How to use conditional logic in entry forms

Conditional logic in Evalato lets you show or hide a field, or a whole section of your entry form, based on conditions you set. Applicants see only the questions that apply to them, which keeps forms shorter and your data cleaner.

You can base conditions on:

• Answers to earlier questions/fields in the same form
• Entry details: the entry's category, its tags, or its voting round

Add conditional logic to a field

1. Go to Settings > Forms and click the name of the form you want to edit.
2. Find the field you want to make conditional and click the Conditional logic icon (an eye with a small gear) to the right of it.
3. Choose Show or Hide, depending on whether the field should appear or disappear when your conditions are met.
4. Set up your rule:
• In the first drop-down, choose what the condition is based on: Entry tags, Voting rounds, Entry category, or one of the Fields above.
• In the second drop-down, choose how it should match (for example, is any of).
• In the third drop-down, choose the values, such as a specific category, tag, round, or answer.
5. Click Save.

The field now shows a Conditional badge. Hover over it to see a summary of its rules, for example: Shown when Entry category is any of "Design."

Add conditional logic to a section

Fields placed under a Section break belong to that section, and the form builder shows them indented beneath it. To move a field into or out of a section, drag and drop it.

When you add conditional logic to a section, it applies to every field inside it.

1. Click the Conditional logic icon next to the section break.
2. Choose Show or Hide and set up your rules the same way you would for a field.
3. Click Save.

The whole section and all its fields will now show or hide together. This makes it easy to build branching forms: ask a qualifying question early on, have applicants agree to a waiver, and then reveal an entire block of follow-up questions only for applicants who need it.

Show fields by entry details

Conditions based on entry details let you tailor the form to the entry itself, not just to the applicant's answers. You can show or hide a field or section based on the entry's category, its tags, or the voting round it's assigned to.

By entry category

Ask each category only for what it needs. For example, show a product specs field only to entries in a technology category.

1. Open the Conditional logic window for the field or section.
2. Choose Show, then select Entry category in the first drop-down.
3. Choose Is any of and select one or more categories.
4. Click Save.

The field is now visible only to entries in the selected categories. To hide a field from specific categories instead, choose is none of.

By entry tags

Tailor the form to entries you've flagged. For example, show an extra field only to entries tagged "Certificate."

1. Open the Conditional logic window for the field or section.
2. Choose Show, then select Entry tags in the first drop-down.
3. Choose Include any of and select one or more tags.
4. Click Save.

When an entry has one of the selected tags, the field becomes visible to the applicant. To hide a field from tagged entries instead, choose include none of.

By voting round

Round-based conditions let you change what applicants see as their entry moves through your program. For example, you can keep a field or section hidden at first and show it only once an entry is assigned to a specific voting round.

1. Open the Conditional logic window for the field or section.
2. Choose Show, then select Voting rounds in the first drop-down.
3. Choose Include any of and select the round, for example Round 1.
4. Click Save.

When an entry is assigned to that round, the field becomes visible to the applicant in the applicant portal.

Pro tip: Combine round-based conditions with sections to build multi-step submission processes. Each section can open at a different stage, so applicants provide different information as their entry advances.

Combine multiple rules

Click Add rule to add more conditions. At the top of the window, choose whether your rules apply when all or any of them are true:

• All: every rule must be met. For example, show a field only for entries tagged "Certificate" and where the applicant answered "Yes" to an earlier question.
• Any: at least one rule must be met.

To remove a single rule, click the trash icon next to it.

Matching options

Conditions can be based on any of these field types, as long as the field appears earlier in the form: Question, Waiver, Country, Date, Date range, and Number. The matching options depend on the field type.

Question (Single select, Multi select, and Checkboxes)

• is any of: the answer matches at least one of the selected values
• is none of: the answer matches none of the selected values
• includes all of: the answer includes every selected value. This option is available for Multi select and Checkboxes questions.
• is answered: the question has any answer
• is not answered: the question was left empty

Waiver

• is accepted: the applicant has accepted the waiver
• is not accepted: the applicant hasn't accepted the waiver

Country

• is any of: the selected country is one of the countries you choose
• is none of: the selected country is none of the countries you choose
• is answered: a country has been selected
• is not answered: no country has been selected

Number

• equals: the number matches the value you enter
• is greater than or is greater than or equal to: the number is above, or at or above, the value you enter
• is less than or is less than or equal to: the number is below, or at or below, the value you enter
• is between: the number falls within a range you set
• is empty or is not empty: the field was left blank, or has a value

Date

• is on: the date matches the date you choose
• is after or is on or after: the date is later than, or on or later than, the date you choose
• is before or is on or before: the date is earlier than, or on or earlier than, the date you choose
• is between: the date falls within a range you set
• is empty or is not empty: the field was left blank, or has a date

Date range

Choose whether the rule applies to the start date or end date of the range, then use the same matching options as Date.

See which fields are connected

The form builder marks every connection so you can keep track of your logic:

• Conditional marks a field or section that has rules. Hover to see them.
• Controls [number] marks a question that other fields or sections depend on. Hover to see which ones. For example, Controls 2 means two items use this question's answers in their rules.
• Required when shown marks a required field that also has conditional logic. Applicants must complete it only when it's visible to them.
• Used in conditional logic appears next to each answer option that a rule relies on, when you edit the question.

Edit or remove conditional logic

To change a rule, click the Conditional logic icon again, make your changes, and click Save.

To remove all logic from a field or section, open the same window and click Remove conditional logic.

Good to know

• Conditions only reference questions above. A field or section can only depend on questions that appear earlier in the form. If you try to drag a field above the question it depends on, the move is blocked.
• Answers in use can't be deleted. An answer option marked Used in conditional logic can't be deleted. Change or remove the rules that rely on it first.
• Hidden fields are cleared. If an applicant answers a field and then changes an earlier answer so the field hides, their answer to the hidden field is cleared.
• Required fields apply only when shown. A required field with conditional logic must be completed only when the applicant can see it.
• The entry name field is always visible. The field used as the entry name can't have conditional logic, because every entry needs a name. For the same reason, fields inside a conditional section can't be set as the entry name.