Rules connect Express form submissions to PDF templates and delivery behavior. A rule decides when a PDF should be generated, which template should be used, where the generated file should go, and what the submitter should see after a frontend submission.
Rules are the most complex part of FormPDF PRO. Work through the rule form from top to bottom: identify the form and template first, then configure conditions, then configure delivery.
Use this flow to create a new automation rule that can generate PDFs for submissions from a selected Express form.
After success, the rule is saved and you are returned to the Rules list with a confirmation message.
Note: Delivery validation can block saving. Errors are shown on the form and the rule is not saved. Common causes include invalid delivery configuration, link delivery without File Storage, or File Storage being ordered after Email when the email needs a secure or plain link.
Use ConditionBuilder to decide which submissions should trigger this rule.
Note: Field choices depend on Assigned form. If no form is selected yet, the builder cannot load form fields.
is empty and is not empty do not use the Value field.
Use DeliveryBuilder to decide what happens after the PDF is generated.
Backend actions run on the server:
Submitter experience controls what the frontend visitor sees after a frontend form submission:
Note: Manual dashboard test runs do not trigger the submitter experience. Submitter experience applies to frontend form submissions.
Secure and plain links require File Storage because FormPDF PRO needs a stored file to link to. If Email or submitter experience uses links, keep File Storage enabled and ordered before actions that need the stored file.
Tokens let you reuse submission and site values in delivery fields. They are commonly used in Filename pattern, Email subject, Email body, and email filenames.
Examples:
submission_{{ submission_id }}.pdfSubmission for {{ form_name }}{{ download_link }} inside Email body when the email attachment mode uses a link.Use Insert Token where it appears in the delivery builder. Available default tokens include Submission ID, Form Name, Date, Time, and Site Name. See Token Reference.
After creating a rule, use Test Run a Rule before relying on it for live submissions.
Use this flow to change a rule's form, template, status, conditions, delivery actions, or submitter experience.
After success, the rule is updated and you are returned to the Rules list with a confirmation message.
Note: Editing a rule affects future matching submissions. Existing logs and generated files are not rewritten.
If delivery validation fails, errors are shown on the form and the rule is not saved. Non-blocking delivery warnings can be shown after save.
When editing a rule, ConditionBuilder loads the saved condition mode and rows.
When editing a rule, DeliveryBuilder loads the saved backend actions and submitter experience.
Tokens in an existing rule are resolved when the rule runs, not when you save the form. If you change Assigned form, verify that the tokens in Filename pattern, Email subject, and Email body still make sense for the new form context.
Use Insert Token to add supported tokens where available. See Token Reference.
After editing a rule, use Test Run a Rule to verify the updated behavior.
Use this flow to manually execute a rule against an existing submission before relying on it for live form submissions.
After success, FormPDF PRO returns you to the test run page with a result message. A log entry is created for the manual execution.
Note: The test run page shows a submissions table with a per-row Run rule button. Use Execution Logs for duration, error details, and delivery-action results.
The manual run executes the selected rule for the selected submission and forces execution even if a previous success log exists for the same rule and submission.
Manual test runs call rule execution directly with force enabled. They bypass normal condition matching and idempotency, and they do not run the submitter experience.
The execution path renders HTML, generates the PDF, and runs the configured delivery pipeline. Use Execution Logs to inspect the full result after a test run.
The test run page does not edit conditions. Review conditions from Edit before testing if you need to confirm why a rule should or should not run for normal frontend submissions.
The test run uses the rule's saved delivery configuration. If File Storage or Email is enabled, those backend actions can run during the manual test.
Note: Submitter experience does not run during dashboard manual tests. Test frontend submitter behavior by submitting the actual Express form on the site.
Tokens are resolved using the selected submission's data and the current rule configuration. This is useful for verifying Filename pattern, Email subject, Email body, and generated file names before the rule handles live submissions.
Use Execution Logs and Submissions to confirm the resolved output. See Token Reference for supported token syntax.
See Getting Started for the full first setup path and Templates for template validation and preview.
Use this flow to pause, activate, or delete rules from the Rules list.
After success, you are returned to the Rules list with a confirmation message. Status toggles and deletion are submitted with POST requests and CSRF protection.
Warning: Delete is a hard delete. When you click Delete, the browser asks: “Are you sure you want to delete this rule? This action cannot be undone.”
Lifecycle actions do not change condition logic. Use Edit when you need to review or change Always versus When conditions match.
Lifecycle actions do not change delivery configuration. Use Edit when you need to review File Storage, Email, or submitter experience settings before reactivating a rule.
Lifecycle actions do not change tokens. Existing token patterns remain in the saved rule and are resolved the next time the rule runs.
See Token Reference for supported token syntax.