third…time.

However it does not stop them clicking the submit button multiple times and possibly being sent the eBook (in the sequence) multiple times if they have already confirmed their email address.

Question 1:
Is there a neat way to constrict the number of clicks they are allowed on the submit button? Alternatively restrict using campaign logic their entering the sequence multiple times?

Part 2 - Multiple Form Submissions Over Time
The contact does not receive the confirmation (double-optin) email or can’t find it in their inbox so a few mintues/hours/days later submits the form again.

For Part 2 this is where I am struggling the most. We have had people submit a form three times over minutes/hours/days and then even though they confirmed their email address marked us as spam for they received the eBook sent to them three times.

We wish (very much) not to annoy the contact and protect them from the results of their own actions by multiple form submission requests entering them automatically into a sequence over and over. All they see is an annoying (spam like) outcome to a frustration (not seeing) immediate results, leading to a repeated form submission behavior.

Question 2:
How can we test and throttle the number of times a sequence is started lets say within a three day period?

Thanks for your ideas and help.

Alastair

#2

Solution
Just by asking the questions it helped me to figure out a working solution. This solution takes care of both problems, multiple clicks on the form submit button and multiple form submissions over a longer time period, all-in-one.

If anyone has a different solution I would very much like to hear from you.

Time Delay Sequence Branch
Add a Time Delay sequence branch to the campaign

time-delay-1-day

Time Delay Sequence Details

  1. Apply Time Delay Tag
  2. Set desired time delay period (minutes / hours / days)
  3. Remove Time Delay Tag
  4. End Tag is removed and applied to achieve the Tag Applied goal, its only purpose so Contacts don’t end up queuing in the sequence

time-delay-1-day-sequence-details
time-delay-1-day-sequence-details.JPG790×205 25.6 KB

Decision Diamond / Time Delay Rule

The decision diamond now controls entry into the campaign sequence.

time-delay-decision-diamond-3

  • Time Delay / 1 Day sequence sets the Time Delay Tag if NOT set before. This allows a Contact to enter the campaign sequence one time only. Preventing multiple entries into the campaign for the same Contact during a 1 day period

time-delay-decision-diamond-1

All Other Campaign Branches Test For Condition

  • Time Delay Tag NOT set

time-delay-decision-diamond-2

  • Campaign branch sequence starts only if the Contact doesn’t have the Time Delay Tag previously applied
  • Meaning Contact has not entered the campaign sequence in the last 1 day
  • Time Delay Tag is automatically removed after 1 day allowing the same Contact to submit the form again after 1 day has elapsed
  • Solution takes care of multiple clicks on the form submit button and multiple form submissions over the 1 day (or whatever) period

Hope this solution helps someone else with the same problem.

Alastair

1 Like
#3

Update on this topic with an interesting fact.

During testing I found and it was confirmed by Infusionsoft tech support, Infusionsoft campaign logic automatically delays multiple form click entries by 15 minutes each before allowing them into a sequence.

The first form submission click enters the campaign sequence immediately then subsequent clicks are delayed by 15 minutes each before being allowed to enter a campaign. This 15 minute delay doesn’t prevent them from entering a campaign, only delays them so my workaround is still relevant to stopping multiple entries into a campaign.

Alastair

#4

[WordPress Solution] Or you could limit entries using FormLift. Automatically closes the form when a submission cap you set has been reached.

1 Like
#5

Thanks for the pointer Adrian, I hadn’t heard of this solution, greatly appreciate the suggestion.
Here’s the link for those reading the message thread https://formlift.net/
$9 to $29 per month pricing

Alastair

1 Like