Repeating group fields

Use repeating group fields to collect multiple sets of custom data

Kyle Weiskopf avatar
Written by Kyle Weiskopf
Updated over a week ago

Overview

If you need to collect multiple sets of related data from customers, then you'll want to use a Repeating group field in the app's form builder. You can add almost all of the other custom input fields into a repeating group field to collect multiple sets of data for virtually anything you'd like!

A simple example for using a repeating group field is collecting the type, name, breed, and age from a customer who has multiple pets. We've provided some details in this help article using this particular example so you can learn more about the features and settings available within repeating group fields.

General settings

Field details

Just like all other custom fields, you can supply a label and description for a repeating group field. When defining the field label for a repeating group field, the app will prepare to create a group list data column using a handleized version of the field label.

The example below shows what a repeating group field looks like in the form builder after adding a label and description:

Pro-tip: If you do not want to display the field label on the form, then make sure to click the 'Hide label' checkbox. If you do not want to display a description, then you can simply clear out the sample content and leave the textbox blank.

Appearance

You can adjust the width of a repeating group field, but we recommend keeping these fields full-width for the best customer experience. In addition to the column width, repeating group fields have a couple extra unique settings:

  • 'Add item' button content - this controls the label of the button customers will use to add new entries to the repeating group

  • 'Delete item' button content - this controls the label of the button customers will use to delete entries from the repeating group

  • Entry heading content - this controls the label used for each entry within the repeating group

The example below shows how the settings look in the form builder, and how the repeating group would look to the customer filling out the form:

Validation

Each field you add inside of a repeating group field can have its own separate validation rules, but there are some extra validation rules that apply to the entire repeating group:

  • Minimum amount of entries

  • Maximum amount of entries

  • Invalid fields error message

These settings allow you to control the minimum and maximum number of entries for a repeating group, along with an error message that will appear to customers if they do not supply enough entries (or if there is a validation error with one of the child fields within an entry).

By default, the form will automatically show a certain number of empty entries based on the 'Minimum amount of entries' setting. For example, if 'Minimum amount of entries' is set to '0', then no entries will show until the customer clicks the 'Add item' button. If 'Minimum amount of entries' is set to '1', then one entry will show, and that entry cannot be deleted. If/when the customer hits the limit for the maximum number of entries, then the form will automatically hide the 'Add item' button.

Add fields inside a repeating group

As mentioned earlier, you can add almost any custom field you'd like inside a repeating group field. The only two custom fields that cannot be added to a repeating group field are group fields and other repeating group fields.

Please note that standard fields and address fields cannot be added inside a repeating group field.

Nested data columns

When you add a field into a repeating group it's considered a child field, and the child field will be included with each entry in the repeating group. The data column for each child field will be nested under the parent group list data column. All of the data collected for fields within a repeating group will be saved as an array inside of the parent column.

Please note that group_list data columns and their children are not supported in our Zapier integration, nor are they supported when using data column variables.

Field settings and form rules

You're welcome to edit the settings for each child field within a repeating group just like you normally would, and you can also use these fields with form rules.

In our example we've added separate fields for 'Type of pet', 'Name', 'Breed of dog', 'Breed of cat', 'Breed of bird', and 'Birthday':

We've also set up some form rules to show/hide certain 'Breed of...' fields based on the type of pet. Here's an example for the 'Dog' pet type:

Important: Please note that rule conditions for child fields are specific to each entry, not the entire form.

Examples in action

Form on storefront

Here's a screencast that shows an example of a 'Pets' repeating group field when using the form a storefront:

Data in app admin

Here's a screenshot that shows what the repeating group data for 'Pets' looks like in the app admin:

Questions or comments?

If you have any questions, or if you need any assistance using repeating group fields, please contact us via chat or email and we'll be happy to assist!

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