Setting Up Supplemental Forms in Reviewr
Supplemental forms are one of the most powerful tools in Reviewr for building dynamic, multi-step event workflows. Whether you're collecting letters of reference, transcripts, acceptance confirmations, or involving external participants like nominators, recommenders, or collaborators—supplemental forms help manage these more complex processes within a unified system.
What Is a Supplemental Form?
A supplemental form is a secondary event (also called a child event) linked to a primary submission event (parent event). It allows another user—often someone different from the original applicant—to submit additional information as part of the overall application process.
You can even build grandchild events for multi-stage workflows where one supplemental form leads to another.
Common Use Cases
Awards Programs: Nominator submits a nomination → Nominee completes a supplemental form.
Scholarships: Applicant applies → Recommender submits a letter → School sends a transcript.
Grants: Applicant submits a proposal → Grantee provides accpetance in the supplemental form.
When to Use a Supplemental Form
You should only set up a supplemental form if advised by the Reviewr team. While powerful, this setup is only necessary in certain cases and requires backend configuration. If you're unsure whether your workflow qualifies, please reach out via the chat—we're happy to help you determine the best solution.
Use a supplemental form when:
A different user (not the original applicant) needs to submit part of the application
You are managing a multi-round or multi-phase process
You need to collect external documentation or input after a main submission is complete
How to Set Up a Supplemental Form
Follow these steps to properly configure a supplemental form:
1. Build Both Events
Create your two events:
Main (Parent) Event: This is where the original submission is completed.
Supplemental (Child) Event: This is where the additional user will complete their portion.
💡 Best Practice: Set the main event deadline first, then have the supplemental event deadline follow by a few days. This ensures the main form is completed before the supplemental form becomes active.
Need help building the forms? Check out this form builder article and guided walkthrough for assistance!
2. Add the “Supplemental Form” Question
In the form builder of the main event:
Add a “Supplemental Form” question type.
This serves as a placeholder to connect the child event.
You do not need to configure linking options here—this is done on the backend.
3. Contact the Reviewr Team to Link the Events
Once both events are built and the supplemental question is in place:
Reach out to the Reviewr team using the chat icon in the Admin Dashboard.
We'll connect the two events and configure the supplemental flow for you.
⚠️ This step is required. The link between parent and child events must be configured by Reviewr.
How the Link Works
When events are linked:
Reviewr uses event links on the backend to define how information flows between the parent and child events.
Once triggered, a Supplemental Invite is sent to the designated user, inviting them to complete their portion.
Invite Options:
Automatic (On Submit): Invite is triggered only after the main form is submitted (recommended).
Manual: Admin manually sends the invite—great for multi-round or selective workflows.
Automatic (On Save): Available but not recommended, as it can trigger too early and disrupt the process.
Date and Timing Tips
Parent event should start and end before the child event’s dates.
Leave a few days of buffer between the two deadlines.
This ensures applicants have time to finish their portion before others are invited.
For additional instructions on dates and deadlines, view this article and guided walkthrough for additional information.
Locked Information & Access
When a user submits a supplemental form, their First Name, Last Name, and Email become tied to their login credentials. If they change this information later, it will not change their access.
If updates are needed:
The user should notify the event admin.
The admin can request changes from the Reviewr team via chat