GPS Location

This article explains the GPS Location block that can be added as a block to design an app.

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Use Cases

1. Getting the current GPS location of a user
2. Incidence reporting
3. Asset Management
4. Field reporting

Editing the Block

Click on the block and start editing on the panel that appears on the right side.

Label

This is what appears as the name of the GPS block to the end-user.

Description

This is the text that goes below the GPS block to help the user.

Required

Tick this option if you want the user to compulsorily input the GPS location.

Advanced Options

Click on the Advanced tab in the right panel to view more configuration options for the GPS block.

Default to Current Location

By default, this option is turned on. If kept on, the GPS Location will be auto-filled when the user loads the Clappia App. This captures fixed GPS location of the user at the time of submission.

Allow user to manually change location

By default, GPS location editing is not allowed to be changed by the user. If you want the users to modify their current location, enable this option. This captures dynamic GPS location of the user, i.e., the GPS Location block takes the location that the user sets.

Note: If your app is accessed through a public link (Link Sharing mode), users will not be able to move the map pin unless you give your own Google Maps API key. Once the key is provided and "Allow user to manually change location" is enabled, users can move the pin in this mode.

Enable Map View

Use this option if you want to see location captured displayed on a map.

Fetch Address from Configured Location

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By default, the GPS Location block captures and displays the user's coordinates (latitude and longitude). If you want to see the actual address of the captured location (such as street or locality name), enable the "Fetch address from configured location" option.

The variable with #address in the name can be used to display the actual address in your app.

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To display the address in the app, use a Calculations & Logic block. In the formula section, type @ followed by the GPS block's field name and select the variable ending with #address.

Note: The address variable will only be available if the ‘Fetch Address from Configured Location’ option is enabled. If the option is disabled and the address variable is used in the ‘Calculations & logic’ block, the value will remain blank.

Variable Usage: Coordinates vs Address

Each GPS Location block automatically creates two variables:

• One for the coordinates (e.g., @gps_location)
• One for the address (e.g., @gps_location#address)

To display the actual address, always use the #address variable. If the 'fetch address from configured location' option is not enabled and you try to use @gps_location#address, it will return a blank value.

Type @ followed by the field name of the GPS Location block to find the field's variables.

The regular variable without #address will always return GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude).

Displaying Address from GPS Location

To display the address captured through the GPS Location block:

• Add a Calculations & Logic block to your app
• On the right panel in the Formula section, type @ to open the list of available variables
• Select the GPS block variable that ends with #address
• Example: If your saved GPS block variable is gps_location, select @gps_location#address

This will allow you to display the actual address in App Home once a submission is made. If the #address variable is not available, double-check that the "Fetch address from configured location" option is enabled in the GPS location block.

Usage in Link Sharing vs Logged-in Access

In Link Sharing mode (public access without login), address fetching will not work by default. To use the #address variable in this mode, you must provide your own Google Maps API key.

To enter your API key:

• Go to Design App > Configurations
• Click on Third Party Integrations
• On the right panel, paste your Google Maps API key in the field labeled "Google Maps API Key"

To get your own Google Maps API Key, you will need to:

• Visit Google Developer Console
• Enable the required location-related services (such as Geocoding API)
• Generate the API key
• Enter it in the app.

Note: Google may charge for use of these services based on their pricing policies.

Once the API key is configured and "Fetch address from configured location" is enabled in the GPS block, address data will be available even in Link Sharing mode.

In login-based access (Clappia mobile app or website), you do not need to provide an API key. Enabling "Fetch address from configured location" is sufficient to retrieve the address. However, you may still enter your own key under Third Party Integrations if desired.

Enable Geofencing

Use this option to allow users to submit only when they are at one of the designated locations. You can specify a list of designated locations and a radius to define the Geofencing boundary.

Designated Locations

A list of locations defined in the form of "Latitude,Longitude" separated by a new line. It can also contain other GPS variables from the app.

Radius (in metres)

The maximum aerial distance where the user can be present from one the designated locations.

Display this field if

Use this option to show or hide the field under specific conditions. It accepts the standard Clappia formulae, similar to conditional sections or in the 'Calculations & Logic' block.

1. Type @ to get a list of all the fields you have added in the app and select the relevant field or type @ followed by the field name.
2. Use these field variables to write spreadsheet-like formulae for conditional display of the field in the app.

Retain value if hidden

This option appears once a condition is set in the Display this field if option. Enable this setting if you want the field's value to be retained even when the field is hidden. This is useful for preserving user input in cases where the field may temporarily disappear based on conditions.

