How to Connect ODK Collect to Your Server
Connecting ODK Collect to an ODK Central server takes one QR code scan: create an app user in your Central project, display its QR code, and scan it from the app. The whole setup, including a test submission, is a five-minute job per device.
For the full download, offline interview, finalize, sync, and server verification sequence, use the ODK Collect offline workflow checklist.
Here is the exact sequence, plus the two configuration mistakes that cause most "it doesn't work" moments.
Step 1: Install ODK Collect
Install the free ODK Collect app from the Google Play Store on each field device. It works with any ODK Central server — including SurveyLoopr-hosted servers — and with KoboToolbox.
Step 2: Create an app user in ODK Central
In ODK Central, an app user is a field-device identity — separate from the web accounts admins use.
- Open your project and go to the App Users tab.
- Click Create App User and name it, typically per enumerator (
enumerator-amina) or per device (tablet-04).
One app user per enumerator is the better pattern: the audit log then attributes every submission to a person, which is what makes enumerator monitoring possible.
Step 3: Assign form access
Go to the project's Form Access tab and tick which forms each app user can see.
This is the most common setup mistake: a freshly created app user has access to nothing. If ODK Collect connects but shows an empty form list, missing Form Access checkboxes are the cause virtually every time.
Step 4: Scan the QR code
- In Central, click the QR code icon next to the app user.
- In ODK Collect, tap the project icon (top right) → Add project → scan the code.
The QR code carries the server URL and the app user's token — no usernames or passwords to type. Anyone with the code gets that user's access, so share it screen-to-screen, not in group chats.
Step 5: Download forms and send a test
In Collect: Download form, select your forms, fill one in as a test, and Send. Then confirm the submission appears in ODK Central under the form's Submissions tab. Do this once per device before devices leave for the field — it verifies the whole pipeline while fixing problems is still cheap.
If the test submission refuses to send, work through why ODK Collect won't send submissions.
Setting up many devices? Project Settings in Collect can be reconfigured by scanning a new QR code at any time — so a revoked app user or a server migration is a re-scan, not a reinstall.
No server yet?
Everything above assumes you have an ODK Central server. If you don't, you can deploy a managed one with SurveyLoopr. Deployment typically takes about 2–5 minutes, but image availability and DNS can take longer; SurveyLoopr handles provisioning and TLS, while customers maintain their own backup and export practices.
Explore ODK hostingNext: Fixing submissions that won't send →
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I connect ODK Collect to ODK Central?
Create an app user in your ODK Central project, grant it form access, click the QR code icon next to the app user, and scan that code from ODK Collect via Add project. The QR code configures the server URL and credentials automatically.
Why does ODK Collect show no forms after connecting?
Because the app user has no form access. In ODK Central, open the project's Form Access tab and check the boxes for the forms that app user should see, then refresh the form list in Collect. New app users start with access to nothing.
Should I create one app user per enumerator or per project?
One per enumerator. Per-enumerator app users let the audit log attribute every submission to a specific person, which enables enumerator performance monitoring and fraud detection. A single shared app user makes submissions anonymous.
Is the ODK Collect QR code sensitive?
Yes. The QR code embeds the app user's access token, so anyone who scans it can submit data as that user. Display it screen-to-screen during setup rather than sending it through email or group chats, and revoke app users whose codes may have leaked.
Does ODK Collect work on iPhone?
ODK Collect is Android-only. On iOS, ODK Central supports web forms through Enketo, which run in the browser — usable for online data entry, though Android with Collect remains the standard for offline fieldwork.
Can one device connect to multiple ODK projects or servers?
Yes. ODK Collect supports multiple projects on one device — tap the project icon and add another by scanning its QR code. Each project keeps its own server, forms, and submissions, and you switch between them from the same menu.
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Build the form first. Add hosting when you need it.
Start free with LooprAI, then deploy a managed ODK Central server or run DataSnap checks when your project is ready.
Automation handles the mechanical work.
Researchers decide what the evidence means.