How to Manage Access Control and Submission Limits

Protect Your Forms From Duplicate Submissions and Abuse #

FORMEPIC’s access control and submission limit features give you powerful tools to maintain data quality and prevent abuse. Whether you’re running a one-time contest where each person can only enter once, conducting research that requires unique participants, or simply want to prevent spam through repeat submissions, FORMEPIC makes it easy to enforce these rules automatically.

Control exactly who can submit your forms and how many times they can do so—all without writing a single line of code. Set limits based on IP addresses to prevent the same device from submitting multiple times, or use email-based restrictions to ensure each email address is only used once. You can even combine both methods for maximum protection while setting custom submission caps that fit your specific needs.

These security features work silently in the background, giving legitimate users a smooth experience while automatically blocking attempts to game your system. Your data stays clean, your analysis remains reliable, and you can focus on what matters—getting quality responses from real people.

How to Configure Submission Limits #

Step 1: Access Security Settings #

1. Open your form, quiz, poll, or survey in the Builder
2. Navigate to the General Settings panel on the right side
3. Click on the Security section
4. You’ll see all available access control options

Step 2: Enable Submission Limits #

Limit by IP Address:

1. Toggle on “Limit by IP Address”
2. This prevents multiple submissions from the same device/network
3. Ideal for contests, registrations, or preventing spam

Limit by Email:

1. Toggle on “Limit by Email”
2. This prevents multiple submissions using the same email address
3. Perfect for surveys, feedback forms, or applications that require an email field

Step 3: Set Maximum Submissions (Optional) #

1. When either limit is enabled, you’ll see “Maximum Submissions Per User” field
2. Enter a number to set the maximum allowed submissions per IP or email
3. Leave blank for unlimited submissions (the limit toggles will still track first-time vs. repeat users)
4. Example: Set to “1” for one submission per user, or “3” to allow up to three attempts

Step 4: Save Your Settings #

1. Review your access control configuration
2. Click “Save Settings” at the bottom of the Security panel
3. Your limits are now active and will be enforced immediately

Understanding How Limits Work #

IP-Based Limiting #

• Tracks the user’s IP address (their internet connection identifier)
• Works great for public-facing forms where users may not provide email addresses
• Can catch users on the same network (office, school, household)
• Important: Some users may share IP addresses (public WiFi, corporate networks), which could prevent legitimate separate users from submitting

Email-Based Limiting #

• Tracks submissions by email address field in your form
• Requires that your form includes an email field
• More accurate than IP limiting for identifying individual users
• Users can’t bypass this by switching networks or using a VPN
• Note: Users could technically use different email addresses, but most won’t

Combined Limiting (IP + Email) #

• Enable both limits for maximum protection
• A user must not exceed limits on either their IP OR their email
• Provides defense-in-depth against determined abusers
• Best for high-stakes forms like contests, giveaways, or applications

Maximum Submissions Setting #

• Defines how many times a user (by IP or email) can submit
• Setting “1” means one submission per user (most common)
• Setting higher numbers allows repeat submissions up to that limit
• Example use case: A survey that allows users to submit feedback for up to 3 different products

Use Cases for Access Control #

One Entry Per Person (Contests & Giveaways) #

• Enable both IP and Email limits
• Set maximum submissions to “1”
• Ensures fair play and prevents cheating

Feedback Forms (Allowing Updates) #

• Enable Email limit only
• Set maximum submissions to “3” or higher
• Allows users to provide additional feedback while preventing spam

Event Registration #

• Enable IP limit
• Set maximum submissions to “1”
• Prevents accidental duplicate registrations from the same device

Research Surveys #

• Enable Email limit
• Set maximum submissions to “1”
• Ensures each participant only completes the survey once for data integrity

Open Feedback Forms #

• Don’t enable any limits
• Allows anyone to submit as many times as they want
• Use CAPTCHA instead to prevent bot spam (see “Preventing Spam and Bot Submissions” article)

Requirements #

• Your form must be saved before applying security settings
• For email-based limits, your form must include at least one Email field
• Limits apply immediately after saving—test thoroughly before sharing your form widely

Tips and Tricks #

• Test Before Launch: Submit your form multiple times to verify limits are working as expected
• Use Test Mode: Enable Test Mode (in builder header) to test limits without affecting your live data
• Clear Communication: Add text to your form explaining submission limits so users understand why they can’t resubmit
• Consider User Experience: IP limits can frustrate users in shared spaces (offices, schools). Email limits are usually more user-friendly
• Monitor Responses: Check your responses dashboard to see if legitimate users are being blocked. You can always adjust limits if needed
• Combine with Other Security: Use password protection or CAPTCHA along with submission limits for maximum security
• Document Your Limits: Keep notes about why you set specific limits so you can adjust them intelligently later

Important Notes #

• Submission limits are enforced server-side and cannot be bypassed by users
• IP addresses can change (users switching networks, using VPNs), which may allow repeat submissions
• Test Mode submissions are counted separately and won’t affect your live submission limits
• Changes to submission limits apply immediately—no need to republish your form
• Existing submissions are not affected when you change limits; new limits only apply to future submissions
• Limits are tracked per form—users can still submit to your other forms even if they’ve reached the limit on one
• If a user is blocked, they’ll see a clear message explaining why they cannot submit
• You cannot retroactively remove or reset submission counts for specific users

Common Issues & Troubleshooting #

Users can’t submit even though they haven’t submitted before

• If using IP limits, they may share an IP with someone who has already submitted (common in offices or schools)
• Try using Email limits instead, which are more user-specific
• Consider increasing the maximum submissions limit if appropriate
• Check if they’re accessing from public WiFi where others may have submitted

The same user is submitting multiple times despite limits

• Verify that the limits are toggled ON in your Security settings
• Click “Save Settings” after making changes—unsaved changes aren’t enforced
• If using Email limits, ensure your form has an email field and it’s marked as required
• Check if they’re using different email addresses (email-based limits can’t prevent this)
• For IP limits, users switching networks or using VPNs will appear as different users

Form is saved but limit settings aren’t working

• Make sure you clicked “Save Settings” after adjusting limits
• Refresh the form page to ensure the latest settings are loaded
• Check that the limits are toggled ON (not just configured)
• Verify your form is published or in preview mode (builder mode doesn’t enforce limits)

Need to reset submission counts for testing

• Enable Test Mode in the builder header—test submissions don’t count against limits
• Alternatively, create a duplicate of your form for testing
• You cannot manually reset submission counts for specific IPs or emails

Email limit not working

• Verify your form includes an Email field
• Ensure the Email field is working correctly and capturing data
• Check that “Limit by Email” is toggled ON
• Confirm you clicked “Save Settings” after enabling the limit

Want to allow specific users to submit again

• There’s no built-in whitelist feature
• Consider temporarily disabling limits, having those users submit, then re-enabling
• Alternatively, create a separate form without limits for those specific users

Limit message is confusing users

• Add a text field at the top of your form explaining the submission policy
• Include contact information so users can reach you if they believe they’ve been wrongly blocked
• Consider adding an announcement in your form’s thank you page about the limits