Branch logic lets you show a question only to respondents who gave a specific answer to an earlier question in your survey. Everyone else skips it. Use branch logic to ask targeted follow-up questions without making every respondent answer questions that don’t apply to them. For example, you can ask “Which of these logos do you prefer?” and then show a follow-up question only to respondents who chose Logo B. See an example survey with branch logic

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When should I use branch logic?

Branch logic works best when a follow-up question only makes sense for some respondents. It’s ideal for:

• Digging into a winning option – ask people who picked your favorite design what they would change about it
• Understanding rejection – ask people who gave a low star rating what would improve their opinion
• Segmenting by behavior – ask product-specific questions only to people who say they’ve bought in that category
• Keeping surveys short – skip questions that don’t apply, so respondents stay focused

If you want to screen respondents before they join your survey, use audience pre-screening instead.

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Which questions can trigger branch logic?

The earlier question that controls whether a follow-up appears is called the source question. These question types can be source questions: These question types can’t be source questions: Likert Scale, Open-ended, Click Test, 5-Second Test, Screen Recording, and Van Westendorp price test. You can still show any of them conditionally, based on a supported source question.

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How to add branch logic to a question

1. Build your survey – add the source question first, then add the follow-up question after it
2. Open the Show if control – on the follow-up question, find the control labeled Show if: any answer. By default, every respondent sees every question.
3. Select a source question – choose an earlier question from the Select a question menu. Only earlier questions of supported types appear.
4. Select the answers – choose one or more answers from the Select answer(s) menu. You must select at least one answer.
5. Review the summary – the builder shows which respondents will see the question. For example: “This question will only be shown to respondents who answer Logo B to Which of these logos do you prefer?”
6. Preview and launch – preview your survey to confirm each path works as expected, then launch

If you select more than one answer, respondents who chose any of those answers see the follow-up question. Note: Each question can have one branch condition. To remove a condition, open the Show if control and select Remove condition, or select Show if: any answer to show the question to everyone again.

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Editing or deleting a source question

If you change a source question after adding branch logic, the builder flags the condition with Selected question has changed. Update the condition before you launch. If you delete a source question, PickFu warns you which follow-up questions depend on it. After deletion, those follow-up questions show to everyone until you update their logic. You can check Also remove the condition to clear the conditions at the same time.

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Why don’t I see the Show if control?

Branch logic is available only when every question in your survey supports it. If your survey includes a question type or option format that doesn’t support branch logic, PickFu hides the Show if control. If no earlier question is a supported source type, the menu shows “No previous question can be used as a source.”

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How to read results with branch logic

On your results page, questions with branch logic display a Conditional label. These questions only include responses from respondents who met the condition. That means they usually have fewer responses than the rest of your survey. Keep this in mind when you compare results across questions. A follow-up question with 12 responses reflects only the 12 people who gave the qualifying answer.

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Frequently asked questions

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Can a question depend on more than one earlier question?

No. Each question can have one condition based on one source question. You can select multiple answers from that source question.

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Can I branch on a later question?

No. A source question must come before the question you’re adding the condition to.

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Does branch logic change my sample size?

Your sample size applies to the survey as a whole. Conditional questions only collect answers from respondents who qualify, so they may have fewer responses than your sample size.

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Related Articles

• What is a survey and when should I build one?
• What is a Likert Scale question and when should I use it?
• What is a Van Westendorp price test and when should I use it?