Form Building
Choice Fields
Learn about Formora’s choice fields – Dropdowns, Radio Buttons (Multiple Choice), and Checkboxes – for allowing users to select from predefined options.
Choice fields are essential for guiding user input and ensuring data consistency by providing a predefined set of options to select from. Formora offers several types of choice fields to cater to different scenarios, whether you need users to pick one option or multiple.
This guide covers Dropdowns, Radio Buttons (Multiple Choice), and Checkboxes, including how to configure their options and their best use cases.
Remember that general properties like Label, Help Text, Required, and Conditional Logic are covered in the main Field Properties page.
Managing Options for Choice Fields
All choice fields require you to define a list of options that users can select. Each option typically consists of:- Label: The text displayed to the user for that option.
- Value: The actual data value stored when the user selects that option. This can be the same as the label or a different underlying value (e.g., Label: “United States”, Value: “US”).
Interface for managing options in a choice field
Available Choice Fields
Dropdown (type: select)
Dropdown (type: select)
A dropdown field presents a list of options in a compact, collapsed view. Users click it to expand the list and select a single option.Use Cases:
- Country or state selection
- Choosing a category or department
- Selecting a single preference from a long list (e.g., t-shirt size)
- Yes/No questions where space is limited
- Options: Manage the list of selectable items (label/value pairs).
- Placeholder/Empty Option: Configure a default, non-selectable prompt like “Please select…” or allow a truly empty selection.
- Allow Multiple Selections: (If supported by this specific
selecttype) Some advanced dropdowns can be configured to allow multiple selections, behaving more like a compact checkbox group. If Formora’sselectis strictly single-choice, this property won’t apply here. - Default Selected Option: Pre-select one of the options by its value.
Example: Dropdown field for 'Country Selection'
Multiple Choice / Radio Buttons (type: radio)
Multiple Choice / Radio Buttons (type: radio)
Radio buttons allow users to select only one option from a visible list of mutually exclusive choices. All options are typically displayed on the form simultaneously.Use Cases:
- Yes/No questions
- Gender selection
- Choosing a single plan type or service level
- Rating scales with explicit options (e.g., “Satisfied”, “Neutral”, “Dissatisfied”)
- Options: Manage the list of radio button options (label/value pairs).
- Layout: Arrange options vertically (default) or horizontally to save space.
- “Other” Option: Include an “Other” radio button that, when selected, reveals a text input field for the user to specify their choice.
- Default Selected Option: Pre-select one of the radio buttons.
Example: Radio Button group for 'Preferred Contact Method'
Checkboxes (type: checkbox)
Checkboxes (type: checkbox)
Checkboxes allow users to select one or more options from a visible list. Each checkbox operates independently.Use Cases:
- Selecting multiple interests or preferences (e.g., “Hobbies: Reading, Sports, Music”)
- Choosing toppings for a pizza
- Agreeing to multiple terms and conditions
- Opting into various newsletter categories
- Options: Manage the list of checkbox options (label/value pairs).
- Layout: Arrange options vertically (default) or horizontally.
- Minimum Selections: Require users to select at least a certain number of options.
- Maximum Selections: Limit the number of options a user can select.
- Default Selected Options: Pre-select one or more checkboxes.
Example: Checkbox group for 'Interests'
Best Practices for Choice Fields
- Keep Labels Clear and Concise: Users should immediately understand what each option represents.
- Logical Order: Arrange options in a logical sequence (e.g., alphabetical, numerical, by importance).
- Use Radio for Single Choice: If users must select only one from a few visible options, radio buttons are generally more intuitive than a dropdown.
- Use Dropdown for Many Options: If you have many options (e.g., > 5-7), a dropdown helps keep the form clean.
- Use Checkboxes for Multiple Choices: When users can select more than one item.
- Consider an “Other” Option: For radio or checkbox groups, an “Other” option with a text field can capture choices you haven’t listed.