You create a PDF (brochure, letter, work order, etc.) directly from the form, and some fields remain empty even though the data was entered correctly in the form.
In most cases, this is due to one of the following reasons.
In onOffice, there are two notations for macros that are easily confused:
| Module | Notation | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Address | CamelCase with capitalised first letter | _Name, _Vorname, _Strasse, _Plz |
| Property | All lower case | _objektart, _ort, _plz, _kaufpreis |
If you enter an address macro in lower case in the PDF (or vice versa), it will not be resolved and will remain blank in the PDF.
Solution: Check the onOffice macro overview for the correct spelling. Or use our overview: Macros — propform & onOffice.
Important to understand: When you create a PDF and send it via email at the same time, the macro resolution applies to the email recipient — not to the sender or the person making the request. This is why address fields may appear empty if the email recipient is an internal colleague rather than the person making the request themselves.
Solution using pre-macros: Instead of accessing address fields directly, use pre-macros that point to the address linked in the form:
_Kaeufer (or _Buyer) → for buyer details_Eigent (or _Owner) → for owner data_Mieter (or _Renter) → for tenant data> ⚠️ Notation: The pre-macro and field name are written without an underscore in between — i.e. _KaeuferVorname, not _Kaeufer_Vorname.
Example in the PDF text:
Käufer: _KaeuferVorname _KaeuferName
Anschrift: _KaeuferStrasse, _KaeuferPlz _KaeuferOrt
This is how onOffice reliably retrieves the data from the buyer record linked to the form, regardless of the email recipient.
A PDF template in onOffice is always assigned to a module (address or property). If you address address fields directly with _Name in a property template, onOffice looks in the property — where there is no _Name — and the field remains empty.
Solution: Always retrieve address data in a property template via a pre-macro (_KaeuferName, _EigentName), not directly.
If you want a digital signature in the PDF, it must come from a file field — either directly in the property form or in the linked addresses. The file is then retrieved via a macro in the PDF.
> Example: File field unterschrift_kaeufer in the address → insert as an image in the PDF via _dateipfadAdressfeld(unterschrift_kaeufer;400;variabel;mail;html).
If the form writes data to onOffice only upon submission and the PDF is generated before the data is saved, the new values are not yet in onOffice → the template cannot find them.
Solution: Check in the form settings whether the PDF is generated after the data has been written (the default order is usually correct — check if you have changed any custom actions).
Please email us at hello@propform.io with the following information:
📖 More on macros: Macros — propform & onOffice