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Open Data Kit (ODK)

Open Data Kit (ODK) Collect

To bypass ODK Aggregate and submit forms directly to OpenFn make the following changes in your ODK Collect app.

  1. Select General Settings.
  2. Select Server Settings.
  3. Under Type, select Other.
  4. Under URL, enter `https://www.openfn.org
  5. Under Submission path, enter /inbox/your-unique-inbox-url (you can copy this from your OpenFn Inbox).
  6. Optional: If you have enabled auth methods on your inbox, enter your username and password on this same screen.

Note that you cannot load forms from OpenFn. Forms must be loaded directly via ODK's direct method, which allows you to send forms as files via email/Whatsapp. Users can then choose to download the files and save them in the odk/ forms folder on their mobile.

Note that if you want to reverse this setup and configure ODK Collect to re-connect to your Aggregate instance again:`

  1. Go back to General Settings.
  2. Select Server Settings.
  3. Under Type, select ODK Aggregate.
  4. Under URL, enter Your Aggregate URL
  5. Under Submission path, enter /submissions.
  6. Enter your ODK Aggregate username and password on this same screen.

Open Data Kit (ODK) Aggregate

  1. To new submissions from ODK in real-time, click the "Form Management" tab at the top of your Aggregate interface.
  2. Click "Publish" next to the form you'd like to publish to OpenFn.
  3. A dialogue box will open.
  4. In the "Publish To:" picklist, select Z-ALPHA JSON Server.
  5. Choose which data to publish in the "Data to Publish:" picklist. You may: "Upload Existing Data ONLY" (ideal for migrations of finished data sets), "Stream New Submission Data ONLY" (ideal for new projects), or "BOTH Upload Existing & Stream New Submission Data" (ideal for connecting ongoing projects which are already running).
  6. In the "URL to publish to:" text box, enter your OpenFn Inbox UUID. (e.g., https://www.openfn.org/inbox/8ad63a29-mUCh-sEcRET-cODes-wOW)
  7. Leave "Authorization token:" blank.
  8. Leave "Include Media as:" set to "Links(URLs) to Media".
  9. Click "Publish" and enter your email address in the dialogue box.
  10. Click the "Published Data" tab under "Form Management" and select your form to view the status of your publisher. You can also now check your OpenFn inbox to see ODK submissions arrive.