diff --git a/src/ids.rs b/src/ids.rs
index 59fdc80..7dc195c 100644
--- a/src/ids.rs
+++ b/src/ids.rs
@@ -1,12 +1,21 @@
 use rand::{distributions::Uniform, prelude::Distribution, thread_rng};
 use regex::Regex;
 
+use crate::db::{doll, schema::DollTagsDb};
+
 pub fn generate_ids() -> Vec<i64> {
 	let uniform = Uniform::new_inclusive::<i64, i64>(100_000, 999_999);
 	let mut rng = thread_rng();
 	(1..=10).map(|_| uniform.sample(&mut rng)).collect()
 }
 
+pub async fn pick_ids(db: DollTagsDb) -> Result<Vec<i64>, sqlx::Error> {
+	let mut ids_bundle = generate_ids();
+	let occupied_ids = doll::check_ids(db, &ids_bundle).await?;
+	ids_bundle.retain(|&id| !occupied_ids.contains(&id));
+	Ok(ids_bundle.iter().take(5).map(|v| *v).collect::<Vec<i64>>())
+}
+
 pub fn id_public_to_db(id: &str) -> Option<i64> {
 	let id_re = Regex::new(r"^\d{6}$").unwrap();
 
diff --git a/src/routes/form/register_tag.rs b/src/routes/form/register_tag.rs
index 2dae59a..c2b4494 100644
--- a/src/routes/form/register_tag.rs
+++ b/src/routes/form/register_tag.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use rocket::{
-	form::{self, Form},
+	form::{self, Contextual, Form},
 	response::Redirect,
 };
 use rocket_dyn_templates::{context, Template};
@@ -9,16 +9,13 @@ use crate::{
 		doll,
 		schema::{CreateDollProfile, DollTagsDb},
 	},
-	ids::{generate_ids, id_public_to_db},
-	routes::error_handlers::PageResult,
+	ids::{id_public_to_db, pick_ids},
+	routes::{error_handlers::PageResult, public},
 };
 
 #[get("/register")]
 pub async fn show_register(db: DollTagsDb) -> PageResult {
-	let mut ids_bundle = generate_ids();
-	let occupied_ids = doll::check_ids(db, &ids_bundle).await?;
-	ids_bundle.retain(|&id| !occupied_ids.contains(&id));
-	let ids = ids_bundle.iter().take(5).collect::<Vec<&i64>>();
+	let ids = pick_ids(db).await?;
 
 	Ok(Template::render(
 		"register",
@@ -97,14 +94,23 @@ fn validate_chassis<'v>(a: &str, b: &str, c: &str, field: &str) -> form::Result<
 #[post("/register", data = "<tag>")]
 pub async fn handle_register(mut db: DollTagsDb, tag: Form<TagForm<'_>>) -> PageResult {
 	println!("register: {:?}", tag);
+	fn normalize_opt(opt: &str) -> Option<&str> {
+		if opt.len() != 0 {
+			Some(opt)
+		} else {
+			None
+		}
+	}
+
 	let id = id_public_to_db(&tag.ident).expect("id format was wrong but is now right??");
 	let pronouns = format!(
 		"{}/{}/{}",
 		tag.pronoun_subject, tag.pronoun_object, tag.pronoun_possessive
 	);
-	let microchip_id = tag.microchip_id.to_lowercase();
+	let normalized_microchip_id = tag.microchip_id.to_lowercase();
+	let microchip_id = normalize_opt(&normalized_microchip_id);
 
-	if doll::id_exists(&mut *db, id, &microchip_id).await? {
+	if doll::id_exists(&mut *db, id, microchip_id.unwrap_or("")).await? {
 		return Ok(Redirect::found(uri!("/register")).into());
 	}
 
@@ -112,57 +118,39 @@ pub async fn handle_register(mut db: DollTagsDb, tag: Form<TagForm<'_>>) -> Page
 		db,
 		CreateDollProfile {
 			id,
-			microchip_id: if microchip_id.len() != 0 {
-				Some(&microchip_id)
-			} else {
-				None
-			},
+			microchip_id,
 			name: tag.name,
 			pronouns: pronouns.as_str(),
 			handler_name: tag.handler_name,
-			handler_url: if tag.handler_link.len() != 0 {
-				Some(tag.handler_link)
-			} else {
-				None
-			},
-			kind: if tag.kind.len() != 0 {
-				Some(tag.kind)
-			} else {
-				None
-			},
-			breed: if tag.breed.len() != 0 {
-				Some(tag.breed)
-			} else {
-				None
-			},
-			behaviour: if tag.behaviour.len() != 0 {
-				Some(tag.behaviour)
-			} else {
-				None
-			},
-			description: if tag.description.len() != 0 {
-				Some(tag.description)
-			} else {
-				None
-			},
-			chassis_type: if tag.chassis_type.len() != 0 {
-				Some(tag.chassis_type)
-			} else {
-				None
-			},
-			chassis_id: if tag.chassis_id.len() != 0 {
-				Some(tag.chassis_id)
-			} else {
-				None
-			},
-			chassis_color: if tag.chassis_color.len() != 0 {
-				Some(tag.chassis_color)
-			} else {
-				None
-			},
+			handler_url: normalize_opt(tag.handler_link),
+			kind: normalize_opt(tag.kind),
+			breed: normalize_opt(tag.breed),
+			behaviour: normalize_opt(tag.behaviour),
+			description: normalize_opt(tag.description),
+			chassis_type: normalize_opt(tag.chassis_type),
+			chassis_id: normalize_opt(tag.chassis_id),
+			chassis_color: normalize_opt(tag.chassis_color),
 		},
 	)
 	.await?;
 
-	Ok(Template::render("register", context! {ids: vec![123456]}).into())
+	Ok(Redirect::to(uri!(public::show_profile(Some(tag.ident), microchip_id))).into())
+}
+
+#[post("/register", data = "<tag>", rank = 2)]
+pub async fn handle_retry_register(
+	db: DollTagsDb,
+	tag: Form<Contextual<'_, TagForm<'_>>>,
+) -> PageResult {
+	// in case the form validation fails, this will be tasked with rendering the page again with submitted values and display errors
+	let ids = pick_ids(db).await?;
+
+	Ok(Template::render(
+		"register",
+		context! {
+			ids,
+			previous: &tag.context,
+		},
+	)
+	.into())
 }