EXTRA: Allow anonymous public form submissions

app/controllers/forms_controller.rb

@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ def set_dashboard_event
 
   def form_params
     params.require(:form).permit(
-      :name, :role, :header, :hide_answered_person_questions, :hide_answered_form_questions, :slug, :published,
+      :name, :role, :header, :hide_answered_person_questions, :hide_answered_form_questions, :slug, :published, :allow_anonymous_submissions,
       form_fields_attributes: [
         :id, :name, :answer_type, :required, :subtitle, :hint_text,
         :field_identifier, :section, :position, :visibility, :one_time, :width, :min_words, :max_characters, :_destroy,

app/controllers/public_forms_controller.rb

@@ -73,6 +73,12 @@ def validate_required_fields(form_params)
     fields = @form_fields.reject(&:group_header?)
     errors = FormAnswerValidator.call(fields, form_params)
 
+    # An anonymous-capable form leaves its identity questions optional, so drop
+    # their blank-required errors while keeping any format error on a filled one.
+    fields.each do |field|
+      errors.delete(field.id) if @form.optional_identity_field?(field) && form_params[field.id.to_s].blank?
+    end
+
     fields_by_identifier = fields.select { |f| f.field_identifier.present? }.index_by(&:field_identifier)
     confirm_field = fields_by_identifier["confirm_email"]
     email_field = fields_by_identifier["primary_email"]

app/helpers/application_helper.rb

@@ -401,7 +401,7 @@ def routable_path(record)
   # show page.
   def form_submission_link_path(submission)
     event = submission.resolved_event
-    registration = event && submission.person.event_registrations.find_by(event: event)
+    registration = event && submission.person&.event_registrations&.find_by(event: event)
     return event_public_registration_path(event, reg: registration.slug) if registration&.slug.present?
     form_submission_path(submission)
   end

app/mailers/notification_mailer.rb

@@ -199,8 +199,9 @@ def form_submission_confirmation_fyi(notification)
     @person = @submission.person
     @answers = @submission.form_answers.includes(:form_field)
 
+    submitter = @person&.full_name || "an anonymous respondent"
     mail(
-      subject: "#{FYI_PREFIX} New form submission: #{@form.display_name} by #{@person.full_name}"
+      subject: "#{FYI_PREFIX} New form submission: #{@form.display_name} by #{submitter}"
     )
   end
 

app/models/form.rb

@@ -12,6 +12,11 @@ class Form < ApplicationRecord
   # submissions index scenario filter.
   AGREEMENT_ROLES = %w[registration new_job reinstatement].freeze
 
+  # Name/email questions that identify the submitter. When a form accepts
+  # anonymous submissions these stay on the form but are never required, so a
+  # respondent can fill them or skip them (see PublicFormSubmission).
+  IDENTITY_IDENTIFIERS = %w[first_name last_name primary_email confirm_email].freeze
+
   belongs_to :owner, polymorphic: true, optional: true
   has_many :form_fields, dependent: :destroy, inverse_of: :form
   has_many :event_forms, dependent: :destroy
@@ -58,6 +63,18 @@ def publicly_fillable?
     standalone? && !event_connected? && published? && slug.present?
   end
 
+  # An identity question whose answer is optional because this form accepts
+  # anonymous submissions — even when the field is flagged required.
+  def optional_identity_field?(field)
+    allow_anonymous_submissions? && field.field_identifier.in?(IDENTITY_IDENTIFIERS)
+  end
+
+  # Whether a submission must carry an answer for this field, accounting for
+  # anonymity relaxing the identity questions.
+  def requires_answer?(field)
+    field.required? && !optional_identity_field?(field)
+  end
+
   private
 
   # Blank stays nil (never ""), so the unique index tolerates the many forms with

app/models/form_submission.rb

@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 class FormSubmission < ApplicationRecord
-  belongs_to :person
+  # Optional so a public form flagged allow_anonymous_submissions can record a
+  # submission with no identity (see PublicFormSubmission).
+  belongs_to :person, optional: true
   belongs_to :form
   belongs_to :event, optional: true
   has_many :form_answers, dependent: :destroy
@@ -173,6 +175,10 @@ def bulk_payment?
     role == "bulk_payment"
   end
 
+  def anonymous?
+    person_id.nil?
+  end
+
   # The event this submission belongs to: the directly stored one, or — for
   # submissions created before event_id existed — resolved through the form's
   # matching join role.

app/services/other_responses/capture_from_submission.rb

@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ def initialize(submission)
     end
 
     def call
+      # "Other" responses are person-owned; an anonymous submission has no owner.
+      return unless @submission.person
+
       answers.each do |answer|
         field_identifier = answer.form_field&.field_identifier
         next unless capturable?(field_identifier)

app/services/public_form_submission.rb

@@ -23,9 +23,9 @@ def initialize(form:, form_params:)
   def call
     ActiveRecord::Base.transaction do
       person = find_or_create_person
-      return Result.new(success?: false, errors: [ IDENTITY_MISSING_MESSAGE ]) unless person
+      return Result.new(success?: false, errors: [ IDENTITY_MISSING_MESSAGE ]) unless person || @form.allow_anonymous_submissions?
 
-      record_mailing_list_consent(person)
+      record_mailing_list_consent(person) if person
 
       submission = FormSubmission.create!(person: person, form: @form, role: ROLE)
       save_form_answers(submission)
@@ -117,13 +117,16 @@ def save_form_answers(submission)
   # A confirmation to the submitter and an FYI to the AWBW team, mirroring the
   # event-registration flow.
   def send_notifications(submission)
-    NotificationServices::CreateNotification.call(
-      noticeable: submission,
-      kind: :form_submission_confirmation,
-      recipient_role: :person,
-      recipient_email: submission.person.preferred_email,
-      notification_type: 0
-    )
+    # An anonymous submission has no submitter to confirm to; only the team FYI goes out.
+    if submission.person
+      NotificationServices::CreateNotification.call(
+        noticeable: submission,
+        kind: :form_submission_confirmation,
+        recipient_role: :person,
+        recipient_email: submission.person.preferred_email,
+        notification_type: 0
+      )
+    end
 
     NotificationServices::CreateNotification.call(
       noticeable: submission,

app/views/events/public_registrations/_form_field.html.erb

@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
-<%# locals: (field:, value: nil, label: nil, show_option_source: false, show_dropdown_warning: false) %>
+<%# locals: (field:, value: nil, label: nil, show_option_source: false, show_dropdown_warning: false, required: nil) %>
 <% return if field.group_header? %>
+<%# Callers (e.g. anonymous public forms) can force a field optional; defaults to the field's own setting. %>
+<% required = local_assigns.fetch(:required, field.required) %>
 
 <% error = @field_errors&.dig(field.id) %>
 <% error_border = error ? "border-red-400 focus:border-red-500 focus:ring-red-500/30" : "border-gray-300 hover:border-gray-400 focus:border-blue-500 focus:ring-blue-500/30" %>
@@ -9,7 +11,7 @@
   <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-2 mb-1.5">
     <label class="rich-label text-sm font-semibold text-gray-700" for="public_registration_form_fields_<%= field.id %>">
       <%= form_label_html(label || field.name) %>
-      <% if field.required %>
+      <% if required %>
         <span class="text-red-500">*</span>
       <% end %>
     </label>
@@ -37,7 +39,7 @@
       <select name="<%= field_name %>"
               id="<%= field_id %>"
               class="<%= input_classes %>"
-              <%= "required" if field.required %>>
+              <%= "required" if required %>>
         <option value="">Select a state</option>
         <% us_states.each do |name, abbr| %>
           <option value="<%= abbr %>" <%= "selected" if value == abbr %>><%= name %> (<%= abbr %>)</option>
@@ -65,7 +67,7 @@
              id="<%= field_id %>"
              value="<%= value %>"
              class="<%= input_classes %>"
-             <%= "required" if field.required %>
+             <%= "required" if required %>
              <%= raw(extra_attrs.join(" ")) %>>
     <% end %>
 
