Show a field only when it is needed

Add a child field that appears on the phone only when the answer above calls for it.

Last updated 4 Oct 2026

Overview

A child field belongs to the field above it and appears only when that answer calls for it - a “What is wrong?” box after a No, a “Describe” box after Damaged. The technician sees fewer questions, and the report keeps the follow-up beside its question.

A field's right-click menu on the canvas, with Add child field and Delete

Step by step: add a follow-up question

Right-click the parent field on the canvas and choose Add child field.
Pick the kind of field the follow-up is.
With the child selected, give it a Heading.
Under Child field, set Show this field to the condition it depends on.
Choose Position in report output: Beside the parent or On its own line.

Conditions you can choose

The choices depend on the parent field:

Parent	Conditions
Yes No	Only when the answer above is Yes, No, or N/A
CheckBox	Only when ticked, or only when not ticked
Multiple Choice	Only when the answers above include a particular option, or are Other
Any other field	Only when the answer above has any value, is empty, or equals some text you type

Every child can also be set to Always, to keep the follow-up beside its parent without hiding it.

On the phone and the report

On the phone the child appears and disappears as the parent’s answer changes. On the report it prints beside its parent, or on its own line, as you chose. In a Table Section, a child beside its parent adds a column; in a Data Table, it gets its own column, left empty on rows where it was hidden.

Limits

One child per field. Add child field is unavailable once a field has one.
One level deep. A child field cannot have a child of its own.

Tips

Write the child’s heading to stand alone. “Describe the damage” still reads well on the report when the parent’s question is printed above it.
Test both answers in Mobile Preview before publishing.