Facebook Instant Forms allow Facebook Page admins to quickly create forms to collect information from their followers. Once an Instant Form is published on a Facebook Page, admins may want to edit the form to change the questions, options, settings, etc. So a common question is – can you edit an instant form after it’s been published on Facebook?
The Short Answer
Yes, Facebook Page admins can edit instant forms after publishing them. However, there are some limitations to be aware of when editing live instant forms.
Editing Instant Form Basics
Here are some key things to know about editing instant forms on Facebook:
- You can edit any part of an instant form after publishing except the title.
- Edits made to a live form will apply to new form submissions, but not to existing submissions.
- You cannot delete individual form questions after publishing, only the entire form.
- Be careful editing form questions after receiving submissions, as you may invalidate existing data.
- Consider pausing form collection before making edits to prevent data issues.
Overall the process is straightforward – you can access and edit any published instant form from your Facebook page’s Instant Forms manager. Just be thoughtful about how edits impact existing data.
Editing Form Details
Here are the instant form sections you can edit after publishing:
Form Details:
- Description
- Custom URL
- Footer message
You can change the form description, URL, and footer as needed. The title cannot be edited after publishing.
Appearance:
- Theme
- Font
- Accent color
Update the form theme, font, and color scheme. This allows you to freshen up your form’s look anytime.
Settings:
- Collect email addresses
- Show progress bar
- Randomize questions
- Limit number of submissions
Configure whether the form collects emails, displays a progress bar, randomizes questions, or limits total entries.
Editing Form Questions
You have full flexibility to edit existing form questions or add new ones:
- Change question text
- Change question type
- Add or delete options
- Mark questions as required
- Rearrange question order
- Add new questions
Update phrasing, switch between types like multiple choice or open answer, add/remove options, mark required, re-order, and insert new questions anywhere in the form.
The one exception – you cannot delete individual questions, only the full form.
Impact on Existing Responses
A key thing to understand is how editing an instant form impacts existing form data. Here’s how it works:
- Edits apply to new form submissions only.
- Existing responses remain unchanged.
- Deleted questions remain in old submissions.
- New questions are not present in previous submissions.
- Take care not to invalidate old data with edits.
So once someone has submitted a form response, it will not change. Your edits only apply to new submissions going forward.
This means you should avoid edits that could invalidate existing data, like:
- Deleting options people may have selected already.
- Changing a multiple choice question to open answer.
- Switching between required and optional questions.
Edits like those could cause inconsistent or confusing historical data.
Best Practices
Here are some recommendations when editing live Facebook instant forms:
- Pause form collection first – Stop your form from accepting new entries before editing to prevent mid-edit submissions.
- Make edits compatible – Try to ensure edits don’t invalidate old data. Switch question order vs deleting options.
- Review previous responses – Check existing entries to spot potential issues with planned edits.
- Notify users – If making major edits, inform followers it’s happening and changes only apply to new entries.
- Change text subtly – When altering question text, tweak phrasing vs dramatic changes.
- Test edited form – Preview and submit the updated form to ensure it works as expected.
Following these tips will help ensure a smooth editing process and maintain data consistency.
Example Edit
Here’s a quick example of editing an instant form:
Original Form
- What’s your favorite color?
- Do you prefer cats or dogs?
Edited Form
- What’s your favorite color?
- Do you have any pets? If so, what kinds?
- What’s your favorite animal?
For this example edit:
- The color question remains unchanged.
- The cats vs dogs question was changed to an open answer.
- A new favorite animal question was added.
Existing form responses would still show the original pets question, while new submissions would have the updated questions.
Deleting an Instant Form
Rather than editing, you also have the option to delete an instant form:
- Deleting removes the entire form.
- It does not delete existing responses.
- You can export form data before deleting the form.
- Once deleted, a form cannot be recovered.
Sometimes it’s better to delete a form entirely if you want to start fresh. Just note that deletion only prevents new entries – it does not remove previously collected data.
Conclusion
The ability to edit Facebook instant forms after launch provides helpful flexibility. Page admins can tweak and improve their forms over time as needed.
Just be aware edits only apply to new submissions moving forward. Make changes carefully to maintain data integrity. Also consider pausing the form before editing, and deleting the form entirely if you want to start over.
With some thoughtfulness, editing instant forms can help keep your data collection process running smoothly.
| Form Section | Can Edit After Publishing? |
|---|---|
| Title | No |
| Description | Yes |
| Custom URL | Yes |
| Footer Message | Yes |
| Theme | Yes |
| Font | Yes |
| Accent Color | Yes |
| Collect Email | Yes |
| Progress Bar | Yes |
| Randomize Questions | Yes |
| Limit Submissions | Yes |
| Form Questions | Yes |
Key Takeaways
- Instant forms can be edited after publishing except for the title.
- Edits apply only to new submissions going forward.
- Avoid edits that could invalidate existing data.
- Pause form before editing or delete/recreate form to reset.
- Edit carefully and test changes before making forms live again.