@@ -75,7 +77,7 @@
               rows="4"
               class="<%= input_classes %>"
               <%= "maxlength=\"#{field.effective_max_characters}\"".html_safe if field.effective_max_characters %>
-              <%= "required" if field.required %>><%= value %></textarea>
+              <%= "required" if required %>><%= value %></textarea>
 
   <% when "single_select_radio" %>
     <%# Dynamic fields (e.g. additional_sectors) source options from Sector/Category
@@ -95,7 +97,7 @@
                    class="text-blue-600 focus:ring-blue-500"
                    <%= "data-specify-option-target=\"control\"".html_safe if is_specify %>
                    <%= "checked" if (is_specify ? specify_option_selected?(option_label, value) : value == option_value) || (value.blank? && field.field_identifier == "interested_in_more" && option_value == "Yes") %>
-                   <%= "required" if field.required %>>
+                   <%= "required" if required %>>
             <%= option_label %>
           </span>
           <% if option_description.present? %>
@@ -124,7 +126,7 @@
     <select name="<%= field_name %>"
             id="<%= field_id %>"
             class="<%= input_classes %>"
-            <%= "required" if field.required %>>
+            <%= "required" if required %>>
       <option value="">Select one</option>
       <%# A dropdown can't show subtext, so an option's description is folded into
           the label as "Name (description)". %>
@@ -202,7 +204,7 @@
              data-file-preview-target="input"
              data-action="change->file-preview#update"
              class="block w-full text-sm text-gray-700 file:mr-3 file:rounded-md file:border-0 file:bg-blue-50 file:px-3 file:py-2 file:text-sm file:font-medium file:text-blue-700 hover:file:bg-blue-100 rounded-lg border <%= error_border %> bg-white px-2 py-2"
-             <%= "required" if field.required && retained_upload.nil? %>>
+             <%= "required" if required && retained_upload.nil? %>>
       <p data-file-preview-target="filename" class="mt-1.5 text-xs font-medium text-gray-600"></p>
       <p class="mt-1 text-xs text-gray-400">Accepted: <%= FormUploadAsset.accepted_types_label %> (max <%= FormUploadAsset.max_file_size_label %>)</p>
       <img data-file-preview-target="preview"

app/views/form_submissions/_submission.html.erb

@@ -28,14 +28,16 @@
       </div>
     <% end %>
   <% end %>
-  <% if submission.person.present? %>
-    <div class="py-2">
-      <dt class="text-xs font-medium text-gray-500 uppercase tracking-wide">Submitted by</dt>
-      <dd class="mt-1 text-sm text-gray-900">
+  <div class="py-2">
+    <dt class="text-xs font-medium text-gray-500 uppercase tracking-wide">Submitted by</dt>
+    <dd class="mt-1 text-sm text-gray-900">
+      <% if submission.person.present? %>
         <%= submission.person.name %> &lt;<%= submission.person.email %>&gt;
-      </dd>
-    </div>
-  <% end %>
+      <% else %>
+        <span class="text-gray-400 italic">Anonymous</span>
+      <% end %>
+    </dd>
+  </div>
   <% if attendees.any? %>
     <div class="pt-6 pb-2 border-b border-gray-200 mb-4">
       <h3 class="text-lg font-semibold text-gray-800">Attendees</h3>

app/views/form_submissions/form_submissions_results.html.erb

@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
                   <span class="text-gray-300">—</span>
                 <% end %>
               </td>
-              <% unless @person %><td class="px-4 py-3"><%= submission.person&.name %></td><% end %>
+              <% unless @person %><td class="px-4 py-3"><%= submission.person&.name || content_tag(:span, "Anonymous", class: "text-gray-400 italic") %></td><% end %>
               <td class="px-4 py-3">
                 <%# The submitted organization answer, with whether the person already
                     has an active affiliation to an organization of that name — the

app/views/forms/edit.html.erb

@@ -133,14 +133,20 @@
           </label>
           <p class="text-xs text-gray-500">Publishes the form at the public link below. A form connected to an event can't be published — event forms are filled out through their event.</p>
 
