Direct answer
Treat the route as three stages: the form in the browser, the connection in between, and the CRM that receives the lead. Confirm the loss with one test submission that carries a marker value, then find the last stage where the marker is visible. Put a fallback copy in place while you diagnose, so nothing else is lost. This page covers the form-to-CRM path only; a stopped automation more broadly is covered in automation stopped working. It describes causes to check, not the behaviour of any specific platform, and it cannot promise every lost lead can be recovered.
Confirm the loss with a marked test
Submit the form yourself with an obvious marker in a text field, such as a made-up name you can search for. Note the time. Then look for the marker at each stage: does the form confirm success, does anything arrive in your fallback copy, does a record appear in the CRM? A single marked test tells you far more than a general feeling that leads are missing. Also check the pattern of real leads: did they stop on a certain date, or only from a certain page or device?
Stage 1: the form itself
If the form never submits, the problem is before any data leaves the browser:
- A script conflict on the page, often after adding or updating another script
- Validation that blocks the submit without a clear message
- A consent step that must be ticked before anything is sent
- A form that only fails on certain browsers, devices or when an ad blocker is on
Stage 2: the connection
If the form submits but the CRM sees nothing, check the link between them. Has the authorisation expired or been revoked? Was the address that receives the submission changed? Was the person who set up the connection removed? The website CRM integration page explains how the connection is meant to be built; the API credentials and service account setup page explains why personal logins make it fragile.
Stage 3: field mapping and required fields
A submission can arrive and still be rejected. If the CRM requires a field the form does not send, or the form sends a value in a shape the CRM does not accept, the whole submission may fail. This often starts after someone adds a required field or renames one in the CRM. Compare the form's fields with the CRM's fields and look at any error or rejection record the connection keeps.
Stage 4: inside the CRM
A lead can arrive and still not be found. Check whether duplicate rules merged it into an existing record or blocked it, whether a sync delay explains the gap, whether owner assignment left it unassigned, and whether a view or filter is hiding it. See preventing duplicate leads for how duplicate rules should be set so they do not swallow real enquiries.
A fallback copy while you fix it
Until the path is trusted again, send a copy of every submission to a second place a person reads: an email to a shared address or a row in a sheet. This does not fix the fault but stops it costing more leads. Remove or keep the fallback deliberately once the route is confirmed, and state who owns it.
Recovering leads that were lost
Work out the window in which submissions failed. Look for them in the fallback copy, the website's own records if it keeps any, your inbox, and any analytics that log form events. Enter what you find into the CRM by hand, marking the source, and follow them up. Some leads may not be recoverable; say so honestly rather than assume. The missed lead recovery page covers how to follow up when time has passed.
Questions
How do I know whether the form or the CRM is at fault?+
Submit a marked test and check the fallback copy. If it arrives there but not in the CRM, the fault is after the form. If it arrives nowhere, look at the form itself.
Why would only some leads be missing?+
A rejected required field, a duplicate rule, a filter or an owner rule can affect some submissions and not others.
Can lost leads always be recovered?+
No. It depends on what copies exist. Check any fallback, the website's records, your inbox and analytics, and be honest about what cannot be found.
Should I keep the fallback email after fixing it?+
It is worth keeping until you trust the path, and then a deliberate decision with a named owner.
Does this apply to any CRM?+
The stages apply to any form-to-CRM route. Where specific settings live depends on your CRM and form tool, which this page does not cover.