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Comparing conditional fields in form products

Compare conditional fields in form products by mapping and testing the exact respondent paths your form needs.

Desk Vendor Comparison · · 3 min read

Compare conditional fields by building the same decision path in each shortlisted form product. Test whether an answer can reveal a field, skip a section, change an ending, and still leave a coherent respondent route. “Has logic” is too broad a feature label to settle the choice.

How to compare conditional logic across products

  1. Draw the two routesSketch each path and the common ending before opening an editor.
  2. Add the edge casesNo answer, changed answer, and an answer that should end the form early.
  3. Record each rule in plain languageFor example, 'show reference number only for existing bookings'.
  4. Build the same path in each productUse one identical decision path so the comparison is fair.
  5. Preview every pathInclude the default path when a condition is unmet.
  6. Submit each path and inspect the stored responseA visually hidden question should not leave misleading data in the record.

Draw the path before opening an editor

Use a simple example: a customer chooses “new enquiry” or “existing booking”. New enquiries need a service category; existing bookings need a reference number. Both paths end with contact details.

Draw the two routes and the common ending. Then add the edge cases: no answer, changed answer, and an answer that should end the form early.

Record each rule in plain language. “Show reference number only for existing bookings” differs from “send existing bookings to a separate section”. The latter can work but is harder to maintain with many small conditions.

Sample decision path: new enquiry vs existing booking

  1. StartRespondent opens the form
  2. QuestionIs this a new enquiry or an existing booking?
  3. New enquiry branchReveal service category
  4. Existing booking branchReveal reference number
  5. Both paths convergeContact details
  6. Edge casesNo answer, changed answer, or an answer that should end the form early

Google Forms, Jotform, Microsoft Forms and Typeform compared

Google Forms routes by section, not by single field. Its “Go to section based on answer” option is only available for multiple choice and drop-down questions, and an answer can also lead straight to Submit form. At the bottom of each section you choose which section comes next, so “existing booking” needs its own section holding the reference number.

Jotform works at field level with IF/THEN conditions. Its Show/Hide Field condition can reveal the reference number on the same page, Skip To/Hide a Page jumps between pages, and Enable/Require/Mask Field can make the reference mandatory only for existing bookings. Change Thank You Page and Change E-mail Recipient alter what happens after submission.

Microsoft Forms can branch to a later question or the end of the form, but cannot jump back to a preceding question. A form or quiz can hold up to 200 questions. This can be sufficient for a linear route with optional sections, but arrange questions in the order the branches need before building a complicated form.

Typeform offers branching logic. Test whether it can reproduce each route, and include rule ordering as a review item if several conditions overlap.

For the sample path, Jotform can reveal the reference field in place, while Google Forms and Microsoft Forms reach the same result by sending the respondent forward to a separate section or question. Verify the configuration in the account that will publish the form.

Test the branches as a reader

Make a small route table with each starting answer and expected next question. Preview every path, including the default path when a condition is unmet. Change an earlier answer and see whether fields that no longer apply are hidden or cleared. Submit each path and inspect the stored response; a visually hidden question should not leave misleading data in the record.

Ask whether the route remains understandable on a phone and whether the respondent sees a clear progress or completion state. A complex path can reduce irrelevant questions, but it also increases the number of outcomes an editor must maintain.

Before you publish: branch testing checklist

  • Preview every path, including the default path when a condition is unmet.
  • Change an earlier answer and confirm fields that no longer apply are hidden or cleared.
  • Submit each path and inspect the stored response.
  • Check the route remains understandable on a phone.
  • Confirm the respondent sees a clear progress or completion state.
  • Verify the configuration in the account that will publish the form.

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