+          <label class="flex cursor-pointer items-center gap-2">
+            <%= f.check_box :allow_anonymous_submissions, class: "rounded border-gray-300 text-purple-600" %>
+            <span class="text-sm text-gray-800">Allow anonymous submissions (name & email become optional)</span>
+          </label>
+          <p class="text-xs text-gray-500">When on, respondents can submit without giving a name or email. Those questions still appear but aren't required.</p>
+
           <div>
             <label class="mb-1 block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700">Public link address</label>
             <div class="flex max-w-lg items-center overflow-hidden rounded border border-gray-300 shadow-sm">
               <span class="border-r border-gray-300 bg-gray-50 px-3 py-2 text-sm whitespace-nowrap text-gray-500"><%= "#{request.base_url}/f/" %></span>
               <%= f.text_field :slug, placeholder: "volunteer-interest",
                     class: "flex-1 border-0 px-3 py-2 text-sm focus:ring-0" %>
             </div>
-            <p class="mt-1 text-xs text-gray-500">Lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens. Required to publish. Must include name and email questions to identify who submitted.</p>
+            <p class="mt-1 text-xs text-gray-500">Lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens. Required to publish. Include name and email questions to identify who submitted — unless anonymous submissions are allowed.</p>
           </div>
 
           <% if @form.publicly_fillable? %>

app/views/notification_mailer/form_submission_confirmation_fyi.html.erb

@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
-<% profile_url = person_url(@person) %>
-
 <p style="margin-bottom: 6px;">
   New form submission
 </p>
 
 <h1 style="margin: 0;">
-  <strong><%= @person.full_name %></strong>
-  (<%= @person.preferred_email %>)
+  <% if @person %>
+    <strong><%= @person.full_name %></strong>
+    (<%= @person.preferred_email %>)
+  <% else %>
+    <strong>Anonymous respondent</strong>
+  <% end %>
 </h1>
 
 <p style="margin: 4px 0 16px; font-size: 13px; color: #6b7280;">
@@ -32,8 +34,10 @@
     View submission
   </a>
 
-  <a href="<%= profile_url %>"
-     style="display:inline-block;background:#e5e7eb;color:#111827;text-decoration:none;padding:10px 16px;border-radius:6px;font-weight:bold;">
-    View profile
-  </a>
+  <% if @person %>
+    <a href="<%= person_url(@person) %>"
+       style="display:inline-block;background:#e5e7eb;color:#111827;text-decoration:none;padding:10px 16px;border-radius:6px;font-weight:bold;">
+      View profile
+    </a>
+  <% end %>
 </p>

app/views/notification_mailer/form_submission_confirmation_fyi.text.erb

@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 New form submission
 
-<%= @person.full_name %> (<%= @person.preferred_email %>)
+<%= @person ? "#{@person.full_name} (#{@person.preferred_email})" : "Anonymous respondent" %>
 <%= @form.display_name %> · submitted on <%= @submission.created_at
                  .in_time_zone("Pacific Time (US & Canada)")
                  .strftime("%B %-d, %Y at %-l:%M %p %Z") %>
 
 <% @answers.each do |answer| %><% next if answer.submitted_answer.blank? %><%= answer.question_name_when_answered.presence || answer.form_field&.name %>: <%= answer.submitted_answer %>
 <% end %>
 View submission: <%= form_submission_url(@submission) %>
-View profile: <%= person_url(@person) %>
+<% if @person %>View profile: <%= person_url(@person) %><% end %>

app/views/public_forms/show.html.erb

@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@
     <div class="px-6 py-7 sm:px-8">
       <%= render "forms/header", form: @form %>
 
