Scaniam conditional logic and validation: show the right questions, accept the right answers

Scaniam conditional logic is a show if rule on a question. The question shows only when its rule is met, the rule can only use an earlier question, and several rules on one question are joined by AND or OR. Scaniam validation checks every Email and Phone answer for format and lets you add Require work email, text length, a pattern, a number range or date limits. A question its rules hide is never required.

What Scaniam conditional logic is and when to use it

Scaniam conditional logic shows or hides a survey question based on an earlier answer. You add a Show if rule to a question, for example: Show if "Role" is "Buyer". The attendee sees the question only when the rule is met. When it is not met, Scaniam skips the question and the attendee goes straight to the next one.

Use conditional logic to keep a booth survey short. Ask a follow-up only to the people it applies to: budget questions only for buyers, a product question only for people who ticked that product, a free-text "Tell us more" only after "Other".

Scaniam has one kind of logic: a show if rule on a question. There is no "jump to question", "end survey" or calculated logic. You do not send attendees to a question; you set when each question shows.

The same rules run everywhere the survey runs: the attendee survey from your QR code, the Host Station, where staff fill the survey for an attendee, and the registration form of a registration page.

The rules

Rule	Detail
One kind of logic	A Show if rule on a question. The question shows only when the rule is met.
Earlier questions only	A rule can only use a question that comes before it in the survey.
Source question types	Single choice, Checkboxes, Image choice, Dropdown, Short answer, Email and Phone can drive a rule. Long answer, Number, Rating, NPS, Scale, Date, Time, Meeting, Hidden field, T&C consent and Statement cannot.
Choice operators	Single choice, Dropdown and Image choice without Allow multiple selections: is or is not, with the value picked from the options.
Checkboxes operators	Checkboxes and Image choice with Allow multiple selections on: includes (the attendee ticked that option) or does not include.
Typed operators	Short answer, Email and Phone: is, is not, contains or doesn't contain, with a value you type.
Exact vs contains	is is an exact match: capital letters and spaces count. contains and doesn't contain ignore capital letters. For a typed answer such as a job title, use contains. A Phone answer includes its country code, for example +44, so include it in an is rule.
Skipped sources	is not, does not include and doesn't contain are also met when the source question was skipped, so the question shows.
"Other" as a value	When the source has an "Other" option, you can pick Other as the rule value.
Several rules	A question can have several rules, all joined by and (every rule must be met, the default) or all by or (any one rule). You cannot mix and and or on one question.
Chained rules	A question shown by a rule can drive another rule further down. Each rule checks only the answer given to its own source question.
Forms	When the event has a registration page, a rule can only use a question that is on the same form.
Hidden means not required	A question its rules hide is never required, also when it is marked Required.
Hidden answers	Answers to questions hidden at the time the survey is sent are not saved with it.

The Logic map

The Scaniam Logic map lists all the conditional logic in a survey on one screen. When any question has a rule, the survey builder header shows a Logic button. Click it to open the Logic map.

For each question with a rule, the Logic map shows its number and label, which form it is on (Both forms, Registration form or Booth form) and its rules in plain words, for example Shows if "Role" is "Buyer", then one AND or OR line per extra rule. The footer counts the questions, for example "3 conditional · 9 always shown".

The Logic map is read-only. Edit a rule on its question card. Close the map with its x or the Escape key. A broken rule shows in red in the Logic map, with the same reason the question card gives.

Broken rules

A Scaniam rule breaks when its source question or answer changes. The question card then shows a red line, "This rule cannot work.", with the reason:

Cause	Message on the card
The source question was deleted	"Its source question was deleted. Pick a new source."
The source was moved below the question	"Its source question now comes after this one. Pick an earlier question."
The source changed to a type that cannot drive a rule	"Its source question can no longer be used in a rule. Pick a new source."
The source is not on the same form	"Its source question is not on the same form. Pick a question from this form."
The answer it checks was deleted	"The answer it checks was deleted or renamed. Pick an answer."

Fix it by picking a new source question or a new answer in the rule. The source picker shows "⚠ Pick a source…" and the value picker shows "Pick an answer" until you do.

Validation rules

Scaniam validation decides which answers a survey accepts. Some checks are always on. Others you add per question.

