Field Options let you control how each field behaves when respondents fill in your form, and how the collected data appears in your Records page. This article covers two groups of settings:
Field Options — control respondent interaction (labels, help text, required status, and audit tracking).
Summary Page Settings — control how responses appear and can be managed in your Records page.
To access Field Options, select any field in your form, then open the Options tab in the right-hand panel.
Note: Design elements such as Rich Text blocks and Document Libraries do not include Field Options — they display content rather than collect responses, so these settings do not apply to them.
Field Options
These settings control the respondent experience — what they see, what they must complete, and what audit information is captured when a field is filled in:
Option | What it Does | Example Use |
Label | The field’s title displayed to respondents. | A text field might be labelled “Name”, while a date field might be “Date of Birth.” |
Description | Helper text that appears below the label to provide instructions. | Adding: “Please provide as much detail as possible” under a text field. |
Placeholder text | Displays a short hint or example inside a text field before the respondent starts typing. It disappears the moment they begin entering their response. | Adding "e.g. John Smith" inside a Full Name field. |
Input Required | Makes the field mandatory before submission. Appears as “Choice required” in selection fields. | Ensuring a signature field is completed before submission. |
Show Time Entered | Records the timestamp (date & time) when a response is completed. | Useful for authenticating date entries. |
Show User Last Edited | Displays the name and avatar of the last user who completed or updated the field. | Tracking who added a signature or approval. |
Tip: "Input Required" and "Choice required" are the same setting — the label simply changes depending on the field type (text vs. selection). Both work identically.
Summary Page Settings
These settings control how responses appear and can be managed in your Records page — the list view where all saved and submitted records are stored. They do not affect what respondents see when filling in your form.
Option | What it Does | Example Use |
Filterable | Enables advanced filtering of responses for that field. | Marking a Date field as filterable so records can be filtered by date ranges. |
Display in List | Shows the field’s responses directly in the Records page. | Displaying a Payment field to quickly check who has or hasn’t paid. |
Edit in List | Lets users with permissions update responses directly from the Records page. | Allowing administrators to quickly edit a record without opening the form. |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. Do all fields have Field Options?
A. Almost all do. The only exceptions are Design Elements (such as Rich Text blocks or Document Libraries), which display content rather than collect responses and therefore have no Field Options.
Q. Are all Field Options available on every field type?
A. Most options are universal, but some — such as Show Time Entered and Show User Last Edited — may not appear on every field type. If an option is not visible in the Options tab, it is not supported for that field.
Q. What happens if a respondent does not complete a required field?
A. Yes. Use Conditional Logic to show or hide required fields based on other responses. A hidden required field will not block submission.
Q. Can I update Field Options after publishing my form?
A. Yes. Field Options can be changed at any time. After making your changes, simply re-publish the form — updates take effect immediately.
Q. Who can use Edit in List?
A. Only users with the appropriate permissions — typically Administrators — can edit records directly from the Records page. Standard respondents cannot use this feature.
Q. Are Show Time Entered and Show User Last Edited available on all fields?
A. These options are available on most field types. If they do not appear in the Options tab for a particular field, that field type does not support them.
💡IndyTips
Getting the most from Field Options:
Use clear Labels and Descriptions — Write Labels as short, plain-language descriptions ("Date of Birth" not "DOB_field_01"). Clear labels reduce respondent errors and support requests.
Use Descriptions proactively — Add a Description whenever a field might confuse respondents — for example, specifying the expected name format "Surname, Forename" under a text field.
Be selective with Input Required — Mark only genuinely critical fields as required. Requiring too many fields increases drop-off rates. Consider using Conditional Logic to make fields required only when relevant.
Use Placeholder Text for format hints — Add Placeholder Text to text-entry fields where the expected format is not obvious. Keep it short — it disappears the moment someone starts typing.
Enable Filterable strategically — Enable Filterable on fields you will regularly want to sort or search by — dates, statuses, or payment amounts. Avoid enabling it on every field, as this creates clutter in the filter panel.
Keep Display in List focused — Use Display in List only for the handful of fields that give you the quickest read of a record (e.g., Name, Status, Date Submitted). Too many columns make the Records page hard to scan.
Restrict Edit in List to trusted users — Grant Edit in List only to users with the correct permissions. Avoid enabling it on fields where accidental edits could corrupt records or audit trails.
Use audit options for compliance fields — Enable Show Time Entered and Show User Last Edited on signature, approval, and compliance fields where you need a verifiable audit trail.
Preview before publishing — After configuring your options, use the form preview to confirm required fields, placeholders, and descriptions appear and behave as expected before publishing.