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Asking the right questions

 

Introduction

An Extended form lets you build a smart, multi-layered question flow in which follow-up questions adapt automatically to earlier answers. Respondents only see the questions that are relevant to them, which keeps your form short, focused and efficient.

In this article you'll learn how a logical question flow works, how to set up three different types of question branching, and how to use the After section setting to keep the path through your form fully connected.

Note:
Question branching is only available in Extended forms. Other form types do not support logical question flows.

 

How does a logical question flow work?

A logical question flow decides which questions a respondent sees based on the answers they give. The flow is made up of three building blocks:

  • Questions in which you configure branches.
  • Sections that act as the follow-up path.
  • Settings that determine which section follows each answer.

There are three ways to set up a branch:

  • Branch based on a single-choice question (recommended): the most common pattern. You assign a separate follow-up section to each answer option.
  • Repeat a follow-up question for each selected option: with multi-select questions, the respondent answers the same follow-up question once for every option they ticked.
  • Branch based on a rating or value: with rating or scale questions, you route respondents to a different section based on the score they give.

 

Branch based on a single-choice question

In a single-choice question the respondent picks one answer option. For each answer you decide which follow-up question or section the user goes to. This makes the form feel more personal and relevant.

How to set this up:

  1. Create the single-choice question and add the answer options.
  2. Create a separate section for each answer with its follow-up questions.
  3. Open the single-choice question and click the three-dots menu (• • •).
  4. Select Skip to section based on answer.
  5. Assign the correct follow-up section to each answer option and save.
Tip:
Use clear answer labels so the respondent understands why they're being routed to a particular follow-up question.

 

Repeat a follow-up question for each selected answer

In a multi-select question the respondent can tick multiple options. You can show the same follow-up question for every selected option, so the respondent provides extra information per chosen item.

How to set this up:

  1. Create a multi-select question.
  2. Create a new section with the follow-up question or questions (for example, Follow-up question 1).
  3. Go back to the original multi-select question.
  4. Click the three-dots menu (• • •).
  5. Select Repeat a section for each selection.
  6. Pick the follow-up section you just created.
  7. In the follow-up question text, make it clear which previously selected answer the question refers to.

After the repeated follow-up questions are completed, the respondent automatically continues to the next section or question.

Note:
Adjust the question text in the follow-up section so the respondent knows which selection the follow-up question relates to.

 

Branch based on a rating or value

With rating or scale questions you can route respondents to specific follow-up sections based on the value they select. This is useful when you want to ask different follow-up questions to unhappy, neutral or very satisfied respondents.

Example:

  • Value 1–3 → section Why are you dissatisfied?
  • Value 4–5 → section What did you like?

How to set this up:

  1. Create a rating question (for example, a scale question).
  2. Create separate sections for the different values or value ranges.
  3. Go back to the rating question.
  4. Open the three-dots menu (• • •).
  5. Select Skip to section based on answer.
  6. Assign the correct follow-up section to each value or value range.
Info:
You can create a separate section for every value, or you can use ranges (for example, 1–3 and 4–5).

 

Use the 'After section' setting

An extended form can contain many sections. The After section setting determines which section follows the current one. This keeps the question flow logical and prevents respondents from ending up at a dead end.

How to set this up:

  1. Open a section in the editor.
  2. Scroll to the bottom-right corner of the section.
  3. Under After section, choose which section should follow.
Tip:
Sketch out your question structure in advance. This makes it easier to keep branches clear and manageable, especially in forms with many sections.

 

Troubleshooting

I don't see an option to set up a branch

  • Check that your form is an Extended form. Other form types don't support branching.
  • Check that you're working with a single-choice question or a rating question. Open or text-input questions don't have branching options.

Respondents don't see the follow-up questions I expect

  • For each answer option, check that the correct section is assigned via Skip to section based on answer.
  • In every section, check the After section setting. A wrongly configured next section can skip questions.
  • Test the form yourself by walking through each path.

My follow-up question only appears once instead of for each selection

  • Check that you selected Repeat a section for each selection in the three-dots menu, not Skip to section based on answer.
  • Check that the question is set up as a multi-select question rather than a single-choice question.

Need help, or something not working as expected?

Contact support at support.plek@bcs-hr.com.