When delivery stops, the lead waits.
FormParcel stores every lead before your form gets an answer. If Google is down, busy or locked out, the lead stays stored, the receipt says why, and delivery starts again when the cause is fixed.
An exception, then a repair
Leads that arrive while Google access is missing are stored, then delivered after the reconnect. Each receipt shows the extra attempt.
- Accepted
Stored in FormParcel, with a receipt ID.
- Reconnect Google
Google access was removed. The lead is stored and nothing is written to the Sheet.
- Delivering
Google was reconnected. Leads that were waiting are sent again automatically.
- Delivered
Google Sheets confirmed the lead was written. The receipt lists the extra attempt.
What happens, case by case
Each case shows the word the receipt uses, what happens to the lead, and the one thing you do.
Google is slow or down
Retrying- What happens to the lead
- The lead is already stored. FormParcel tries again on a schedule, waiting longer between attempts, and honours Google's own wait answers.
- What you do
- Nothing yet. The receipt shows when the next attempt is due.
Google's answer was unclear
Confirming with Google- What happens to the lead
- Google did not say whether the row was written. Before it writes again, FormParcel looks in the Sheet for the lead's receipt ID, so no second row is written.
- What you do
- Nothing. The receipt settles once the Sheet has been checked.
Google access was removed
Reconnect Google- What happens to the lead
- Nothing is written to the Sheet. The lead is stored and waits. Once Google is reconnected, the leads that were waiting are sent again automatically.
- What you do
- Reconnect Google, from the lead's receipt or from Settings.
The Sheet was deleted
Sheet needs repair- What happens to the lead
- Nothing is written to the Sheet. The lead is stored, and a lead that has not been delivered is kept for up to 30 days.
- What you do
- Restore the Sheet from Trash and re-check it, or replace it with a new one. Waiting leads are then sent again automatically.
Someone renamed or moved a column
Sheet columns changed- What happens to the lead
- Delivery to that Sheet pauses instead of writing values into the wrong columns. The lead is stored and waits.
- What you do
- Fix the header row and re-check the Sheet, or switch the form to a new Sheet.
The form sends a new field
New fields to review- What happens to the lead
- The Sheet has no column for the field. The lead waits for your review, so the field is neither dropped nor put in the wrong column.
- What you do
- Review the new fields. The lead is delivered once you decide where they go.
A workspace reaches three times its monthly limit
No receipt. HTTP 429- What happens to the lead
- Going over your monthly limit does not stop delivery. Until a workspace has used three times its limit, every lead is still stored and delivered to your Sheet and by email. At three times the limit, the form refuses new leads for the rest of the month. The visitor is told plainly that their message was not accepted. A refused lead is not saved and has no receipt.
- What you do
- Upgrade your plan. The higher limit applies at once. FormParcel also emails the workspace owner as usage nears the limit.
The spam check fails
No receipt. HTTP 403- What happens to the lead
- The visitor is refused and told to complete the check again. The post never becomes a lead, so it has no receipt and is not counted.
- What you do
- Nothing. This only applies to a site that has turned the spam check on.
FormParcel cannot store the lead
No receipt. HTTP 500 or 503- What happens to the lead
- The form is told that it failed, and the visitor sees that the message was not sent. Nothing was accepted, so there is no receipt.
- What you do
- Nothing in the dashboard. The visitor, or a script, can post the form again.
How long a waiting lead is kept
Lead content that has not been delivered is kept for up to 30 days, so it can still be delivered once the cause is fixed. After that its content is deleted and it can no longer be sent.
Delivered lead content is deleted 7 days after acceptance. Receipts stay, and they hold no lead content.
Retries
When a delivery fails for a reason that can pass, FormParcel tries again on a schedule instead of giving up.
- Attempts
- Up to 10 for each delivery.
- Waits
- About 1 minute after the first failure, growing to about 6 hours, with each wait varied a little so retries do not arrive together.
- Google's own answers
- When Google says how long to wait, FormParcel waits that long.
- When attempts run out
- If every attempt fails, the receipt says Delivery failed and offers Retry delivery. The lead's content is kept until its 30-day deadline, so you can retry it.
What we do not promise
There is no uptime figure yet. Nothing is acknowledged that was not stored.
Delivery to Google is not instant, and FormParcel does not promise a time. The receipt shows what has happened so far.
Questions
Can a retry add a duplicate row?
Not after an unclear answer from Google. Before it writes again, FormParcel looks for the lead's receipt ID in the Sheet. If that check cannot be completed, it writes nothing and tries again later.
What does my visitor see if something fails?
If FormParcel could not store the lead, the visitor sees that the message was not sent, and a script gets HTTP 500 or 503. Once a lead is stored the visitor sees success, even while delivery to Google is waiting: the problem is shown to you, on the receipt, not to them.
How do I know a lead needs me?
A lead that needs you appears under Needs action on the Leads page, with the one thing to do. FormParcel also emails the workspace owner when a form needs attention.
Point your first form at FormParcel.
Your first form is ready when you sign in. Send a test lead and watch its receipt before you touch a client’s site.