Choice fields

Use choice fields when respondents should select from answers you control. The detailed task guides are:

• Single Choice
• Multi Choice
• Drop down

Choose the field based on how many answers are permitted and how easy the list is to scan:

Field	Use it when
Single Choice	The respondent must choose one answer.
Multi Choice	The respondent may choose more than one answer.
Drop down	The respondent must choose one answer from a compact list.

Settings shared by choice fields

Choices

Add one answer per choice. Write choices so they are mutually understandable and cover the likely valid answers.

Good choices are parallel and specific:

• Email
• Phone call
• Text message

Avoid overlapping choices such as Sometimes, Often, and Regularly unless the differences are explicitly defined.

Required Field

Use Required Field when the form cannot be processed without a selection. If a question is sensitive or the respondent may not know the answer, include an appropriate opt-out or uncertainty option instead of forcing an inaccurate response.

Unique Value

Uniqueness can be available for choice fields, but it is rarely appropriate: it would restrict a particular choice from being reused across submissions. Use it only when that is truly the required rule, and test it before publishing.

Custom error text

When the answer is required, a helpful message is usually enough: Choose one preferred contact method. Avoid technical or blaming language.

Single Choice and Multi Choice settings

Single Choice and Multi Choice fields let you configure the following additional behavior.

Setting	What it does	When to use it
Choice layout	Displays choices in one, two, three, or four columns.	Use one column for long labels; use several columns only for short, easily scanned choices.
Choice display type	Shows choices as ordinary text controls or button-style choices.	Button-style choices work best for a small set of short answers.
Other answer	Lets a respondent supply an answer not present in the list.	Use only when a genuine unknown answer is useful; otherwise add the likely option directly.

Add an Other answer

Add Other when your list cannot reasonably contain every valid answer. When a respondent selects it, they can enter their own text.

Do not use Other as a substitute for thinking through common answers. It creates data that may need manual review and can make reporting inconsistent. If reporting matters, consider adding a follow-up Long Text field shown only when Other is selected.

Arrange choices

• Keep long options in a single column to prevent hard-to-read wrapping.
• Use two to four columns only for short labels, such as months, departments, or simple categories.
• Keep the order meaningful: chronological, alphabetical, smallest-to-largest, or by expected frequency.
• Do not change the text of an option that is already used in production data without considering reporting and workflow rules.

Drop down settings

Drop downs also use one choice per line. Their distinguishing setting is the ability to make the first choice a placeholder.

Setting	What it does	Recommended use
First choice as placeholder	Treats the first listed item as a prompt rather than a submitted answer.	Make the first option an instruction, such as Select a department, when a required selection should not default to a real choice.

When the first choice is a placeholder, make it descriptive and do not treat it as a valid business answer. For a required field, this helps prevent a respondent from unintentionally submitting the first actual option.

Choosing between a list and a free-text field

Use a choice field when consistent answers are more valuable than flexibility. Use a text field when the range of valid answers is genuinely open-ended.

For example, use a Drop down for a list of departments you manage, but use Long Text for Tell us which department should be added.

Test checklist

• [ ] Each choice is unique, spelled consistently, and understandable on its own.
• [ ] The field permits exactly one or more than one answer as intended.
• [ ] Required fields cannot be submitted with an accidental default selection.
• [ ] Other appears only when free-text answers are genuinely useful.
• [ ] Multi-column layouts remain readable on a narrow screen.
• [ ] Any condition, calculation, report, or workflow using a choice was tested with every important option.

Related guides

• Field settings reference
• Text and contact inputs
• Add and configure a field