Logic and branching

Use logic to create targeted paths and reduce respondent fatigue.

Covers conditional logic, branching rules, and display logic. Includes examples of skip logic, nested branching with AND/OR rule groups, and tips to keep flows maintainable.

survey-designlogicbranchingadvanced10-30 minutesIntermediate to AdvancedResearchersSurvey designers

Steps

Open branching rules
Click a question in the editor, then look for the branching or logic options. You can add rules that evaluate previous answers.
Set conditions with AND/OR groups
Create rule groups using AND (all conditions must match) or OR (any condition matches). Nest groups for complex logic.
Use display logic
Display logic shows or hides a question based on previous answers. This is different from branching, which changes the overall flow path.
Combine with AI interview modes
AI interviews support an "AI decides" question mode where the AI chooses when to stop asking follow-ups based on your guidance criteria. This complements branching logic by letting the AI control depth within a single interview question.
Use carry-forward for follow-ups
Use carry-forward to dynamically populate a follow-up question with only the options the respondent selected (or did not select) in an earlier question.
Set quotas to cap segments
Use quotas to set per-option response targets. When a quota bucket is full, new respondents matching that segment are terminated automatically.
Validate with the flow canvas
Use the survey flow canvas to visualize all branching paths and ensure there are no dead-ends.

Branch respondents based on previous answers to ask relevant follow-ups and skip irrelevant sections. QuestionPunk supports AND/OR rule groups for complex conditions.

Display logic lets you show or hide individual questions without changing the overall flow. Branching rules redirect respondents to entirely different sections.

Carry-forward dynamically populates a follow-up question based on which options the respondent selected (or skipped) earlier, eliminating redundant option lists.

Quotas let you set numeric targets per answer option or URL parameter value. When a bucket is full, new respondents matching that segment are terminated with an optional custom end screen.

URL parameter-based display logic lets you show or hide questions based on values passed in the survey link (embedded data), useful for panel routing and A/B testing.

For adaptive depth within a single question, AI interviews support an "AI decides" mode where the AI determines when it has enough information and stops probing. You configure minimum/maximum follow-ups and stopping guidance.

Test all branching paths thoroughly using the preview and synthetic testing to avoid dead-ends.