Filling out many banks’ paperwork is so stressful because of all the irrelevant questions you have to answer. Sure, you can always answer “not applicable”, but it would be a better experience to avoid irrelevant questions altogether.

So, why make your customers go through the same stressful process, especially when 75% of them expect personalization and get frustrated when it doesn’t happen?

Conditional logic helps you personalize customer journeys based on their responses. Instead of standardized questions, your form questions are responsive to people’s needs and preferences. Let’s look at how to set up branching logic in your Google Forms.

What Is Branching in Google Forms?

Branching is Google Forms’ word for conditional logic. Depending on your platforms, you may use different words for conditional logic, such as skip logic, jump logic, or just logic, but they all mean the same thing: responsive forms that direct customers toward different journeys based on their answers.

For example, let’s say you want to create a loyalty program for repeat customers. You can ask them a question such as, “Is this your first time buying from our store?”

If they haven’t bought from your store, they won’t have to answer any follow-up questions about the frequency of their purchase and get a whole different experience from someone who has bought from you before. This is how branching works- it makes your data collection personalized and efficient for you and the respondent.

Here are some benefits of building responsive surveys in Google Forms with branching:

1. Relevant Questions and Answers

Setting up conditional logic in your forms keeps them straightforward and people only answer questions they need to. Instead of scrolling endlessly to get to the questions that matter to them or having to select “not applicable or other” multiple times, you cut out the frustration.

Most people abandon long forms, so branching helps you keep it concise and relevant.

2. Engaging Forms

Adding forms with conditional logic also makes your forms engaging, reducing drop-offs and increasing your conversion rate. The best part is that the form doesn’t feel like an interrogation, rather it feels more like a conversation.

For example, if Formplus would like to recommend  the right templates for you based on your industry or current need, we would ask “How would you like to use Formplus?” Based on your answer, let’s say you selected “Agreement/Contracts” You will be directed to the agreement template bank, and you will pick the most relevant one. And the whole time it feels like you’re talking to your personal guide that makes everything easier.

 Branching in Action

Here are the most common use cases for using branching to create responsive forms:

1. Feedback Forms

Excessively long forms with irrelevant questions can overwhelm and irritate respondents. Logic makes your respondents’ journey more customized and easier to navigate. For example, let’s say you’re surveying customer satisfaction with your new beauty product, if a customer selects “dissatisfied” branching would direct them to a new section with follow-up questions asking for specific feedback on what they disliked about the product.

2. Quizzes

You can use branching in Google Forms to provide immediate feedback on each question in a quiz. For example, if a respondent answers the questions correctly, they move on to the next question but if they answer incorrectly they see more information about the question and the actual answer.

You can also use it to direct participants to different end pages based on their scores.  For example, people with scores above 80% see a submission page with the text “Congratulations, you’ve passed the test” but people with scores below 80% get the text “You did not meet the cut-off mark. Please take the quiz again.”

3. Surveys

You can also make your market research surveys more engaging and conversational with branching. For example, if you’re studying the impact of internet addiction on millennial and Gen Z workplace performance, you’d first ask respondents about their age range and employment status to ensure they qualify for the survey.

For example, if a respondent’s age falls outside the target range, the survey ends. If they are within the range, they proceed to questions about employment. If they are unemployed, the survey ends; otherwise, they continue.

This ensures you don’t waste people’s time and you also collect data on an accurate survey population.

4. Application Forms

Using conditional logic can also help you determine whether or not a candidate is fit for the role, scholarship, or admission into your institution. For example, if you’re giving a scholarship as an award of excellence to students with a GPA of 4.0 and above, applicants with a GPA below 4.0 would not move forward to the next section, while applicants with a GPA of 4.0 or above would complete the application.

How to Set Up Branching in Google Forms (Step-by-Step Guide)

• Open Google Forms and click blank form
• Add the questions you want to include
• Add sections in your forms based on how the journeys you want to achieve
• Choose the question(s) that will trigger the branching logic and click Go to section based on answer
• Choose the section you want respondents to be directed to. You can also select “Submit form” if that answer ends the users need to fill out the form.
• Test your form and the branching logic to ensure it works the way you intended it to.