Example: If the field is hidden based on user selection but you still need to keep the entered value for future reference or calculations, enable this option to ensure the data is retained.

Allow value to be changed after initial submission

This option is enabled by default. When active, end users can edit the GPS location after creating a submission. Disable this option if you want the initial location to remain unchangeable once submitted.

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Advanced Label

The Advanced Label option allows you to change the label of a field dynamically based on a condition you define. Instead of always showing the same fixed label under the ‘Basic’ tab, the field can display different labels depending on requirements of the form. Use spreadsheet-like functions such as IF, AND, OR, etc. and make use of other field variables to set your conditions. Type @ and select the field.

This is useful when the meaning of a field changes based on context, business logic, or user choices.

For example:
If you have a dropdown called Location Point with options “Starting Location” and “Ending Location”.
Label should adjust based on what location is needed.

So:
– If Starting Location, show “Capture Start Location”
– If Ending Location, show “Capture End Location”

Formula:

IF({location_point} = "Starting Location", "Capture Start Location", "Capture End Location")

This allows the same field to adapt its displayed purpose without needing multiple separate fields.

Advanced Description

The Advanced Description option works exactly like Advanced Label, but it changes the description text instead. This is useful when guidance or instructions for a field need to change depending on earlier answers.

For example, if you have a dropdown called Check-in Type with options like “On-site Check-in” and “Remote Check-in”, you may want the description of your GPS Location field to guide the user accordingly.

So:
– If the user selects On-site Check-in, the description could say: “Capture your exact on-site location for verification.”
– If the user selects Remote Check-in, the description could say: “Capture your current location for remote logging.”

Formula:

IF({checkin_type} = "On-site Check-in", "Capture your exact on-site location for verification.", "Capture your current location for remote logging.")

This helps users understand what is required from them without showing unnecessarily long or irrelevant instructions.

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Additional Examples (Apply to Both Advanced Label and Advanced Description)

1. Showing nothing until a selection is made

For example, if you have a dropdown field called Visit Category with options “Routine” and “Urgent”, you may want the label or description of a field to remain blank until the user first selects a category.

Once a selection is made:

• If the user chooses Routine, the field will display “Routine”.
• If the user chooses Urgent, the field will display “Urgent”.

Formula (can be used in either Advanced Label or Advanced Description):

{visit_category}The label/description stays empty until the dropdown has a selected value.
After the user picks an option, the selected text (Routine or Urgent) becomes the label or description.

2. Changing label/description based on language selection

For example, if your form includes a dropdown field called Select Language with options English, Spanish, and French, you can show the label or description in the selected language.

So:

• If the user selects English, show English text.
• If the user selects Spanish, show Spanish text.
• If the user selects French, show French text.

Formula (can be used in either Advanced Label or Advanced Description):

IF({select_language} = "English", "Enter details", IF({select_language} = "Spanish", "Ingrese detalles", "Entrez les détails"))The formula returns the text for the selected language.
Only one label/description is shown at a time, depending on what the user picks in the Select Language dropdown.

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Important Notes (applies to both Advanced Label and Advanced Description)

1. Variables do not change
When a field is created, its variable name is derived from the label you set in the Basic tab. That variable name is what you must use in formulas, workflows, and other logic. The visible label or description shown by Advanced Label / Advanced Description does not change the variable name.

2. Submissions tab: table view vs right panel
In the Submissions area, the table view always displays the labels from the Basic tab. When you open an individual submission, the right panel shows the labels and descriptions as they appear in the form (i.e., the Advanced Label and Advanced Description applied for that submission). This keeps the submission list consistent while letting reviewers see the context-aware labels and descriptions when viewing a record.

3. Bulk Edit shows Basic tab labels and descriptions
When you need to Bulk Edit submissions, the spreadsheet you download shows the labels and descriptions from the Basic tab only. Advanced Label and Advanced Description are not applied in Bulk Edit, so keep that in mind when preparing bulk updates.

4. Some fields cannot be used inside Advanced Label/Description formulas
Certain block types do not expose a variable that can be referenced in Advanced Label or Advanced Description. If a block does not expose a variable, you cannot use it inside the formula.

Geo Address

GPS Location

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Signature

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NFC Reader

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Get Data from Other Apps

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Get Data from Database

AI Block

Text, HTML & Embedding

Attached Files

Image Viewer

Video Viewer

PFD Viewer

Code block

Progress Bar

Action Button

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Block Width

Desktop View: Set the width of the GPS Location block in the desktop view. Options are 100%, 75%, 50%, or 25%.

Mobile View: Set the width of the GPS Location block in the mobile view. Options are 100% or 50%.