Get ready to unlock the full power of customization!
The Custom Question Manager is your gateway to adding unique, tailored fields that make your Staff Applications, Custom Forms, and even Alumni, Camper, or Staff records fit your exact needs. The best part? You can even apply a single custom field across partitions.
In this guide, we’ll dive into some advanced features designed to help you organize and supercharge your custom fields for maximum impact.
Video Tutorial
Tables
Tables are a powerful tool to structure your forms into organized, easy-to-read columns. When you’re working with questions like Yes/No dropdowns or simple choices, tables help you arrange these fields side-by-side instead of stacking them in a long vertical list. This way, you create a more visually appealing layout that’s easier to scan.
For instance, using tables can transform a series of Yes/No questions from a tall column into neat rows, making your form look cleaner and more professional.
Below, you can see how tables can streamline your page layout.
Add and Organize Fields with Tables
Start by dragging the Table field type into your form. This will create a container where you can organize other fields.
Next, drag the fields you want into the table. Arranging questions side-by-side within the table can give your page a cleaner, more organized look.
Once your fields are in the table, you can apply validation settings to all of them at once, saving time and ensuring consistency.
💡 Tip: If you’re having trouble dragging fields into the table, try switching to a different browser—Firefox instead of Chrome, for example.
Validation
Validation serves two main purposes: it ensures a field is required and confirms that responses match the expected format, such as text or a number.
Note: Setting validations varies slightly depending on the field type.
Validation for Text Fields:
For Single Line and Multi-Line Text fields, you can specify the type of data that can be entered. Go to the Validation tab in the custom field editor and choose from these data types:
Is Text: Allows any characters (letters, numbers, special characters) and is the most commonly used option.
Is Number – Restricts input to numbers only; letters won’t be accepted.
Is Email Address – Ensures input follows an email format (e.g., name@example.com).
Is Website/URL – Only accepts URLs in a valid web address format (e.g., http://www.example.com).
Is Date – Limits input to dates, formatted as mm/dd/yyyy.
After choosing a data type, you can also check Is Required to make this field mandatory. If checked, the user must provide an answer to proceed.
Validation for Dropdown Menus, Radio Selections, and Checkboxes:
For these fields, validation consists of the Is Required option only, as response formats are already predefined. Checking Is Required ensures the applicant must answer the question before moving forward.
Using these settings helps you control data quality and ensure essential fields are completed.
Conditional Questions
Conditions, or "conditional logic," allow you to show certain questions only to specific people based on their previous answers or specific characteristics. For example, "If the response is X, then show (or hide) question Y."
Conditions let you control which questions appear based on specific details about the camper or their responses. Here’s how it works:
Examples:
Grade-Based Questions: Only want to ask about horseback riding experience for 7th and 8th graders? Set a condition to show the question only for campers in those grades. For other grades, this question won’t appear.
Response-Based Follow-Ups: If a camper rates their horseback riding skill as less than 2 out of 10, you may want to ask for more details. Set a condition so the follow-up question shows only when the rating is 2 or below.
Available Camper Conditions: You can use these fields to show questions only when they’re relevant:
Season ID: Show questions for campers applying for a specific season.
Session: Show questions only for campers attending a certain session(s).
Program: Display questions for campers signed up for specific programs.
Years at Camp: Show questions based on how many years the camper has attended.
Grade: Display questions according to the camper’s current grade level.
Available Staff Conditions: Use these conditions to display questions only to relevant staff members:
Season ID: Show the question only to staff members applying for a specific season.
Position: Display questions only for applicants applying to specific roles, like Nurse or Counselor.
Status: Show questions only to staff in specific statuses, such as Pending, Hired, Next Year, or any custom status (e.g., "John to follow up with").
Set Conditional Questions Based on Responses
You can set a question to appear, hide, or be required based on responses to previous questions, for both Staff and Camper forms.
Example: If you ask, "Do you need a Camp T-Shirt?" you can set a follow-up question, "What size do you wear?" to appear only if the answer is "Yes."
Select the "Conditions" tab of the question you want to make conditional. Choose the field that will trigger this question from the Field dropdown.
Select a Comparison (e.g., equals, does not equal, is one of) and enter a Value (like Yes, No, Red, Blue).
Choose an Action (Show, Hide, or Require) depending on when you want the question to appear.
Note: If a field is set as "required" under Validation but is only visible to certain applicants based on Conditions, it will only be visible and required for those applicants who meet the conditions to see it.
Click the purple "Save" button.
You have now created a customized experience that only shows relevant questions based on previous answers.
Sections
Sections let you group custom fields together, making it easy to apply validation or conditional logic to multiple fields at once—a great time-saver for managing Validation or Conditions.
Example: Sections are a helpful tool when you need to apply the same validation or condition to multiple questions, like a series of financial aid questions.
Drag the "Section" field type from the left-hand menu into your form. It’s best to add the section first, before creating any custom fields that will go into it.
Once the section is in place, drag each field you want to include directly into the section. A pink box around the field will confirm it’s part of the section.
Next, apply Validations and Conditions to the Section
Double-click the section (rather than individual fields) to open the editing options.
Set your Validations and Conditions for the entire section at once. For example, apply the condition "If 'Applying for Financial Aid' equals Yes, Show" to display all questions within the section only if this answer is selected.
Using Sections saves time by letting you control multiple fields with a single validation or condition setting, ensuring consistent behavior across related questions.