Pro Tips for Conditional Logic

• Use Sections Strategically
  • Organize your form into logical sections to make branching easier to manage.
  • Use sections to group related questions and create clear pathways.
• Combine Branching with Validation
  • Use data validation to ensure respondents provide accurate and consistent answers.
  • This can help prevent errors and improve data quality.
• Leverage Multiple Branching Points
  • Use multiple branching points throughout your form to create complex and dynamic pathways.
  • This allows you to tailor the form to a wide range of respondent scenarios.
• Provide Clear Instructions
  • If your form has complex branching logic, provide clear instructions to respondents.
  • This can help prevent confusion and ensure they understand how to navigate the form.
• Test Multiple Times
  • Thoroughly test your form with different scenarios to identify any potential issues.
  • Ask others to test the form and provide feedback.
• Use Descriptive Section Titles
  • Using descriptive section titles will make it easier to manage the branching logic, especially in complex forms.
• Review and Refine
  • After collecting data, review the branching logic and make any necessary refinements.
  • This can help improve the effectiveness of your forms over time.

Common Mistakes When Branching Forms in Google Forms

• Overly Complex Branching

Creating too many branches can make the form difficult to navigate and manage. It can also confuse respondents, leading to higher abandonment rates.

Solution: Keep branching logic as simple as possible with minimal branches.

• Incorrect Section Assignments

Accidentally directing respondents to the wrong section can result in inaccurate data and a poor user experience.

Solution: Double-check section assignments for each answer option and thoroughly test the form. If possible pilot test the form with colleagues or friends and ask for their feedback.

• Forgetting the “Submit Form” Option

Don’t leave respondents hanging, ensure respondents can complete the form; otherwise, your personalization efforts will be wasted.

Solution: Review each branch and ensure that the “Submit form” option is available when appropriate.

• Neglecting Mobile Responsiveness

Branching can sometimes cause layout issues on mobile devices if not properly tested.

Solution: Test the form on various mobile devices and screen sizes.

• Poorly Worded Branching Questions

If the question that initiates the branch is not clear, the user can choose the wrong answer, and be sent to the wrong section.

Solution: Make sure all questions that initiate branching, are very clear, and easy to understand.

FAQs

•  Is there branching in Google Forms?

Yes, Google Forms allows you to steer respondents in the direction you want with branching.

• Can I branch to a specific question within a section?

No, branching in Google Forms directs respondents to entire sections.

• Can I use branching in quizzes to provide immediate feedback?

Yes, you can use branching in quizzes to direct respondents to sections with feedback based on their answers.

• Can I edit my Google Form’s branching logic after I’ve collected responses?

Yes, you can edit branching logic at any time. However, the changes will only affect future responses, all the responses before the edit will remain the same.

• Can I branch based on text responses?

Branching is typically based on multiple-choice, dropdown, or checkbox questions. While you can’t branch based on the specific text entered in a short answer or paragraph question, you could use data validation to limit the acceptable text inputs, and then use a dropdown question to ask if the text they provided was a certain value, and then branch based on that dropdown answer.

• Is there a limit to the number of branches I can create?

While there’s no strict limit, creating too many branches can make the form difficult to manage. It’s best to keep branching logic as simple as possible.

• Can I use branching to calculate a score?

While Google Forms doesn’t have built-in scoring, you can use branching to direct respondents to different sections based on their answers, creating a simple scoring system. Another option is to use a form builder with an in-built calculator like Formplus.

• How do I know if my branching is working correctly?

The best way is to thoroughly test your form by filling it out with different answer combinations.

• Can I undo branching?

Yes, you can remove or change the branching logic at any time.

• Does branching work on mobile devices?

Yes, branching works on mobile devices, but test your form to ensure it’s mobile-responsive.

Wrapping Up

The shorter and simpler you keep your form, the more likely people are to complete it. Branching helps you keep your forms simple and engaging by controlling the question flow based on respondent needs or preferences. Respondents don’t have to answer irrelevant questions and you don’t have to collect irrelevant data- a win-win for everyone.

Also, while Google Forms allows you to add jump logic to your forms, it doesn’t have advanced features like calculations and it can quickly become overwhelming especially when you need to create a complex workflow. If you would like to try more advanced branching with calculation, try Formplus.