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What is a routing rule?

A routing rule says: when something is true, then do something. For example:
  • When Q2 Is no → Jump to question Q5.
  • When Q1 Is one of under_18 → Screen out with outcome under_18.
  • When Q4 Is answered → Set variable first_pref to The answer to this question.
Rules are written on the Logic tab. Open the rule editor by clicking Add rule, Rule from here on a selected question, dragging from a question’s blue dot on the canvas, or clicking an existing rule. On the Questions tab, each question’s Routing card lists its rules with Edit in Logic. There are two editors: a simple editor for one condition and one action, and an advanced rule builder for everything else. Advanced rule → switches from the simple editor to the builder. Conditions always compare against an option’s key, never the words the respondent said — so Q2 Is no matches whatever wording the respondent used, as long as it was recorded as the no option.

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The simple editor

Heading: New routing rule.

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When

Pick a Question, an operator and a value. For Single choice and Rating questions, pick the value from the question’s options, shown as key · label. For other types, type it: Value to compare against, or Values to match, comma separated.

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Then

The Outcome code field (placeholder Outcome code, e.g. screened_out) suggests the codes listed in Closing. Every code you use must be listed there. Click Add rule (or Save rule when editing). The confirmations are Routing rule added, Routing rule saved and Routing rule deleted.

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Messages you may see

  • “Add an answerable question on the Questions tab before creating a routing rule.”
  • “There is no later question to jump to. Choose an outcome instead, or pick an earlier source question.”
  • “There is no other question to show or hide.”
  • “This survey has no variables yet. Add one under Variables, then point a rule at it.”
  • “This rule came in with the import. Saving replaces its condition and actions with what you set here; the preserved source expression is dropped.”

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The advanced rule builder

Heading: New routing rule, or Edit (key) for an existing rule.

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Trigger

When the rule is checked:

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When

Choose Match all (AND) or Match any (OR), then + Add condition. With no conditions, “No conditions — the rule fires every time its trigger is reached.” Each condition has a subject, an operator and a value, plus a NOT switch that inverts it. Subject — any answerable question, or a fact about the call: A call fact is compared with is true or is false. Operator — for questions:

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Then

Click + Add action. A rule needs at least one (“A rule needs at least one action.”), and can have several — for example, set a variable and jump. Imported surveys can also contain Redirect actions, which cannot be authored.

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Masking options and items

Include option, Exclude option and Exclude battery item target either a named option or item, or The answer to the question this rule reads. The second form is how you drop whatever the respondent already chose. For example, to ask for a second preference without offering the first:
  • Trigger When an answer is submitted, anchor Q7 (first preference).
  • Action Exclude option on Q8 (second preference), target The answer to the question this rule reads.
The mask is applied when the later question starts.

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Priority

Priority is a number from 0 to 10,000. Rules on the same trigger run in priority order, lowest first; rules with the same priority run in the order they were written. When two rules set the same variable, the one that runs later wins — and a rule whose condition is false clears the variable rather than leaving it alone (see Survey variables and piping).

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How rules behave on a call

  • Show and hide. A hidden question is skipped unless a show rule fires for it.
  • Order. Without a rule, questions are asked in outline order: section by section, question by question.
  • Endings. When Complete survey, Screen out or Terminate interview fires, the respondent hears the closing text for that outcome code, then the farewell. A screen-out on an option chosen from a mishearing is confirmed with the respondent before it takes effect.
  • Skipped questions. A question skipped by a rule is not recorded as answered. If a later prompt pipes its answer, Readiness warns that it can speak as empty (see Survey variables and piping).
  • Display questions take no answer, so no rule can fire after them.

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Validation messages

The builder and the save check for these:
  • “An AND group needs at least one condition.” (or “An OR group …”)
  • “A NOT group wraps exactly one condition.”
  • ”“(fact)” is true or false, so it can only be compared with is / is not.”
  • “A comparison needs the question it reads.”
  • “Choose at least one value to match.”
  • “A comparison value is required.”
  • “An outcome code is required.”
  • “A human-readable reason is required.”
  • “Choose the question or section this action targets.”
  • “Choose the question and the option to mask.”
  • “Choose the battery and the item to mask.”
  • “Choose the variable to set.”
  • “Choose what the rule writes into the variable.”
  • “Write the text the rule stores in the variable.”
  • “The condition reads (key), which is not in this version.”
Readiness also blocks a rule that reads a question or option the survey does not have, or ends with an outcome not listed in Closing.

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Deleting things rules depend on

A question, option or variable that a rule uses cannot be deleted until the rule is changed. The messages name the rule, for example:
  • “This question is used by the rule “(key)” (trigger). Delete or edit that rule first.”
  • “(options) is still read by (rules). Change or delete that rule before removing the option.”
  • “(rules) still sets this variable. Change or delete that rule first.”
Renaming a question key updates the rules that reference it; the inspector warns “(n) rule(s) reference this key ((keys)). Renaming updates them too.”