When it comes to building smarter, more efficient forms, conditional logic is your best friend. It allows your forms to adapt based on user input, guiding respondents through only the questions that matter to them.
In a recent FormAssembly webinar, our team walked through how to harness conditional logic to create dynamic, user-friendly forms – from simple field visibility rules to advanced branching and calculations.
You can watch the full webinar on-demand here, or read on for a recap of what we covered.
What Is Conditional Logic?
Conditional logic lets you show, hide, or change form content based on a respondent’s answers. With the right setup, conditional logic can empower your forms to:
- Personalize the user journey
- Streamline data collection by removing irrelevant questions
- Guide respondents with real-time feedback and branching
Think of it as creating “if this, then that” pathways throughout your form without needing to write a single line of code.
Getting Started: Simple Logic Rules
The product demonstration portion of the webinar kicked off with the basics: adding logic to individual fields.
Example scenario: You want to show a comments box only if the user checks a feedback checkbox.
- In FormAssembly, this is done under Options → Display this field if…
- You can use AND/OR logic to make the rule as simple or complex as needed
You can also apply logic to entire sections, pages, or even the submit button, enabling complete control over what your users see – and when they can finish the form.
Controlling the Submit Button
Conditional logic also powers submission controls, allowing you to:
- Hide or disable the submit button until certain conditions are met
- Show a custom message when a user misses a required step or selects an invalid combination
This is especially helpful for forms that require validation, compliance confirmation, or staged progression.
Taking It Further: Branching Logic
Once you’re comfortable with basic conditional logic, branching takes it to the next level.
Branching allows your form to follow entirely different paths based on user responses. For example:
- If a user selects “Job Applicant,” they go down a path asking about work history
- If they select “Volunteer,” they get a completely different set of questions
To build this:
- Use page-level logic to display certain pages only when specific conditions are met
- Use logic groups to group related conditions and combine them with AND/OR statements
Use nested logic to create rules within rules, giving you even more control over how paths unfold
Advanced Use Cases
Conditional logic can do a lot more than show/hide fields. Here are some other capabilities:
- Salesforce Integration: Show or skip certain Salesforce connector steps based on user input
- Form Calculations: Add up fields dynamically or trigger calculations only when relevant
Predefined Rules: Save time by applying reusable logic conditions across multiple form elements
Best Practices
There are a few standard best practices to keep in mind when using conditional logic in form building:
- Start simple. Build logic one step at a time to avoid conflicts
- Use clear labels on your fields so you can easily reference them in rules
Test often. The preview tool is your best friend when working with complex logic
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re building a quick intake form or a multi-page application, conditional logic can dramatically improve the experience for your users – and the quality of data you receive.
Ready to start building? Check out our Conditional Logic Help Article for step-by-step guidance, or reach out to our support team if you have questions.
