Overview
With this feature, you can configure entire sections of an Event form to appear only when specific conditions are met.
This makes forms:
- Easier and faster to complete in the field
- More focused, showing only relevant questions
- Better at collecting accurate, contextual data
How to create a conditional section
You can make a section conditional by defining rules that reference fields earlier in the form.
At a high level, the process is:
- Add the Section you want to make conditional
- Select Logic
- Choose the field the condition should depend on. This must be a field that sits in a section before the conditional section
- Choose an operator to define how that field's value should be evaluated (see Understanding operators below)
- Enter a comparison value, if the operator requires one
- Save the form
Once configured, the section will only appear when its conditions are met.
Understanding operators
An operator is the rule EarthRanger uses to compare a field's value against a condition. Which operators are available depends on the field type you're referencing — not every operator works with every field type.
| Operator | What it checks | Comparison value | Supported field types |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contains | The field's value includes the value you specify | A single piece of text | Text, Choice List – Multiple |
| Is Exactly | The field's value matches your comparison value precisely — no more, no less | A single value (or a set of values, for Choice List – Multiple) | Boolean, Text, Numeric, Choice List – Single, Choice List – Multiple |
| Is Empty | The field has no value entered | None | All field types except Boolean |
| Is Not Empty | The field has any value entered | None | All field types except Boolean |
| Is Contained By | The field's value is fully covered by the set of values you specify | A set of values | Choice List – Single, Choice List – Multiple |
| Is Not Contained By | The field's value is not fully covered by the set of values you specify | A set of values | Choice List – Single, Choice List – Multiple |
A few examples of how these behave in practice:
-
Contains, on a Text field, checking for
elephant: "African bush elephant" matches, "Northern white rhino" does not. -
Is Exactly, on a Choice List – Multiple field, checking for
["elephant", "lion"]: an answer of exactly elephant and lion matches; an answer of elephant, giraffe, and lion does not, because it includes an extra value. -
Is Contained By, on a Choice List – Multiple field, checking against
["elephant", "lion", "giraffe"]: an answer of elephant and lion matches, because both are in the allowed set. An answer that includes rhino does not match, because rhino isn't in the set. - Is Not Contained By works the same way in reverse — it matches when the answer includes at least one value outside the allowed set.
Tip: If an operator doesn't appear as an option, double-check the field type you selected in step 3 — it likely isn't supported for that field type. See the table above.
Combining multiple conditions
A conditional section can have more than one condition. When you add multiple conditions, you'll choose how they should be combined:
- All conditions must be met (AND) — the section only appears if every condition is satisfied.
- Any condition can be met (OR) — the section appears if at least one condition is satisfied.
Choose All conditions when a section should only show up in a very specific combination of circumstances, and Any condition when several different answers should each be able to trigger the same section.
Rules and limitations to keep in mind
Conditional logic applies only to sections, not individual fields, ensuring a clear and predictable form structure.
To ensure forms remain logical and usable, conditional sections follow these rules:
Section order rules
- A section can only depend on a field that lives in a section appearing before it in the form
- A section cannot depend on a field inside itself
Example use cases
Conditional sections are especially useful when:
- Different species require different follow-up questions
- Additional details are only needed for certain outcomes or activities
- Optional information should only appear when relevant
By showing only what's needed, forms stay efficient and easier to complete.