Question settings
The settings every question shares, the options of each type, and the validation rules you can add.
Where the settings are
Type a question's title and options on the canvas. For everything else, click the drag handle on the block's left edge and use Turn into, Options, or Validation.
Common settings
These options appear on every question, whatever its type.
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Title | The question label respondents see. It supports bold, italic, and links |
| Hide title / Show title | Hides the label but keeps the question. Useful when a paragraph above already says what to enter |
| Mark as required / Mark as optional | New questions are required. A question that logic hides is never required |
| Edit placeholder / Edit default value | The placeholder is a grey hint; the default value is a real answer the respondent can change. Text Input, Text Area, Email, Website URL, Phone Number, and Number have both. Press Cmd + D (Ctrl + D) in the input to switch |
The name automations use for a question, its field key, is set in the editor's Fields tab.
Adding help text
To explain a question, type a paragraph above or below it. A hidden title still names the column in exports.
Choice options
| Setting | Applies to | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Options list | All choice types | The answers respondents pick from. Click to edit, drag to reorder |
| Randomize order | Radio Buttons, Checkboxes, Dropdown, Ranking | Shuffles the options for each respondent to reduce bias |
| Allow multiple / single selection | Single Picture Choice, Multi Picture Choice | Switches picture choice between one pick and several |
With the cursor in an option, press Cmd + H (Ctrl + H) to hide it, or Cmd + D (Ctrl + D) to select it by default.
For Star Rating and Linear Scale, change the maximum, up to 10, with Increase and Decrease in the block menu.
Default values from other fields
A default value can come from a hidden field or a calculated field instead of fixed text. This works on the six inputs that have a default value.
- Click into the question's input.
Type @ as the first character. A menu lists your hidden and calculated fields; keep typing to filter.
- Pick a field. The input switches to default value mode on its own and shows the field as a chip, for example @recipient.
To remove it, click the × on the chip. To type a literal @, press Esc when the menu opens.
For example, a link ending in ?recipient=Jeff fills a question that uses the recipient hidden field with
“Jeff”. The respondent can change it. If the hidden field is empty, so is the question. A calculated field fills the question
with its first value only; to show a value that keeps updating, use an @ mention. See
Hidden fields and Calculated fields.
Validation rules
Formstep checks answers as the respondent types, shows errors next to the question, and blocks submit until they are fixed. Email, Website URL, Phone Number, Number, Date Picker, and Time Picker check their format on their own.
To add a rule, open the block menu and pick Validation. The rules depend on the question type:
| Rule | Applies to | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Min length / Max length | Text Input, Text Area, Website URL | Number of characters, not counting spaces at the ends |
| Regex | Text Input, Text Area, Website URL, Email | The answer must match a pattern |
| Minimum / Maximum | Number, Star Rating, Linear Scale | Limits the range |
| Step | Number | The answer must be a multiple of the step; 1 means whole numbers only |
| Earliest date / Latest date | Date Picker | Limits the dates |
| Earliest time / Latest time | Time Picker | Limits the times |
| Min selections / Max selections | Checkboxes, picture choice | How many options may be ticked |
| Require all rows / Min answered rows | Matrix / Grid | How many rows must have an answer |
| Min files, Max files, Max size, Accepted types | File Upload | See File uploads & signatures |
| Require email verification | Email (Business) | See Respondent email verification |
Other question types have no rules besides required.
A regex pattern describes the shape of an answer. For example, ^\d{5}$ accepts exactly five digits, such as a US ZIP
code. An answer that does not match shows “Invalid value”, so say the expected format near the question. A pattern checks the
format only: it cannot tell whether a card number or ID is real.