Repeatable Sections Overview

A section is a way of grouping fields on a page in a smart online form. As each section is displayed once in the front end, the fields grouped within a section can be answered once only. A repeatable section is the same as a section in all ways except one - it can be displayed multiple times in the form's front end, meaning the fields within a repeatable section can be answered multiple times.

The use-case for repeatable sections is for inputting information for multiple versions of items within the same category. For example:

1. collecting the name, DOB and email address of multiple people,
2. the address and purchase price of multiple properties,
3. the date of manufacture and mileage of multiple motor vehicles.

In all cases, the same information is collected multiple times.

The main benefit of using a repeatable section is that it is faster, simpler and more scalable to create one repeatable section instead of multiple sections. Additionally, when using a repeatable section you only need to make changes/edits once, rather than once for each section as is the case if you do not use a repeatable section.

Another benefit of repeatable sections is their usage with repeatable named ranges.

Setting a section as "Repeatable"

You can make a repeatable section by either creating a new section and setting it as "Repeatable" or by setting an existing section as "Repeatable". To mark a section as "Repeatable":

1. add a new section by clicking "New Section" or navigate to an exisitng section and click the edit button,
2. the edit panel will then open on the right where you can check "Repeatable",
3. select the minimum and the maximum number of repetitions as required, and

4. click "Save".

The {{Repeat}} variable

To distinguish between repetitions, you may use the {{Repeat}} variable (which is case sensitive) within your section headings, question labels and option labels. The {{Repeat}} variable acts as a repetition counter that identifies each repetition of a repeatable section. For example:

• in the first instance "{{Repeat}}" is replaced with "1"

• in the second instance "{{Repeat}}" is replaced with "2",

• and so on.

Referencing a repeatable field internally

When a repeatable field is used within its repeatable section, you can only refer to the version of the field that exists within the same repetition (e.g., in repetition #4, you can only refer to answers of fields also in repetition #4). There are no special instructions for these references, so you can treat internal references to a repeatable field as if they are not within a repeatable section.

For more information and some examples, click here.

Referencing a repeatable field externally

The fields within a repeatable section can also be referenced from outside that repeatable section. To do so, we use a composite reference. Depending on where in the form a composite reference is used, different field components are available.

To find out more about how to use repeatable fields:

1. for logic, click here.
2. for calculations, click here.

Repeatable field components

All composite references are made up of two components:

• the field component that identifies the field,
• the repetition component that identifies the instance.

Repetition components are grouped into three categories:

• Specific instance, 
• Any and All, and

• Repeat.

Repeatable section properties

There are four properties of repeatable sections:

• the total number of repetitions instantiated;
• the number of the current repetition;
• the minimum number of repetitions that can be instantiated; and
• the maximum number of repetitions that can be instantiated.

To find out more about these properties and how to access them, please click here.