Check	Where	Detail
Required	Every question except Statement and Hidden field	Each of these cards has a Required / Optional switch. New questions are Required, except T&C consent, which starts Optional. Statement and Hidden field are never required. Attendees see an Optional tag on optional questions.
Email format	Every Email question	Always on. The answer must look like an email address.
Phone format	Every Phone question	Always on. The attendee picks a country, preset from their phone's settings, and the number is checked for that country.
Lead fields	A Short answer mapped as the lead's email or phone	Checked the same way as an Email or Phone question.
Require work email	Email questions	Off by default. Turn it on in More options. Rejects addresses from common free email providers. It does not check that the address exists.
Length	Short answer, Long answer	Length min - max characters.
Pattern	Short answer, Long answer	An optional regular expression, for example [A-Z]{2}\d{4} (two capital letters, then four digits). It must match the whole answer and is case-sensitive. You can add your own error message.
Range	Number	Range min - max, and Whole numbers only.
Earliest / Latest	Date	Each is No limit, Today or Specific date. Today moves with the calendar.
Scales	Rating, NPS, Scale	The answer must be inside the scale.
T&C consent	T&C consent marked Required	The box must be ticked.
Other - specify	Choice questions with an "Other" option, marked Required	An attendee who picks Other must also type their answer.

To add a validation rule: select the question, click More options, then Add validation (Short answer, Long answer, Number and Date). A Validation box opens on the card. Remove it with its x.

To require a work email: select the Email question, click More options, and turn on Require work email ("Reject Gmail, Yahoo, etc.").

What attendees see

Scaniam never greys out the Continue or Submit button. When an attendee taps it with a missing or invalid answer, Scaniam shows the red banner "Please check the highlighted fields to continue.", highlights the problem and scrolls to it. Each message clears as soon as the attendee fixes the answer. Answers already typed stay on the phone.

The messages under a field are:

• "This field is required" (or "Required" for lead fields shown together on one screen)
• "Please specify" (Other with no text)
• "Enter a valid email address" and "Please use your work email (no Gmail, Yahoo, etc.)"
• "Enter a valid phone number"
• "Must be at least N characters" and "Must be at most N characters"
• your pattern message, or "Invalid format"
• "Must be today or later", "Must be today or earlier", "Must be on or after 1 Oct 2026", "Must be on or before 1 Oct 2026"
• "Enter a number", "Enter a whole number", "Must be at least N", "Must be at most N"
• "Please choose a value" (Rating, NPS, Scale) and "Please choose a time"

On a registration form, the check runs when the attendee taps the submit button and scrolls to the first problem.

What happens if...

If ...	Then ...
A question's rule is not met	Scaniam skips it. The attendee never sees it, and it is not required.
An attendee answers a follow-up, goes back and changes the earlier answer	The question that uses that answer hides again, and its answer is not saved with the survey.
You delete a question other questions use in a rule	Scaniam asks first: "N other questions use this one in conditional logic. Deleting it will remove those conditions." Those rules are removed. Other rules on the same question stay.
You delete an answer option a rule checks	Scaniam asks first (Delete this answer?). The rule then shows as broken until you pick another answer.
You move a source question below its rule	No dialog. The rule shows as broken until you pick an earlier question.
A rule uses is not and the source was skipped	The rule is met, so the question shows.
A rule uses is on a typed answer with different capital letters	The rule is not met. Use contains, which ignores capital letters.
You set limits no answer can meet, such as min length above max	The Validation box warns in red. Fix one of the limits.
A pattern is not a valid regular expression	The builder says "Not a valid regular expression." under it.
An attendee with only a personal email meets Require work email	They cannot send that address. Leave Require work email off if you want every attendee.
A Required question is hidden by its rule	It does not block the attendee.

How to add conditional logic

1. Open your event from Events.
2. Click Event Settings, then Edit Survey.
3. Click the question you want to show or hide, to select it.
4. Click More options (the ... button on the question card).
5. Click Add condition. It appears only when an earlier question can drive a rule.
6. The Conditional logic box opens with Show if, set to the nearest earlier question that can drive a rule, the first operator and, for a choice question, its first option.
7. Pick the source question, the operator and the value.
8. To add another rule, click Add condition inside the box. Click the and word between two rules to switch all of them to or.
9. To remove one rule, click its x. Removing the first rule moves the next one up.
10. Click Preview to try the survey as an attendee.

The builder saves your changes as you go. Questions without a rule always show.

Which plans

Conditional logic and validation are on every Scaniam plan, including Free. Plans differ by monthly responses: see pricing.

Common questions