Topic:

I would like to create Custom Fields or Agenda Items that only appear when other items have been selected by registrants. How do I use Conditional Logic in my event to set this up?

Solution:

Conditional logic (also called if/then logic) means that you can display a certain field or fields on your registration form based on how a registrant responds to a previous field. For example, suppose you have an awards dinner and your registrant has the option to bring a guest. Conditional logic allows you to display fields prompting for the guest's information (name, meal preference, etc.) only if the registrant checked the box to indicate that they plan to bring a dinner guest.

Before we discuss setting up conditional logic for your Event, let's cover some basic terminology. There are two components to conditional logic:

• The "parent" item -- This is the "if" part of the if/then logic. This is the condition that needs to be met to display another field on your registration form. In the awards dinner example above, the "I plan to bring a guest to the dinner" checkbox is the parent item.
• The "child" item -- The "then" part of the if/then logic. This is the field to display on the form if a certain condition is met. In the example above, the "Please enter your guest's name" field is the child item.

When you set up your Event, you will need to create your parent item(s) first. That way, when you set up the child item(s), the parent item will be available to be selected as the "if" part of the logic. In the example above, you'd need to create the item asking if the registrant plans to bring a guest before you create items to ask the guest's name, meal preferences, etc.

A few more considerations:

• The field type for the parent item must be a checkbox, multiple choice Drop Down, or multiple choice Radio Button. The child item can be any field type.
• The parent item for your conditional logic can be any Custom Field on the Personal Info page or the Lodging & Travel page, or any Agenda Item, as long as the parent is a checkbox or multiple choice item.
• The child item must come after the parent item on the registration form. For example, you can make an Agenda Item conditional or dependent on an parent item that was created on the Personal Information page since the Personal Information page preceedes the Agenda page.
• Child items can be conditional based on more than one parent items.
  • For example: Suppose your Event has two optional activities, each of which requires a liability waiver that a registrant must agree to (a required checkbox). You can set up one child field for the liability waiver ("By checking the box, I understand...") and display that same field whether the registrant has selected either of the two optional activities. When a child item has two or more parents, "or" logic is used to determine what to display on the form -- that is, the registrant sees the child item when any of the parent items have been selected.
• You can nest your parent/child logic into a "grandparent" structure, where a child item is also a parent item.
  • For example: Suppose your Event has an optional awards dinner, and registrants are allowed to bring a guest to the dinner if they'd like. Your parent item might read something like "Check here if you plan to attend the awards dinner". When the registrant checks the box and sees a child field that reads "Check here if you plan to bring a guest", you are able to display an additional question such as "Please enter your guest's meal preference".
• If you plan to use conditional logic with items that have a limit and/or waitlist, please see the Additional Information section below.

To set up your Event to use conditional logic, first create the Custom Field or Agenda Item that will be used as the controlling parent (or "if") item. No special entries need to be made to designate an item as a parent.

Now define the child item. In this example, the child item will be set up as an Agenda Item, though you could also create it as a Custom Field.

To create a child item:

1. Edit your Event.
2. Click on the Registration Form Pages tab, and then click on the Agenda page .
3. Add New or Edit an existing Agenda Item and make the necessary entries.
4. In the Conditional Logic field, make the following entries:
   • Show this item when registrant selects - Select the parent (or "if") item for your conditional logic.
   • For example: Suppose this dropdown list contains an item titled "Bringing guest"; select it to make the item you are creating now display on your form only when the registrant is bringing a guest.
   • Select multiple items and this item will display when any of them are selected.
5. Save your changes.

Additional Information:

If you are using the Automatic Waitlisting feature on the Agenda page, then keep in mind that you can waitlist the Parent item in a conditional logic relationship. Child items can only be waitlisted with other child items under the same parent item (using a unique Group Name for the child items).

• Note: The child items will not be visible to registrants if the parent item has already reached capacity and is being waitlisted. Once the registrant is confirmed into the Waitlisted, Parent, Agenda Item, then they will be able to edit their existing registration to select the appropriate Child items that are attached to the Parent.

If you have Child Items created on a page on the registration form that are not visible to a particular Registrant Type or are not visible because the conditions on the Parent Item are not met, then the registration form page will display to registrants even if there are no other items visible on that particular page.

Click on the button at the top of this page to watch a short video training on this topic.

Related Links:

• What is the difference between the various Field Types?
• Why is the Field Type grayed out in my Agenda Item?
• How do I create a multiple choice item?
• How do I ask a Yes/No question on my registration form?
• User's Guide - Event Builder - Define Agenda Item / Fee
• User's Guide - Event Builder - Define Custom Field
• User's Guide - Event Builder - Conditional Logic Settings

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