Conditional logic in Dapple lets your form show or hide individual fields based on how previous fields have been answered. Set it up per-field in Form Builder's Conditions tab — pick whether the field is hidden or shown by default, then add Show When or Hide When rules. The result is a shorter, smarter form that adapts to each creator.
What is conditional logic?
Conditional logic makes a field appear or disappear depending on what's been answered elsewhere on the form. Every input field can be programmed to:
Show only when a specific answer is selected upstream.
Stay hidden unless certain criteria are met.
Common examples:
Creator selects how many entries they want to make → the correct price appears
Creator selects 'Other' in a dropdown → a text field appears asking them to specify.
Creator selects 'Yes' to submitting multiple works → additional upload fields appear.
Creator picks a different submission category → a different payment tier appears.
How to set up conditional logic
Open the project → Form Builder.
Click the field you want to make conditional.
Open the Conditions tab.
Click Add Rule.
Choose the field this rule depends on (e.g. the dropdown above).
Choose Show When or Hide When.
Pick the answer that should trigger the rule (e.g. 'Other (please specify)').
Save.
Example #1 (simple logic)
A common example is Other in a dropdown list. Selecting "other" reveals another form field where a creator can freetype more information.
Selecting this field would then populate this:
To set this up you'd set this:
Example #2 (more complex logic)
In this example, 3 payments are set up to denote the number of entries someone can buy. Depending on how many entries are purchased, the corresponding number of unique access codes and links will then appear for the creator.
Here the first unique code will show if someone buys 1,2 or 3 entries.
Hide by Default vs Show by Default
Every conditional field has a default state. Choose carefully:
Default state | Behaviour | Use when |
Hide by Default | Field is hidden unless a Show When rule fires | The field is the exception — it only appears for a small subset of creators (e.g. an 'Other' specification text field) |
Show by Default | Field is visible unless a Hide When rule fires | The field is the norm — it shows for most creators except in specific cases |
Stacking rules with AND / OR
You can add multiple rules to a single field using AND (all rules must be true) or OR (any rule can be true). For example:
Show this upload field WHEN category = Photography AND number_of_works >= 3.
Show this text field WHEN dropdown = Other OR dropdown = Other (please specify).
Keep stacked rules under three per field. Beyond that, your logic gets fragile and hard to debug.
Test every conditional path
Always test conditional logic before opening the form. Preview the form as a creator and walk through every answer permutation — confirm fields appear and disappear correctly. Important: the admin always sees every field on every submission, regardless of conditional logic. Hidden fields show only to the creator filling the form.
Why conditional logic is useful
Keeps forms short and focused — creators only see what's relevant to them.
Improves completion rates — long forms feel manageable when irrelevant fields hide.
Supports complex projects without complex forms — art exhibitions, awards with categories, contests with multiple entry types.
Adjusts pricing dynamically — show different Payment fields based on what's being submitted.
Best practice
Use conditional logic to simplify, not to overcomplicate.
Keep logic flows easy to follow — if you can't explain a rule out loud in one sentence, it's probably too complex.
Test every path thoroughly — every Show When / Hide When combination.
Make payment adjustments crystal clear — creators should see exactly why their fee changed when they picked a different option.