Display Row Option Logic
This guide explains how to set Display Row Option Logic on a matrix question so each row appears or stays hidden based on earlier answers, and how hidden rows are saved.
Overview
Matrix questions already support display logic for the whole question. Display row option logic controls each row inside one matrix question: a row appears only when the respondent's earlier answers meet the rule you set.
The settings window matches Option Association Logic. You can use options from an earlier single-choice or multiple-choice question as the condition, and you can also select a row title from an earlier matrix question. Rows without a rule stay visible. Rows with a rule stay hidden until the condition is met.
Use cases
In an employee-benefits survey, a multiple-choice question asks which benefits were used. A later matrix radio question collects satisfaction. Respondents should rate only the benefits they actually used.
- Question 1 (multiple choice): Which benefits have you used this year? Options: Health checkup, Training allowance, Shuttle bus.
- Question 2 (matrix radio): Please rate the benefits you used. Row titles match the options in Question 1. Columns run from Very dissatisfied to Very satisfied.
After you set display row option logic on Question 2, selecting Health checkup in Question 1 shows only the Health checkup row. Selecting Training allowance shows only that row. The same rule applies to Shuttle bus. Respondents see only the rows that match their earlier choices.
Supported question types
Use display row option logic on matrix questions that have row titles, including:
- Matrix Radio
- Matrix Checkbox
- Matrix Rating
- Matrix Slider
- Matrix Fill-in
For the condition, you can select options from an earlier single-choice or multiple-choice question, and you can also select a row title from an earlier matrix question
Feature access
1. Open the survey editor and add or select a matrix question.
2. In that question's logic settings, click Display Row Option Logic to open the settings window. The layout is the same as Option Association Logic.
Set up display row option logic
In the settings window, bind each row title to earlier answers in this order.
1. Select the row title you want to control. You can set each row separately. A row with no rule always stays visible.
2. Select the earlier content to associate. :
- An option from an earlier single-choice or multiple-choice question;
- A row title from an earlier matrix question.
3. Bind the row titles that should show or hide when the condition is met. A row set to show stays hidden until the condition is met.
4. Click Finish. Back in the question editor, click Done to save the whole question.
5.You may also click Quick Bulk Settings to associate different row headers with different options from the same question in batches.
For the benefits example, bind Question 2 as follows:
- Row "Health checkup": show when Question 1 includes Health checkup;
- Row "Training allowance": show when Question 1 includes Training allowance;
- Row "Shuttle bus": show when Question 1 includes Shuttle bus.
If the condition comes from an earlier matrix question, expand that question in the picker and select its row title. For example, show a row in the current matrix only after the respondent has answered the matching row in the earlier matrix.
Responses and data saving
When a respondent opens the survey, each row appears only if its rule is met. A hidden row cannot be answered, and the survey does not ask for it.
Hidden rows are saved the same way as rows on an optional matrix question:
- Rows that appeared and were answered are saved as normal answers;
- Rows that stayed hidden, and therefore have no answer, are saved as unanswered (blank);
- Those blank rows do not block submission.
On a required matrix question, the respondent only needs to complete the rows that actually appear. In results and reports, a hidden row shows as unanswered.
How it differs from similar features
- Question display logic: shows or hides an entire question. Use it when different conditions should lead to different questions.
- Option association logic: shows or hides options inside one choice question. Display row option logic uses the same window, and it acts on matrix row titles.
- Row title reference: brings selected answers from an earlier question in as the current row titles, so the rows are created from those answers. Display row option logic uses row titles you wrote in advance, then decides which of those rows appear.
Notes
1. You can associate only questions that come before the current one. Finish the earlier questions first, then set the matrix question.
2. A row with no rule always stays visible. Leave a row unbound if respondents should always be able to answer it.
3. If every row has a rule and none of the rules match, the matrix may show no rows to answer. Preview the main paths before you publish.
4. After you edit option text, add or remove options, or change row titles on an earlier matrix question, open display row option logic again and confirm the bindings.
FAQs
How is display row option logic different from option association?
The settings window is the same. Option association decides which options appear in a choice question. Display row option logic decides which rows appear in a matrix question.
Can a row in an earlier matrix question control a row in the current one?
Yes. Besides options from single-choice and multiple-choice questions, you can select a row title from an earlier matrix question.
If the matrix question is required, do hidden rows block submission?
No. Hidden rows are saved as blank, the same way as optional matrix rows, and they do not block submission. Respondents only complete the rows that appear.
How do I combine several conditions?
Select more than one earlier question or row title, then set the relationship to AND or OR.
A row is blank in the data. Did the answer fail to save?
If that row stayed hidden because its condition was not met, it is stored as unanswered and appears blank. Rows that appeared and were answered keep their answers.
