Branching in Forms

Submittable's Form Logic feature enables you to use branching in your submission forms so that certain questions or form fields will only appear if users select specific responses. This can be very helpful for simplifying long application forms so that applicants don’t have to sift through questions that don’t apply to them. You can also use Form Logic to write “gatekeeper” questions to determine applicant eligibility or save time for reviewers who may only need to evaluate certain criteria.

Branching can be used when creating:

and is available in these form fields:

Navigate to the form you will be using and click +New Form to create a new form or begin working to edit an existing form.

1. Drag a Dropdown List, Multiple Response Question, or Single Response Question field from the toolbox into your form. The originating field for a branch MUST be one of these fields.

2. Add your question and enter the optional answers for the question.

Leaving the field unbranched will only take the applicant to the next field:

If you enable branching, fields are added next to the response options. Using these, you'll be able to direct the applicant to the next appropriate field:
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3. In the Create Branch fields, type your branch name. It might be the same as the response, or a brief summary of its intent. Click Enter to create it.

Previously created branches will appear as the title is typed. Note: You can use up to 30 branches in a form.

Once you've designated a branch for an optional answer, identify which form field you want users to see next if they choose that answer. You may designate any type of form field to appear when a branch is selected.

Below you'll see the next field for applicants who answered Yes in the example above. Click on the Add Branch dropdown in the upper left area of the field, and select the branch to which this field should be connected.

In this example, the Date field is now branched (connected) to the Yes response in the previous question.

You can see below how the branching configuration shown above will work when viewed by submitters:

Click the dropdown arrow to the right of any branch to show the Manage Form Branches box. This enables you to delete or change the name of any branches currently existing in your form. Changes and deletions will be reflected throughout the form.

In your form, continue to add branches and sub-branches as needed. When you’re finished, click Save Form.

You may preview your work at any time by clicking Preview in the top-right corner of your form. Your form will auto-save, but for added peace of mind, you may want to manually save it periodically.

If you’re interested in adding branching to your account, please contact our Customer Success team.
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