Form Builder Dependencies

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Dependencies & Display Settings

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Home Page
• What Are Dependencies?
• Dependencies
• Dependencies define conditional rules between fields. They allow you to:
• How to Create an Element with Dependencies
• Creating a New Dependency
• Identifying Dependencies in the Element List
• Control Types
• Creating a Basic Dependency (Single Rule, Multiple Actions) 
• Execution Order & Evaluation Behavior

What Are Dependencies?

Dependencies and Display Settings provide powerful configuration options within forms and workflows. These features allow administrators to dynamically show, hide, or modify fields and tabs based on user input, permissions, or system rules.

By using these tools, you can create smarter, more intuitive forms that adapt to end users' needs and ensure consistent workflow logic.

Dependencies

Dependencies define conditional rules between fields. They allow you to:

• Show or hide elements or tabs based on another field’s input.

• Make a field mandatory or optional depending on previous selections.

• Automatically apply tags or default values.

This ensures the form only displays what’s relevant to the user.

How to Create an Element with Dependencies

1. Open the Dependency Settings

   • Navigate to the Form Builder located in the Admin Tools.
     
     

   • Click the title of the form for which you want to create the dependency. 

   • Click Add Element. 

Creating a New Dependency

1. Click the Dependency Settings tab.
   
   

2. Add a New Dependency

   • Click Add Dependency.
     
     

3. Configure Dependency Details:

   • Value – Enter the input value on which the dependency is based.
     
     

   • Dependent Element – The field or tab affected by this dependency.
     
     

   • Control – Choose whether the dependent element is shown or hidden based on the value.
     
     

   • Mandatory – Switch a field between mandatory and optional depending on the user’s input. 
     

   • Set Control Value – Define a default value that is automatically displayed when the condition is met.
     

   • A wildcard * can be used to apply rules broadly.

     

   • A Note about Wildcards:

     Using Wildcards and Blank Values in Dependencies

     Always account for blank values

     • When building dependencies, include a rule where the value is left empty. This defines how the form should behave when the controlling field is blank—such as on initial load or after a user clears a selection.

     Use the wildcard (*) to handle “all other values”

     • Rather than creating rules for every possible option, use the wildcard * to cover any value not explicitly defined. This keeps rules simpler, easier to maintain, and less error-prone.

     
     Example: Country and County fields

     • Controlling field: Country (Ireland, France, Germany, etc.)
     • Target field: County (only applicable when Ireland is selected)

     Dependency rules on Country:

     • If value = Ireland → Show County
     • If value = * → Hide County
     • (Optional) If value = blank → Hide County

     This approach handles all scenarios without needing to list every non-Ireland country.

     
     Avoid “dead ends” in logic

     If a selection causes a field to appear, make sure changing that selection—or clearing it—reverses the behavior. Pair positive rules (such as “show”) with wildcard and/or blank rules so the dependency works correctly as users move forward and backward through the form.

     
     

   • A Note about Dependencies: 

     • You can collapse tiles to improve readability on long lists. 
     • Use the four‑dot drag handle to reorder tiles. 
     • Order matters: rules execute top → bottom within that element. 
     • Tip: You can add dependencies to individual elements or tabs. The behavior of Hide, Show, and Read Only is the same; only the scope differs. 
       
       

4. Add Multiple Controls

   • Click + New Control to apply multiple rules to the same value.
     
     

5. Manage Dependencies

   • Delete: Click the trash can icon to remove a dependency.
     
     

   • Duplicate: Clone an existing dependency to quickly set up similar rules.
     
     

6. Save

   • Click Save to apply the dependency rules.

     

Identifying Dependencies in the Element List

Creating a Basic Dependency (Single Rule, Multiple Actions) 

1. Open the Dependencies Settings tab on the controlling field (the field whose value you evaluate).
   
   
2. Click Add Dependency. 
3. Configure the tile: 
   Value: the trigger value (e.g., Yes). 
   Dependent Element(s): which fields to act on. 
   Control: choose Hide, Show, or Read Only. 

A single rule can target multiple dependent elements (acts like an AND on the outcome). For example: if Yes, then Show Field A, Hide Field B, Read Only Field C. 

Execution Order & Evaluation Behavior

Dependencies are evaluated from top to bottom within each element.

The form evaluates dependencies:

• When the form first loads
• Whenever a user interacts with a controlling field

Although a form can contain many rules, each dependent element is only acted on once per evaluation pass. If a rule higher in the list already updates an element, any lower rules targeting that same element are skipped during that pass.

Form order matters

On initial load, dependency evaluation follows the order of the form (for example, Tab A is evaluated before Tab B). This can affect which rules run first.

Example: Multiple fields controlling the same target

• Top field: Rule hides Additional Comments
• Middle field: Rule shows Additional Comments

If the user interacts with the middle field and its condition is met, the rule runs during that interaction and shows Additional Comments—even if it was previously hidden by another rule.

If the user then interacts with the top field again, its rule evaluates during that new interaction and can hide the field once more.

These rules don’t conflict with each other. Each user interaction triggers a fresh evaluation pass, and within each controlling element, rules are still processed from top to bottom.