How to use Formester forms API for power users
If you’re looking to automate workflows, build real-time dashboards, or integrate Formester with your favorite tools, the Forms API is the way to go.
This blog will walk you through what Formester’s Forms API is, how to use it, and real-life examples of what you can do with it, even if you’re not a developer.
Let’s break it down step by step.
What Is Formester’s Forms API?
Formester’s Forms API gives you secure, programmatic access to your form data.
Instead of downloading submissions manually or logging into your dashboard each time, the API lets you:
Fetch form responses
Filter data based on conditions
Delete specific submissions
Integrate your form data with other tools
This is useful if you want to automate reports, track performance, build internal tools, or connect Formester to platforms like Zapier or Power BI.
Real-World Use Cases
1. Build Real-Time Dashboards Use the API to pull form submissions directly into reporting tools like Google Looker Studio or Power BI. Your dashboards will update automatically every time someone submits a form. This is perfect for tracking feedback, survey results, or marketing leads in real time.
2. Track Student Submissions in LMS If you’re using a Learning Management System, you can connect Formester forms (like assignments or quizzes) with your dashboard or grading system. This gives you real-time visibility into who submitted what—and when.
3. Prefill Future Forms You can pull submission data and use it to pre-fill fields in other Formester forms. This is great for multi-step processes like employee onboarding, customer service follow-ups, or user feedback loops.
4. Trigger Automated Actions With tools like Zapier or Make, or with a custom script, you can automatically trigger actions when a new submission comes in:
Sending a Slack alert
Updating a Google Sheet
Triggering an email campaign
Step 1: Get Your API Token
Formester uses token-based authentication.
To access the API, email support@formester.com and request access for your account or specific forms. The support team will generate your unique API token.
You’ll need to add this token in the header of every API request like this:
Header Key: X-FORMESTER-TOKEN
Header Value: your_api_token
Core API Methods and How to Use Them
Let’s go over the key API endpoints using simple language and examples.
1. Get List of Forms
What it does: Retrieves all forms created under your Formester organization. Each form object includes its ID, name, created date, and status. Use case: Build a dashboard where your team can view all active forms and quickly grab form IDs without logging into Formester.
How to test:
Method: GET
- Header: Add your API token
2. Get List of Submissions
What it does: Fetches all the submissions for a specific form.
Use case: Automatically sync new responses to your database every hour, or store them in your internal system.
How to test:
Method: GET
URL: https://app.formester.com/api/v1/forms/{form_id}/submissions
- Get a Specific Submission What it does: Retrieves details of a single submission using its unique ID.
Use case: If a customer submits a support request and you want to look at their answers, fetch their submission using this method.
How to test:
Method: GET
URL: https://app.formester.com/api/v1/forms/{form_id}/submissions/{submission_id}
4. Delete a Submission
What it does: Permanently deletes a specific submission.
Use case: Clean up test responses made during the form setup phase. Important: This action cannot be undone.
How to test:
- Method: DELETE
URL: https://app.formester.com/api/v1/forms/{form_id}/submissions/{submission_id}
5. Filter Submissions
What it does: Allows you to fetch only those submissions that meet specific conditions.
Use case: In a customer feedback survey, you can filter submissions where the satisfaction score is less than 3 to focus on unhappy customers.
Example:
To filter by a question with the ID feedback_score where the value is less than 3, you can use:
GET https://app.formester.com/api/v1/forms/{form_id}/submissions/filter?feedback_score__lt=3
Bonus Tip: Respect Rate Limits
Formester’s API allows a maximum of 10 requests per 60 seconds. If you exceed this, you’ll get rate-limited temporarily. Need a higher limit? Contact support to increase your quota.
Final Thoughts
The Forms API gives you superpowers, whether you’re a marketer, developer, or team lead. With just a few API calls, you can automate tasks, build smarter workflows, and stop wasting time with manual exports.
Ready to start?
Explore the official API docs Or build your own form in seconds using AI
If you need help getting started or want to request your API token, just reach out to support@formester.com.
