Introduction

Publish MDM is a tool for managing and publishing forms to ODK Central, a powerful data collection platform. It offers support for:

  • Single sign-on with Google and access to Google Sheets

  • Form templates and variables, which can be used to create multiple versions of a form for different app users

  • A user-friendly interface for publishing form versions

  • MDM integration with either TinyMDM or Android EMM to automatically configure devices with the correct forms and settings

  • VPN integration with Tailscale to securely connect devices to ODK Central

Getting Started

There are two main workflows depending on your needs:

1. Basic Form Publishing

If you want to publish forms from Google Sheets to ODK Central and share them with data collectors, start with the Publishing Your First Form guide. This is the simplest way to get started—no device management required.

2. Advanced: Automated Device Management

If you want to manage Android devices and automatically configure them with forms, policies, and security settings, see Getting Started with Device Management. This enables enterprise-grade device management and automated deployment.

Next Steps

To learn more about how Publish MDM works, check out: