Skip Logic and Question Routing

Overview

Skip logic enables you to create dynamic, personalized survey experiences by controlling which questions respondents see based on their answers. Build sophisticated survey flows with conditional routing, question visibility, and branching logic.

What Skip Logic Does:

• Shows/hides questions based on previous answers
• Routes respondents to different survey paths
• Creates personalized survey experiences
• Reduces survey length by skipping irrelevant questions
• Enables complex conditional logic

What You'll Learn:

• Understanding rule types and components
• Creating skip logic rules
• Available operators by question type
• Common skip logic patterns
• Validation and testing strategies

Understanding Skip Logic

Rule Categories

Navigation Rules (Only first matching rule executes):

• Skip to Question: Jump to a specific question
• Skip to Section: Jump to first question in a section
• Skip to End: Complete survey immediately

Visibility Rules (All matching rules execute):

• Show Question: Make a hidden question visible
• Hide Question: Hide a question
• Show Section: Display a hidden section
• Hide Section: Hide a section

Rule Components

1. Conditions (The "IF" part):

• Question: Which question to evaluate
• Operator: How to compare (equals, greater than, contains, etc.)
• Value: What to compare against

Example: "IF Satisfaction Rating equals 1"

2. Action (The "THEN" part):

• Action Type: What happens (skip, show, hide)
• Target: Where to go or what to show/hide

Example: "THEN Skip to Question: Why were you dissatisfied?"

3. Priority (Optional):

• Determines execution order when multiple rules could apply
• Lower number = higher priority (1 executes before 10)
• Default: 10

Available Operators by Question Type

Rating/Scale/NPS Questions

• equals: Exact match (rating equals 5)
• not_equals: Not equal (rating ≠ 1)
• greater_than: Higher value (rating > 3)
• less_than: Lower value (rating < 3)
• greater_than_or_equal: Greater or equal (rating ≥ 4)
• less_than_or_equal: Less or equal (rating ≤ 2)
• is_empty: No answer provided
• is_not_empty: Answer provided

Example: IF NPS score ≤ 6, THEN Skip to Detractor Feedback

Single Choice Questions

• equals: Selected option matches (selected "Option A")
• not_equals: Selected option doesn't match
• in_list: Selected option is one of [list]
• not_in_list: Selected option is not in [list]
• is_empty: No selection made
• is_not_empty: Selection made

Example: IF Product equals "Premium Plan", THEN Show Premium Features Question

Multi-Select/Checkbox Questions

• contains: At least one checked option matches (contains "Product A")
• not_contains: Option not checked
• in_list: Any checked option is in [list]
• not_in_list: No checked options in [list]
• is_empty: Nothing selected
• is_not_empty: At least one selected

Example: IF Features contains "Advanced Analytics", THEN Show Analytics Deep Dive

Text Questions

• equals: Exact text match (case-sensitive)
• not_equals: Text doesn't match
• contains: Text contains substring
• not_contains: Text doesn't contain substring
• is_empty: No text entered
• is_not_empty: Text entered

Example: IF Feedback contains "bug", THEN Show Bug Report Form

Date Questions

• equals: Exact date match
• not_equals: Different date
• greater_than: After date (> 2024-01-01)
• less_than: Before date
• greater_than_or_equal: On or after date
• less_than_or_equal: On or before date
• is_empty: No date selected
• is_not_empty: Date selected

Example: IF Start Date > 2024-01-01, THEN Show New Feature Questions

Creating Skip Logic Rules

Step 1: Access Skip Logic Modal

1. Open survey in Manual Builder
2. Click Skip Logic button in left sidebar
3. Skip Logic modal opens
4. View all questions organized by section

Step 2: Select Question for Rule

1. Find question to add rule to
2. Click question accordion to expand
3. View existing rules (if any)
4. Click + Add Rule button

Step 3: Add Conditions

1. Click + Add Condition
2. Configure condition:
   • Source Question: Question to evaluate
   • Operator: Comparison method
   • Value: Comparison value
3. Click Save Condition

For Multiple Conditions:

1. Click + Add Condition again
2. Choose logical operator:
   • AND: All conditions must be true
   • OR: Any condition must be true
3. Add up to 5 conditions per rule

Example Single Condition:

• Source Question: "Overall Satisfaction"
• Operator: "less_than_or_equal"
• Value: 2
• Result: Triggers when satisfaction ≤ 2

Example Multiple Conditions (AND):

• Condition 1: Satisfaction ≤ 2
• Operator: AND
• Condition 2: Likelihood to Recommend ≤ 6
• Result: Triggers only when BOTH are true