+      <% if @form.allow_anonymous_submissions? %>
+        <p class="mb-6 flex items-start gap-2 rounded-lg border border-gray-200 bg-gray-50 px-4 py-3 text-sm text-gray-600">
+          <i class="fa-solid fa-user-secret mt-0.5 text-gray-400"></i>
+          <span>You can submit this form anonymously — name and email are optional.</span>
+        </p>
+      <% end %>
+
       <% if flash[:alert] %>
         <div role="alert" class="mb-6 flex scroll-mt-24 items-start gap-3 rounded-lg border border-red-200 bg-red-50 px-4 py-3 text-red-800" data-controller="form-errors">
           <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-exclamation mt-0.5 text-red-500"></i>
@@ -40,7 +47,7 @@
             <% else %>
               <% submitted_value = params.dig(:public_registration, :form_fields, field.id.to_s) %>
               <div class="<%= field.grid_span_class %>">
-                <%= render "events/public_registrations/form_field", field: field, value: submitted_value %>
+                <%= render "events/public_registrations/form_field", field: field, value: submitted_value, required: @form.requires_answer?(field) %>
               </div>
             <% end %>
           <% end %>

config/brakeman.ignore

@@ -128,13 +128,13 @@
     {
       "warning_type": "Mass Assignment",
       "warning_code": 105,
-      "fingerprint": "a46122ae2994612e9507c0c854c6d8f66039324246131f28ee068a69d9ce4024",
+      "fingerprint": "3eeea9bd403ae750aa697a95d36849d6597a4df73a2f0be404bba9d2ac3b5fb8",
       "check_name": "PermitAttributes",
       "message": "Potentially dangerous key allowed for mass assignment",
       "file": "app/controllers/forms_controller.rb",
-      "line": 158,
+      "line": 165,
       "link": "https://brakemanscanner.org/docs/warning_types/mass_assignment/",
-      "code": "params.require(:form).permit(:name, :role, :header, :hide_answered_person_questions, :hide_answered_form_questions, :slug, :published, :form_fields_attributes => ([:id, :name, :answer_type, :required, :subtitle, :hint_text, :field_identifier, :section, :position, :visibility, :one_time, :width, :min_words, :max_characters, :_destroy, { :form_field_answer_options_attributes => ([:id, :option_name, :_destroy]) }]))",
+      "code": "params.require(:form).permit(:name, :role, :header, :hide_answered_person_questions, :hide_answered_form_questions, :slug, :published, :allow_anonymous_submissions, :form_fields_attributes => ([:id, :name, :answer_type, :required, :subtitle, :hint_text, :field_identifier, :section, :position, :visibility, :one_time, :width, :min_words, :max_characters, :_destroy, { :form_field_answer_options_attributes => ([:id, :option_name, :_destroy]) }]))",
       "render_path": null,
       "location": {
         "type": "method",

config/features.yml

@@ -2103,3 +2103,19 @@
     subscription form, filter the subscriptions list by organization, and see it
     in the new Organization column. It's optional — leave it blank for a topic
     that isn't tied to any organization.
+
+- name: "Anonymous form submissions"
+  area: content
+  display_status: admin_facing
+  released_on: 2026-08-23
+  action_path: "/forms"
+  pr_number: 2350
+  summary: >-
+    Turn on "Allow anonymous submissions" on a public form and its name and email
+    questions become optional, so people can respond without identifying
+    themselves. Anonymous responses show as "Anonymous" in the submissions index.
+  pro_tips:
+    - The name and email questions still appear on the form — respondents can fill
+      them in or skip them.
+    - Anonymous responses send the team the usual FYI email but no confirmation
+      goes back (there's no email to send it to).

db/migrate/20260823003323_add_anonymous_form_submissions.rb

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+class AddAnonymousFormSubmissions < ActiveRecord::Migration[8.0]
+  def up
+    add_column :forms, :allow_anonymous_submissions, :boolean, default: false, null: false unless column_exists?(:forms, :allow_anonymous_submissions)
+    change_column_null :form_submissions, :person_id, true
+  end
+
+  def down
+    # Can't restore NOT NULL if anonymous (person-less) submissions exist; the
+    # feature that created them is being removed, so drop those rows first.
+    execute "DELETE FROM form_submissions WHERE person_id IS NULL"
+    change_column_null :form_submissions, :person_id, false
+    remove_column :forms, :allow_anonymous_submissions, if_exists: true
+  end
+end