# How do you share a saved form without creating a relationship loop?

Share a saved form from an Adalo list by binding the Share action to a direct text value, or use Deep Linking Share when the recipient needs a record URL.

- Canonical URL: https://adalocado.com/answers/how-do-you-share-a-saved-form-without-creating-a-relationship-loop
- Verification: Documented from current sources
- Topic: Actions and Logic
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Last reviewed: 2026-08-14
- Index status: index-now

## Short answer

A Share action needs a final text value or URL, not an open-ended relationship path. For a text summary, add a Share Text property to the submitted-record collection, build that text from the form values when the record is created or updated, and bind the list item's Share action directly to Current Submission > Share Text. Use Deep Linking Share instead when the recipient should open the saved record in your app.

Treat sharing as the last step of a record-selection path. The list or detail screen establishes which submission is current; the Share action then needs a concrete payload. For plain text, save a deliberately formatted Share Text property on that record and bind directly to it. For an in-app destination, configure Deep Linking Share with the current record's data and ID. In both cases, test multiple records and exclude private fields.

## Intended outcome

Each list item shares the correct saved submission as readable text or as a deep link without traversing a circular relationship path.

## Requirements

- A collection that stores each submitted form as its own record
- A list or detail screen with the current submitted record available
- A decision between sharing readable text and sharing a link back into the app

## Step by step

1. **Choose text or link**

   Use a Share Text property for a portable text summary; use Deep Linking Share when the recipient should open a particular record in the app.

2. **Add a Share Text property**

   For text sharing, add a Text property named Share Text to the collection that stores the form submissions.

3. **Build the summary**

   In the form's Create action, compose Share Text from the submitted values with clear labels and line breaks; update it again whenever an editable submission changes.

4. **Place Share in record context**

   Put the share button inside the list item or on a detail screen reached from that item so Current Submission is available.

5. **Bind directly to text**

   Set the Share action's Source to Current Submission > Share Text. Do not continue through Logged-in User or another relationship after reaching the saved record.

6. **Configure a deep link if needed**

   For record URLs, add More > Deep Linking Share and fill its data fields with Magic Text for the current record, including the required record ID.

## Why it works

- The relationship identifies which record is current; the Share action still needs that path to terminate at a Text property or a generated URL.
- Persisting a Share Text summary makes the button's source predictable and prevents the editor from repeatedly traversing user-to-record relationships.
- Deep Linking Share is a different outcome: it generates an app URL from the screen's available data so a recipient can open the record rather than receive its contents as plain text.

## Data model

| Collection | Properties | Relationships |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Form Submissions | Original form fields; Share Text (Text) | May belong to one User, but the Share action should terminate at Share Text |

## Common failures

### The Magic Text menu keeps looping

Stop at the saved record's Share Text property. A relationship is not itself shareable; the final selection must be Text or a URL.

### Current Submission is unavailable

Move the button into the list item or navigate to a detail screen while passing the clicked submission so the screen has the correct record context.

### Older records share nothing

Populate Share Text for existing records or provide a fallback; adding the property does not backfill records created earlier.

### The shared text is stale after editing

Update Share Text in the same Update action that saves the edited fields, using the new values.

### A deep link opens the wrong record

Check that each Deep Linking Share data field uses Magic Text from the current list item or detail-screen record, especially its ID.

## Testing checklist

- [ ] Create two submissions with different values and confirm each list item's share sheet contains only its own Share Text.
- [ ] Edit one saved submission and confirm the next share reflects the updated values rather than the original summary.
- [ ] Open a generated deep link from a signed-out or unauthorized context and confirm the app handles access safely.
- [ ] The Share source ends at a Text property or generated deep-link URL
- [ ] The button has the current submission in its available data
- [ ] Create and Update actions both keep Share Text current
- [ ] Private or sensitive form fields are excluded from the shared payload
- [ ] Two different list items produce two different, correct shares

## Limitations

- The accepted answer documents the direct Share Text pattern, while Adalo's current official page documents Deep Linking Share; the exact current text-share controls still need a builder screenshot.
- Share Text is a stored snapshot and must be updated when the underlying fields change; existing records require a backfill.
- A shared payload can expose form data outside the app, so sensitive fields and authorization behavior require an explicit privacy review.

## Community evidence

### [How do I add a share button for a form stored in a list?](https://forum.adalo.com/t/how-do-i-add-a-share-button-to-share-a-form-that-is-being-stored-on-a-list/67092/2)

The accepted answer says the Share source must resolve to text or a URL and recommends storing a Share Text summary on the submitted record instead of navigating through relationships. Boundary: The reply does not show the current builder controls, and the separate Deep Linking Share alternative must be configured against the app's own record data.

## Sources

- [Adalo forum accepted solution](https://forum.adalo.com/t/how-do-i-add-a-share-button-to-share-a-form-that-is-being-stored-on-a-list/67092/2)
- [Adalo Help: Deep Linking Share Action](https://help.adalo.com/component-basics/deep-linking/deep-linking-share-action)

Markdown version: https://adalocado.com/answers/how-do-you-share-a-saved-form-without-creating-a-relationship-loop.md