Quotify
Start free
HELP

Using conditional questions to show and hide form fields

· 4 min

A conditional question is one that only appears when an earlier answer makes it relevant. Used well, conditional logic is the difference between a 30-question form everyone abandons and a 6-question form that feels personalised to each customer.

What “conditional” actually means

Every question in your form has a default state: visible to everyone. A conditional question changes that: it only shows up if a previous answer matches a specific value (or set of values).

The classic example:

  • “Do you need packing materials?” → Yes / No
  • If “Yes”, show: “How many boxes?”
  • If “No”, skip the boxes question entirely.

To a customer answering “No”, that boxes question never existed. To a customer answering “Yes”, it appeared right when it was needed. Both saw a form that felt tailored to them.

The conditions you can set

A condition checks an earlier answer against a value, and you’ve got the operators you’d expect: is and is not, includes and does not include (handy for multi-selects), and greater than and less than (for numbers and sliders). You can put a condition on a whole step too, so an entire section of the form appears only when it’s relevant, not just individual questions.

When to use conditional questions

There are three patterns that come up again and again.

1. Hide what doesn’t apply

The most common use case. A follow-up question is only relevant for some customers, and asking everyone wastes their time.

  • Wedding caterer: Only ask about dietary requirements if the customer says they have any.
  • Plumber: Only ask about boiler type if the job type is “boiler install”.
  • Web designer: Only ask about e-commerce platform if the project type is “online store”.

2. Branch by customer type

If your business serves different audiences with different pricing or scope, branching the form means each audience answers only their questions.

  • Domestic vs commercial for cleaners, electricians, plumbers
  • Online vs in-person for tutors, personal trainers, therapists
  • One-off vs recurring for gardeners, cleaners, dog walkers

The first question routes the customer down a path; everything after is filtered accordingly.

3. Progressive disclosure

Show simple questions first, then reveal more detailed ones if the customer’s earlier answers indicate a bigger or more complex job.

  • A removals quote might start with “How many bedrooms?” and only ask about access (stairs, lift, parking) if the answer is 3+ bedrooms — because below that, the access details rarely move the price enough to matter.

Best practices

Show, don’t hide aggressively. Hiding required questions is fine; hiding helpful questions can leave customers with unanswered worries. If a question reassures more than it qualifies (e.g. “We’re insured up to £X”), show it to everyone.

Don’t branch more than two levels deep. If a question depends on a question that depends on a question, the form starts to feel like a quiz. Two levels of dependency is the sweet spot. Past that, consider whether you actually need a different form for each customer type.

Keep conditional add-ons visible in the price. If a £200 add-on only appears for some customers, make sure the running total clearly shows it being added when they select it. Surprises in the final number are the #1 cause of form abandonment at the last step.

Avoid asking the same thing twice. A common mistake: a “type of job” question with a conditional follow-up that re-asks something the first answer already implied. If you find yourself doing this, the first question probably needs to be more specific.

Anti-patterns to watch for

  • Long lists hidden behind a single condition. If selecting one option suddenly reveals eight new questions, customers feel ambushed. Break those into two or three smaller groups.
  • Conditional questions on the final review screen. If a question appears for the first time at the summary step, it should have been asked earlier. The review step is for confirmation, not new data entry.
  • Hiding price-relevant questions. If a hidden question would change the total by more than 10%, customers should at least see it as optional rather than hidden, otherwise the price they see can swing wildly between two near-identical customers.

A quick worked example

A photography form using all three patterns:

  1. What kind of shoot? (always asked)
    • Wedding / Family / Brand / Editorial
  2. If “Wedding”: What’s the date? (branch: only weddings need the date this early)
  3. If “Wedding” or “Family”: How many people? (branch: relevant for these two but not the others)
  4. Hours of coverage? (always asked)
  5. If hours ≥ 4: Do you need a second shooter? (progressive disclosure: only relevant for longer shoots)

The wedding customer answers 5 questions. The editorial customer answers 2. The form feels personal to both.