Conditional Logic 101: Show/Hide Form Fields Based on User Answers

What Is Conditional Logic?

Conditional logic lets you show or hide form fields based on how users answer previous questions. Instead of showing every possible field to every user, the form adapts in real-time.

Simple Example

Question: "Do you need a demo?"

→ If YES: Show calendar booking field
→ If NO: Skip to next section

The user only sees fields relevant to their answers. Forms feel shorter, cleaner, and more personalized.

Why Use Conditional Logic?

Higher completion rates: Users don't abandon long forms because they only see relevant fields
Better data quality: No more "N/A" or blank fields where questions didn't apply
Reduced confusion: Users don't waste time reading irrelevant questions
Personalized experience: Forms feel custom-built for each user
Professional appearance: Dynamic forms look more sophisticated than static ones

How Conditional Logic Works

You set up rules that control field visibility:

Basic Logic Structure

Trigger Question

The question whose answer determines what happens next

Condition

The rule (equals, contains, greater than, less than, etc.)

Value

The specific answer that triggers the condition

Action

Show or hide specific fields based on the condition

Common Use Cases

Show Additional Fields

Ask: "Are you a new or returning customer?"

→ If New: Show "How did you hear about us?"

→ If Returning: Show "Previous order number"

Skip Irrelevant Sections

Ask: "Do you have employees?"

→ If YES: Show employee count, payroll questions

→ If NO: Skip directly to business info section

Route to Different Workflows

Ask: "Company size?"

→ If 1-10: Show self-service pricing calculator

→ If 11-100: Show mid-market contact form

→ If 100+: Show enterprise sales request

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Event Registration

Question 1: "Will you attend in-person or virtually?"

If In-Person:

→ Show: Meal preference
→ Show: Parking needs
→ Show: T-shirt size
→ Show: Accessibility requirements

If Virtual:

→ Show: Time zone
→ Show: Preferred session format
→ Hide: All in-person logistics fields

Example 2: Customer Support Intake

Question 1: "What type of issue are you experiencing?"

If Technical Issue:

→ Show: Browser type
→ Show: Operating system
→ Show: Error message screenshot upload

If Billing Question:

→ Show: Invoice number
→ Show: Transaction date
→ Show: Billing email

If Feature Request:

→ Show: Feature description
→ Show: Use case explanation
→ Show: Priority level

Example 3: Loan Application

Question 1: "Loan amount requested?"

If Under $50k:

→ Show: Employment verification
→ Show: Income documentation

If Over $50k:

→ Show: All basic fields above
→ Show: Tax return upload (last 2 years)
→ Show: Credit report authorization
→ Show: Collateral information
→ Show: Business plan (if applicable)

Types of Conditions

Available Condition Rules

Equals

Show field if answer exactly matches value (e.g., "Industry equals Healthcare")

Does Not Equal

Show field if answer is anything except specified value

Contains

Show field if answer includes specific text (e.g., email contains "@gmail.com")

Greater Than / Less Than

Show field if numeric answer meets threshold (e.g., "Budget > $100k")

Is Empty / Is Not Empty

Show field based on whether previous field was filled in

Advanced: Multiple Conditions

You can combine multiple conditions with AND/OR logic:

AND Logic: All conditions must be true

Show "Enterprise features" field IF:

→ Company size > 100 employees AND
→ Budget > $50k per year

OR Logic: Any condition can be true

Show "Compliance requirements" field IF:

→ Industry equals Healthcare OR
→ Industry equals Finance OR
→ Industry equals Government

Best Practices

Start simple: Add conditional logic to one or two key questions first, then expand
Test thoroughly: Fill out your form multiple times with different answers to verify logic works
Keep it intuitive: Fields appearing/disappearing should feel natural, not jarring
Don't overdo it: Too many conditions make forms hard to maintain and debug
Use clear labels: Make trigger questions obvious so users understand why fields appear

Impact on Form Performance

Before vs After Conditional Logic

38%

Average completion rate for static 20-field form

71%

Average completion rate with conditional logic (users see 8-12 relevant fields)

4m 20s

Average completion time for static form

2m 10s

Average completion time with conditional logic

How Unlayered Makes This Easy

Setting up conditional logic in Unlayered is straightforward:

Visual rule builder. No coding required
AI suggests logical rules based on your field types
Live preview shows exactly how form will behave
Test mode lets you simulate different answer paths
Analytics show which paths users take most often

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