Symptom: the schedule runs and creates child entries, but the values in them aren’t what you expected.
First: Which Input Mode Is the Feed In? #
Forms → (your form) → Settings → Recurring Submissions → Input mode: Snapshot (unchecked = Dynamic)
This one setting explains most value problems.
| Mode | Values come from |
|---|---|
| Snapshot (checked) | What was saved when the series started |
| Dynamic (unchecked) | The parent entry as saved right now, plus fresh Populate Anything lookups |
Symptom Table #
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Values never change, even after editing the parent | Feed is in Snapshot mode | Switch to Dynamic for new series |
| Values change when you didn’t want them to | Feed is in Dynamic mode | Switch to Snapshot for new series |
| A lookup field is always empty | The source identifier isn’t saved on the parent | Save the identifier in a field on the form |
| A lookup was right and is now blank | The lookup legitimately returns nothing today | An empty result replaces the old value — by design |
| Dates are stale | The field isn’t selected under Update Date Field(s) | Select it |
A count field shows 0 on children |
Intentional — it stops children starting their own schedules | Roadmap item |
| A calculation is wrong | Calculations are produced by Gravity Forms | Check the calculation and its inputs |
| A unique ID repeats | It shouldn’t — each child generates a new one | Send diagnostics to support |
Empty Lookups Are Deliberate #
In Dynamic mode, an empty Populate Anything result replaces the previous value rather than falling back to it.
That’s a feature: it lets a blank-result notification or validation react to the blank instead of silently reusing stale data.
Choose the behaviour you want:
| Goal | Configuration |
|---|---|
| Report the blank but still submit | Leave the field optional; notify on the blank |
| Stop the submission | Make the field required — the attempt fails with the field ID listed |
| Skip the occurrence entirely | Add a per-occurrence conditional check on that field |
Diagnosing a Lookup #
Attempt context reports, without ever recording values:
- the Populate Anything field IDs involved,
- whether the dependency was present,
- how many results came back.
| Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Dependency missing | The value the lookup keys on isn’t on the parent entry |
| 0 results | The lookup ran and matched nothing |
| Results present but the field is empty | Check the dependency chain — fields evaluate in dependency order |
A Dynamic form that depends on Populate Anything reports a specific issue when the dependency is unavailable. Forms without Populate Anything simply continue.
Fields the Plugin Handles Specially #
| Field type | Behaviour on children |
|---|---|
| Selected date fields | Updated to the current date at execution, in the schedule’s timezone |
| Calculation fields | Recalculated by Gravity Forms |
| Unique ID fields | A new value per child |
| The count field for a parent-field end condition | Set to 0 |
| Everything else | Snapshot or Dynamic, per the feed |
Testing a Change #
Don’t wait for tomorrow’s run:
- Save the feed change.
- Open the parent entry.
- Click Run Next Submission Now.
- Compare the child entry with the parent, field by field.
- In Dynamic mode, edit the parent, run again, and confirm the change carried through.
Each manual run consumes a slot, so do this on a test entry if the count matters.
Changing the Input Mode for a Running Series #
The input mode is a feed setting, and applying a saved schedule to existing series copies schedule settings — it deliberately leaves payload choices alone.
To change the mode for a series that already exists: let it complete or cancel it, then start a fresh series with the corrected feed.