Step 4: Configure Action

Choose what happens when conditions are met:

Navigation Actions:

1. Select action type:
   • Skip to Question: Choose target question from dropdown
   • Skip to Section: Choose target section
   • Skip to End: No target needed (ends survey)

Visibility Actions:

1. Select action type:
   • Show Question / Hide Question: Choose question
   • Show Section / Hide Section: Choose section

Important Constraints:

• Can only show conditional sections (already hidden)
• Can only hide standard sections (already visible)
• Questions in conditional sections can't have show/hide rules

Step 5: Set Priority (Optional)

If multiple rules might apply:

1. Set priority number (1-100)
2. Lower numbers execute first
3. Default: 10

Example Priorities:

• Priority 1: Critical termination rules (skip to end)
• Priority 5: Category-based routing
• Priority 10: Standard skip logic
• Priority 20: Optional follow-ups

Step 6: Save and Validate

1. Review rule configuration
2. Click Save Rule
3. System validates:
   • All required fields filled
   • No circular logic
   • Valid targets exist
   • Compatible operators
4. Rule added to question

Common Skip Logic Patterns

Pattern 1: NPS Follow-up

Route based on NPS score (0-10):

Rule 1: Detractors (0-6)

• Condition: NPS score ≤ 6
• Action: Skip to Section "Detractor Feedback"
• Questions: What disappointed you? How can we improve?

Rule 2: Passives (7-8)

• Condition: NPS score equals 7 OR score equals 8
• Action: Skip to Section "Passive Feedback"
• Questions: What would make you a promoter?

Rule 3: Promoters (9-10)

• Condition: NPS score ≥ 9
• Action: Skip to Section "Promoter Feedback"
• Questions: What do you love? Would you provide a testimonial?

Pattern 2: Early Termination

End survey for non-qualified respondents:

Rule: Non-customers

• Condition: "Are you a customer?" equals "No"
• Action: Skip to End
• Result: Survey ends, no further questions shown

Rule: Wrong region

• Condition: Region not_in_list ["North America", "Europe"]
• Action: Skip to End
• Result: Only NA and EU respondents continue

Pattern 3: Product Usage Branching

Different questions for different products:

Checkbox: "Which products do you use?" (A, B, C)

Rule 1: Product A users

• Condition: Products contains "Product A"
• Action: Show Section "Product A Questions"

Rule 2: Product B users

• Condition: Products contains "Product B"
• Action: Show Section "Product B Questions"

Pattern 4: Satisfaction Deep Dive

Follow up on negative feedback:

Rule 1: Very dissatisfied

• Condition: Satisfaction equals 1
• Action: Show Question "Would you like us to contact you?"

Rule 2: Dissatisfied

• Condition: Satisfaction ≤ 2 AND Willing to elaborate equals "Yes"
• Action: Show Section "Detailed Feedback"

Pattern 5: Progressive Disclosure

Reveal questions based on previous answers:

Rule: Issue reported

• Condition: "Did you experience issues?" equals "Yes"
• Action: Show Question "What type of issue?"

Nested Rule: Technical issue

• Condition: Issue type equals "Technical"
• Action: Show Section "Technical Issue Details"

Validation and Testing

Automatic Validation

System checks when saving rules:

Rule Validation:

• All required fields completed
• Valid question/section references
• No circular logic (A→B→A)
• Compatible operators for question type
• Valid comparison values

Common Validation Errors:

• "Missing target question" - Target was deleted
• "Circular reference detected" - Loop in skip logic
• "Invalid operator" - Operator doesn't match question type
• "Orphaned question" - Question unreachable due to skip logic

Testing Skip Logic

Preview Mode Testing:

1. Click Preview Survey
2. Test all rule paths:
   • Answer questions to trigger rules
   • Verify correct questions shown/hidden
   • Check navigation works as expected
3. Test edge cases:
   • Boundary values (e.g., rating = 3 when rule is rating ≤ 3)
   • Empty/skipped answers
   • Multiple conditions

Path Testing Checklist:

• Create list of all logical paths through survey
• Test each path individually
• Document expected vs actual behavior
• Verify all questions reachable in at least one path

Example Test Plan:

Path 1: Satisfied Customer
- Q1: Satisfaction = 5 → Skip to Thank You
- Expected: Ends immediately
- Actual: ✓ Works

Path 2: Dissatisfied Customer
- Q1: Satisfaction = 1 → Show Feedback Section
- Q2-Q5: Detailed feedback questions shown
- Expected: All feedback questions visible
- Actual: ✓ Works

