This use case can be done in miniExtensions by enabling the following features:
1. Login page
These options mean:
A. For new users: it would create a new record to start filling out the form.
B. For existing users: it would reload their existing record to continue submitting the form.
Save & Continue Mode: These options will keep sending the data to Airtable while the user is still filling in the form. These non-final records should be considered to be in Pending status or Draft mode. The only indicator that the user actually submitted the form, is by looking at the Final Confirmation checkbox.
If your use case does not require a login for the form, you can also use the Restore unsaved sessions feature, which saves the entered information in the user's browser!
This option will turn OFF the form if the user tries to edit their data after it's been already finalized when the form was submitted.
4. Send a copy of user submission (optional)
If you want your users to get a confirmation email with a copy of their application, you can do so by following these steps:
This will generate sharable links for each record, but they will be in view-only mode. Tip: this un-editable form can also be used for tracking updates. For example, checking application status.
B. Email the links
You can use an Airtable Automation or use this built-in feature.
C. Auto-Redirect
Also, another option is to redirect the user to the record's unique URL. That way they can save it (bookmark it) and revisit it later.
💡Tip
The ability to save the user's progress and continue later is common in forms that are too long. If you're trying to make an overwhelming form more user-friendly, you should consider these options as well: