Node: Request Follow-Up

The Request Follow-Up node allows a workflow to ask one or more people to revisit and complement a form response that was previously submitted. Instead of creating a new blank record, the recipient receives an email invitation and, when clicking the link, opens exactly the original response — being able to edit the available fields, add missing information, or correct incorrect data.

While the node waits for the editing to be completed, the workflow instance is suspended with the status Awaiting form response. The workflow only advances — or triggers the timeout, if configured — when the response is saved by the recipient.

This node is especially useful in processes that involve collecting information in multiple steps, reviewing data by the requester themselves, or enriching a record throughout the lifecycle of an occurrence.

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Difference from the "Request Form Response" Node

It is common to confuse the two nodes, as both involve forms and invitation emails. The fundamental distinction lies in what the recipient finds when opening the link:

Aspect	Request Form Response	Request Follow-Up
What is opened	Blank form — new response	Existing response — editing an already saved record
Main use	Collect information from someone who has not yet responded	Ask someone to complement or correct a previous response
Ancestor response required	Not required	Yes — the target form must have a response in the instance context
Result in history	Creates a new response record	Updates the existing record

In summary: use Request Form Response when there is no response yet. Use Request Follow-Up when a response already exists and you need it to be reviewed or expanded.

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When to Use

The Request Follow-Up node is suitable in scenarios such as:

1. Additional documents: The requester filled in a ticket opening form but forgot to attach a required file. The workflow detects the absence and asks them to access the original response to include the attachment.

2. Correcting invalid data: An approver identified inconsistencies in the provided data. Instead of rejecting and ending the process, the workflow returns the item to the requester for them to make corrections directly in the existing response.

3. Multi-step collection: The process is divided into phases. In the first step, the user fills in basic data. At a later point in the workflow, they are invited to return to the same response to complete complementary information that will only be available at that phase.

4. Progressive data enrichment: An initial registration is made with minimal information. As the process advances, different responsible parties are called to add data to the same record — all in the same response, without duplicating records.

Combine with If/Else for efficiency

Use an If/Else node before Request Follow-Up to check if the data really needs complementing. For example: if the "Contract number" field is filled, proceed directly to the next step; if it is empty, trigger the follow-up. This way, the recipient is only contacted when there is actually something to do, avoiding unnecessary requests.

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Configuration

To add the node to the workflow canvas, drag it from the side panel or click + on an existing output and select Request Follow-Up. Then click on the node to open the side configuration panel.

Field	Description	Required
Form	The Hashdata form whose response will be opened for editing. Must be the same form as the trigger or a previous Request Form Response node in the flow, since there must be a response in the instance context.	Yes
Recipients	Who will receive the email requesting complementation. Accepts: platform user, form respondent, email field of an ancestor form, or freely typed external email. Multiple recipients can be added.	Yes
Email subject	Text of the subject of the message sent to the recipient. Supports variables in the format {{field_name}} to personalize with response data.	Yes
Email body	Content of the message sent. Supports rich text formatting, variables ({{field_name}}), and artifact insertion (such as PDFs generated by previous nodes). The email will automatically include a button with the link to access the response.	Yes
Timeout	Maximum wait time for the follow-up to be completed. Configured as duration (integer) and unit (Minutes, Hours, Days, or Weeks). If the recipient does not edit the response within the deadline, the workflow follows through the TIMEOUT output.	No

Node Outputs

The Request Follow-Up node has two possible outputs on the canvas:

• Completed: triggered when the recipient saves the response edit within the deadline.
• TIMEOUT: triggered when the configured time expires without the response having been edited. Only appears on the canvas when the timeout is enabled.

When there is no timeout configured, the workflow waits indefinitely until the response is edited.

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Behavior During Execution

Upon reaching this node, the workflow automatically executes the following actions:

1. Sends the request email to all configured recipients.
2. Suspends the instance with the status Awaiting form response.
3. Generates a unique and secure link that gives edit access to the specific response of that instance.
4. Monitors the response. When the recipient saves the edit, the instance is resumed and follows through the Completed output.
5. If the timeout is enabled and expires before the edit, the instance follows through the TIMEOUT output.

All variables available in the workflow are updated after the follow-up is completed, reflecting the new values entered by the recipient in the edited response.

Check form edit permissions

For the recipient to be able to edit the response, the form needs to be configured to allow editing of already submitted responses. If the form is locked for editing after submission, the link generated by the node will not work correctly and the recipient will see an error message when trying to access the response. Check the form settings in Forms before publishing the workflow.

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Usage Tips

• Personalize the email: Include in the email body a summary of what needs to be complemented using variables. For example: Hello, {{requester_name}}, we identified that the "Contract number" field needs to be filled in. This reduces questions and speeds up completion.

• Set an appropriate timeout: In processes with defined deadlines, always configure the timeout and connect the TIMEOUT output to a Send Email node to notify managers or escalate the item. Instances waiting indefinitely can accumulate and make monitoring difficult.

• Use Set Status before: Before the Request Follow-Up node, insert a Set Status node with a message like Awaiting data completion by the requester. This makes the "Last step" column more informative for whoever is monitoring the instances.

• Chain multiple follow-ups: It is possible to have more than one Request Follow-Up node in the same workflow, each requesting different complementations at distinct moments in the process. Each call opens the same response, allowing it to be progressively enriched throughout the flow.