# Show or hide questions with conditions

Create conditions in the Pristo CX form builder to show a question, section or choice only when earlier answers match, or to end a questionnaire early.

In Pristo CX, a condition is a rule that shows a question, a section or a choice only when earlier answers match it. You create conditions in the **Conditions** panel of the form builder, then choose one in the settings of the element to show. Exit points use the same conditions to end a questionnaire early.

## Before you start

- Role: you need to be an account admin or a program admin. See [roles and permissions](https://docs.pristo.io/cx/users/roles-and-permissions).
- Setup: open the questionnaire in the form builder, as described in the [form builder overview](https://docs.pristo.io/cx/form-builder/overview), and add the question the rule depends on. A published version is read-only, so select **Edit** first.

## Steps

![Sketch of the conditions panel of the form builder, open over the editor. Marker 1 is on the conditions button in the side menu. Marker 2 is on the plus button at the top of the list of conditions. Marker 3 is on the name of the condition. Marker 4 is on the row with the question, the operator and the value. Marker 5 is on the buttons that add a rule, at the end of the row. Marker 6 is on the button that closes the panel, at the top right.](https://docs.pristo.io/_astro/fb-conditions-panel.B4z0QCC4.webp)

1. In the side menu, select **Conditions**.

2. Select the plus button (**Add**) at the top of the list. A new condition opens on the **Condition** tab, set to the first question of the questionnaire.

3. In **Condition name**, enter a name that says what the rule means, such as `Unhappy customers`.

4. Under **Expression**, choose the question, then the operator, then the value. For example, choose your NPS question, **Less or equal** and `6`.

5. To add a rule, select **and** or **or** at the end of a row. The new row is a copy of that row; change it as you need.

6. Close the panel to return to the editor.

7. Select the question or section to show. In the settings panel, under **Show conditions**, choose the condition instead of **Always**.

8. Select **Preview** and answer the questionnaire to check the result.

You can also select the eye button on the toolbar of a selected question or section and choose a condition, or **Add new** to create one. To show a single choice or grid row only when a condition is true, select the eye icon on its row in **Edit choices** or **Edit grid**.

## Combine several rules

Rows joined by **and** must all be true, and rows joined by **or** need only one. All the rows of a group use the same operator, so selecting the other operator on a group's last row starts a new group. Select the operator button beside a group to switch all its rows, or the one between two groups to change how the groups are joined. To delete a row, select the trash icon at its end.

## Operators

| Question | Operators |
|---|---|
| Text fields, such as **Text** or **Email address** | **Equal**, **Not equal**, **Empty**, **Not empty** |
| **Number**, date and time, scales and **Counter** | The four above, plus **More or equal**, **Less or equal**, **Less** and **More** |
| Choice lists, such as **Single Choice** or **Dropdown** | **Equal**, **Not equal**, **Empty**, **Not empty**, **In**, **Not in** |
| **Checkbox** | **Checked**, **Not checked** |
| Grids, attachments, **Gps Picker** and **Signature** | **Empty**, **Not empty**. For grids the list shows more operators, but they have no value box, so don't use them |

**In** matches when the answer is one of the choices you pick, and **Not in** when it is none of them. Text is compared without regard to capital letters. A smiley scale counts its faces from 1, the lowest, to 5; with 3 faces they are 1, 3 and 5. Formatted text and images collect no answer, so a condition cannot use them. On a choice list where respondents can pick several choices, **In** and **Not in** look at only one of the picked choices, so test such a condition in the preview.

## Result

Respondents see the element only while its condition is true, and it appears or disappears as soon as they change an answer. In the editor, an eye icon beside a question's title shows that it has a condition; point to it to see the condition's name.

- A hidden question counts as unanswered, so an element whose condition needs an answer to it is hidden too.
- An unanswered question matches only **Empty**, and an unanswered checkbox counts as not checked. A question on a later page is still unanswered when respondents first reach the element.
- Respondents don't have to answer a hidden question, even when it is **Required**.
- An answer that is saved while its question is hidden is kept, but exports, dashboards, alerts and Insights leave it out. The response panel on the [Responses page](https://docs.pristo.io/cx/responses/view-responses) still shows it. An answer saved before its question was hidden, for example on an earlier visit to the page, is included everywhere.
- A page cannot have a condition. If every section on a page is hidden, respondents see an empty page and select **Next**.

## End the questionnaire with a condition

An exit point ends the questionnaire when its condition is true and records its name as the response's status. Choose the condition in the exit point's **Exit on** setting, as described in [Set up the end page and exit points](https://docs.pristo.io/cx/form-builder/exit-points).

The **Dependencies** tab of a condition lists every question, section, choice and exit point that uses it. Select **Go to** to open one. When you delete a condition that is in use, the dialog lists those elements, and they go back to **Always**, or to **Never** for an exit point.

## Limits

- Up to 100 conditions in a chapter. A questionnaire has one chapter.
- Condition names hold up to 100 characters. A name that is already taken gets a number, such as `Unhappy customers (2)`.
- On the same page, the condition's question must come before the question that uses it. The form builder does not check this order for sections.
- A question or section cannot use a condition on itself or on a question inside it.
- A question or section outside a loop section cannot use a condition on a question inside one. See [Repeat questions with loop sections](https://docs.pristo.io/cx/form-builder/loop-sections).

## Troubleshooting

**Publishing is blocked by a condition issue.** Open the **issues** panel and select the issue's link. A row has no value, or the condition breaks one of the rules under Limits.

**The issues panel warns about conditions in the parallel flow.** In the **Parallel** flow, respondents open pages in any order, so a condition can use a question they haven't answered yet. The warning doesn't block publishing. In this release it shows for every element with a condition, even when the question is on the same page.

**A condition on a choice list never matches.** Check the key values of its choices in **Edit choices**. In this release, a key value with capital letters never matches; use lowercase letters or numbers.

**A question never appears.** The question its condition uses is unanswered or hidden when respondents reach it. Check the operator, and put that question earlier in the questionnaire.

## Related

- [Form builder overview](https://docs.pristo.io/cx/form-builder/overview)
- [Question types](https://docs.pristo.io/cx/form-builder/question-types)
- [Set up the end page and exit points](https://docs.pristo.io/cx/form-builder/exit-points)
- [Repeat questions with loop sections](https://docs.pristo.io/cx/form-builder/loop-sections)
- [Preview a questionnaire](https://docs.pristo.io/cx/form-builder/preview)