ODK Central v2026.3: Smoother Entity uploads from CSV, show one question per page in Web Forms, and so much more

:arrow_up: Smoother Entity upload from CSVs


Uploading Entities from a CSV is now easier to understand and recover from when something goes wrong. Central now separates errors and warnings, making it easier to identify problems and upload a new version of your file.

You can now also create new properties directly from your CSV!

:mag: Set properties on App User and Public Link creation


You can now create properties and add values within the creation modals.

:bust_in_silhouette: View Entities as an App User


Entity List access filters can now be tested by viewing the Entity List as a specific App User. This makes it much easier to verify your Entity access configuration without having to test with a device.

:question: Show one question per page


When you set your form's style to pages in the settings tab, Web Forms will now show one question per page, with Back and Next buttons. Note that questions grouped with the field-list appearance will stay together on the same page.

:magic_wand: Set field values in the URL


Speed up data entry by setting field values in the URL. Web Forms will automatically fill the matching fields when the form opens, so respondents can focus on entering what’s new.

Use the last saved field value

You can now use ${last-saved#field-name} in the default column to pre-fill a field with the value from the last record saved on that device. The last saved record is stored in browser storage in clear text. It is stored until the browser reclaims the space.


How to get these improvements?

If you are using Central on ODK Cloud, we'll be rolling out these updates in the coming days. If you are self-hosting Central, follow the upgrade instructions.

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ODK Central v2026.3.1 is now available. It includes the following changes:

  • Style "View As" filter above Entities table, adding ability to search App Users
  • Fix Submission geodata parsing when the XML is a content fragment. Thanks @alexcorran for the report!
  • Update ODK Web Forms
    • min() and max() now ignore empty values in repeats
    • Whole numbers in decimal fields are now read as 2 instead of 2.0, so comparisons and join() work as expected
    • Support setvalue on the upload question type
    • Range questions now clearly show when no value has been selected
    • Keep spacing between markdown elements in select choice labels
    • Block "Add" in paginated repeats when the current page has invalid questions
    • Show the actual error from Central when a Web Forms submission fails
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