Overview
Conditional logic lets you show or hide entire sections of a form based on a respondent's previous answer. Instead of presenting every question to everyone, the form adapts in real time — only surfacing what's relevant to each person.
Example: a respondent selects "Yes" to a question about workplace injuries. A follow-up section with incident-detail fields appears automatically. Respondents who select "No" skip that section entirely and move straight to the next relevant question.
Result: Shorter, cleaner forms. Better data. Less respondent frustration.
Supported Trigger Field Types
Conditional logic is triggered by the respondent's selection in one of two field types:
Field Type | When to Use It |
Select | Yes/No questions, dropdown choices, or any scenario where the respondent picks one option from a list. |
Checkbox | Simple on/off conditions — show a section when a single checkbox is ticked. |
Not supported: Text inputs, date fields, and number fields cannot be used to trigger conditional logic.
Setting Up Conditional Logic
Follow these six steps to connect a trigger field to a conditional section:
Step 1 — Add your trigger field
In the form builder, drag a Select or Checkbox field from the Selection Inputs group onto your form canvas.
Step 2 — Configure the field
For Select fields, define the answer options (e.g., Yes / No). Enable Choice Required so the respondent must make a selection before moving on — this ensures the logic fires reliably.
Step 3 — Add the conditional section
Below the trigger field, add a new section containing the questions that should only appear when the condition is met. Give the section a descriptive title, such as "If Yes, please complete the following."
Step 4 — Open Conditional Logic settings
On the section card you want to show conditionally, click the conditional logic icon in the top-right corner of the card.
Step 5 — Define the condition
In the condition panel:
Trigger field: choose the Select or Checkbox field that will drive visibility.
Trigger value: choose the specific response that should reveal this section (e.g., "Yes").
Step 6 — Save
Click Done. The conditional logic icon on the section card will become highlighted, confirming that a condition is active.
How Conditions Stack
One field can trigger multiple sections
A single Select or Checkbox field can control the visibility of as many sections as you need. Each section gets its own condition — same trigger field, different trigger value.
Example: a "Payment Method" Select field with three options could reveal:
"Credit Card" → shows a Billing Address section
"Invoice" → shows an Invoicing Details section
"Scholarship" → shows a Bursary Application section
Result: Three sections, one trigger field. Only the relevant section appears for each respondent.
Each section supports one condition only
At this time, IndyForms supports one condition per section. You cannot combine multiple AND/OR conditions on a single section.
To handle more complex logic, use multiple sections with individual conditions:
Instead of: show Section A if "Option 1" AND "Option 2" are both selected
Do this: create Section A triggered by "Option 1", and Section B triggered by "Option 2"
Tip: Stacking single-condition sections is the recommended approach for building decision-tree or multi-branch forms in IndyForms.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. Can I trigger logic with a text, date, or number field?
A. No. Only Select and Checkbox fields can be used as trigger fields.
Q. What happens to required fields inside a hidden section?
A. Hidden required fields are not validated. A required field is only enforced if the section containing it is currently visible.
Q. Can I apply logic to an individual field rather than a whole section?
A. No — conditional logic operates at the section level. To conditionally show a single field, place it in its own section and apply logic to that section.
Q. Does logic work inside repeating sections?
A. Conditional logic can be applied to a repeating section as a whole, but not within individual fields of that section.
Q. If I duplicate a section, does the logic copy over?
A. The section is duplicated, but the condition is not. You'll need to reconfigure the logic on the duplicated section manually.
Q. What happens if I delete the field that drives the logic?
A. The condition breaks and the section becomes permanently visible. Remove or reconfigure the logic before deleting the trigger field.
Q. Can I hide a section by default and reveal it with logic?
A. Yes — this is precisely how conditional logic works. Any section with an active condition is hidden until that condition is met.
💡 IndyTips
One condition per section. Keep logic simple — each section should have exactly one trigger condition. This makes forms easier to build, test, and troubleshoot.
Always enable Choice Required. If a respondent skips the trigger field, the logic may not fire. Make selection mandatory to prevent this.
Label sections clearly. Use section titles that reflect the condition, such as "Complete this section if you answered Yes above." This helps respondents understand what's happening.
Mark conditional fields as required. Fields inside a conditional section are only validated when the section is visible, so it's safe to mark them required.
Stack sections for decision-tree forms. Multiple conditional sections can be triggered by the same or different fields — use this to build branching, step-by-step forms.
Test every path. After publishing, test the form by selecting each possible trigger value to verify all branches behave correctly.
Use Checkbox fields for simple toggles. If you just need to reveal extra fields when something is confirmed (e.g., "I agree to the above"), a Checkbox is the cleanest trigger.