Best Practices

Rule Design

• Keep it simple: Start with basic rules, add complexity gradually
• Test thoroughly: Preview all paths before launching
• Document logic: Add comments for complex rule chains
• Limit depth: Max 3-4 skip levels for good UX
• Avoid loops: Ensure survey can always reach end

Question Flow

• Linear default: Survey should work without skip logic
• Fallback paths: Always have default path to end
• Clear progress: Show completion percentage even with skips
• Mobile-friendly: Test on mobile devices
• No dead ends: Every path should reach survey end

Performance

• Limit rules per question: Max 3-5 rules per question
• Optimize conditions: Use fewest conditions necessary
• Avoid over-complexity: Balance functionality and simplicity
• Regular cleanup: Remove unused rules
• Monitor analytics: Track skip logic performance

Advanced Techniques

Multi-Condition Rules

Combine conditions for sophisticated logic:

Example: VIP Customer Identification

• Condition 1: Purchase frequency ≥ "Weekly"
• AND
• Condition 2: Satisfaction ≥ 9
• AND
• Condition 3: Account age > 365 days
• Action: Skip to Section "VIP Survey"

Nested Skip Logic

Rules that depend on other rules:

Level 1: Product category

• If category = "Software" → Skip to Software Section

Level 2: Specific product (within Software Section)

• If product = "Premium" → Show Premium Features Question

Level 3: Feature usage (within Premium)

• If uses "Analytics" → Show Analytics Deep Dive

Caution: Limit to 2-3 levels for maintainability

Priority Management

Control rule execution with priorities:

Priority 1 (Highest): Termination rules

• Non-qualified respondents → Skip to End

Priority 5: Major routing decisions

• Product type → Different sections

Priority 10 (Default): Standard logic

• Satisfaction-based follow-ups

Priority 20: Optional enhancements

• Additional questions for engaged users

Troubleshooting

Issue: Rule Not Triggering

Debugging:

1. Verify condition values match exactly
   • Check for extra spaces, capitalization
   • Numeric vs string comparison
2. Check question type matches operator
3. Ensure rule is enabled (not disabled)
4. Test in preview mode with exact trigger values
5. Check rule priority vs other rules

Common Causes:

• Value mismatch (e.g., "Yes" vs "yes")
• Wrong operator for question type
• Higher priority rule executing instead
• Condition logic (AND vs OR) incorrect

Issue: Wrong Question Shown

Debugging:

1. Review all rules on current question
2. Check rule priorities (lower executes first)
3. Verify condition logic (AND requires all true, OR any true)
4. Test each condition individually
5. Check for conflicting rules

Solutions:

• Adjust rule priorities
• Fix condition logic
• Remove conflicting rules
• Simplify rule complexity

Issue: Circular Logic Error

Symptoms: "Circular reference detected" error when saving

Causes:

• Question A skips to B, B skips to A
• Chain that loops back (A→B→C→A)

Solutions:

1. Map out complete question flow
2. Identify loop in the chain
3. Remove or redirect one rule in the loop
4. Ensure linear progression toward end

Issue: Survey Gets Stuck

Symptoms: Respondent can't progress, no next button

Causes:

• All paths lead to hidden questions
• Skip logic created unreachable state
• Circular navigation

Solutions:

1. Review validation warnings
2. Map complete question flow diagram
3. Ensure every path can reach end
4. Remove problematic rules
5. Add fallback "next question" path

Analytics and Optimization

Skip Logic Metrics

Track performance in Survey Analytics:

Metrics Available:

• Rule trigger rate: How often each rule fires
• Path distribution: Which paths taken most often
• Completion by path: Completion rates per path
• Skip frequency: Questions most often skipped
• Average survey length: By path taken

Optimization Strategies

Based on Metrics:

1. Unused rules: Remove if trigger rate < 1%
2. Common paths: Optimize for most frequent paths
3. Complex sections: Simplify if high drop-off
4. Path balance: Ensure paths reasonably balanced
5. A/B testing: Test different skip logic approaches

Example Optimization:

• Rule triggers 40% of time but 90% drop off
• Analysis: Path too long or questions too complex
• Solution: Reduce questions in that branch

Skip Logic and Scoring

If your survey uses Scoring (point values on answer options), branching stays fair automatically. Revuloop tracks which questions each respondent's path actually showed, and grades them only on those, in both the earned total and the maximum possible. Score outcomes match on the resulting percentage, so a short branch and a long branch are comparable and you never need to balance point totals across paths. See the Survey Scoring article for details.

Note that skip logic cannot branch on the score itself (the score is calculated at submission); branch on the underlying answers instead.