Fields with conditions allow you to show or hide a field based on the user’s selections in a previous field. With this article, we will guide you in using these types of conditions. First, field conditions are found in the small gear icon next to the field.

Then, click on the Conditions tab.

One of the most common misconceptions about conditions is that setting a condition on Field A determines whether or not Field B is displayed. This is partly correct, which is why it can get confusing. The condition is actually set on Field B, which looks back at the selection made in Field A to figure out whether to make itself visible or not.

By default, every field you add to a ShelbyNext Form is preset with the “Always show field” condition. It is your choice to change this setting to make it dependent on what has happened in previous fields. That’s right, “fields”, as in plural! You can make a field conditional on one or many other fields as well as making the conditions ANY or ALL.

Before this gets overcomplicated, one of the ways you can simplify the setup of conditions is using a “decision tree”.

A decision tree is basically a map of the choices someone can make. Each question makes others happen. You would only want to give a list of Sunday School classes for Men to people who are interested in Adult classes and Men’s classes, not to someone that is interested in Youth classes or Women’s classes. A decision tree will help you organize the path a form user will walk to find the best choices for them.

This also makes creating the conditions easier, because one at the bottom can simply be made conditional on the question right above it.

The question at the top would be “What type of Sunday School class are you looking to join?” with the answers being “Children”, “Youth”, and “Adult” represented by A, B, and C.

If answer A is selected, then fields 1 and 2 at the bottom would show. If answer B is selected, then fields 3 and 4. If C, then 5 & 6. A great example of this in action can be found in our Fall Sunday School Signup form created for the Purpose Driven Forms Advance Your Knowledge Shelby training webinar.