Building Branching Logic in List Forms

Posted on February 27, 2025 by WonderLaura One comment

I’m excited to show you a new functionality in SharePoint, that is long awaited! Modern list forms in SharePoint now have branching logic capabilities! In this post and video, I’ll walk you through the process of building branching logic in Microsoft List Forms. SharePoint Lists = Microsoft Lists

This is a fantastic new feature that allows you to create dynamic, user-friendly forms that adjust based on the selections users make. It’s still rolling out (2/2025), so you may not see it in your environment just yet, but once you do, you’ll be able to streamline data entry in ways that weren’t previously possible in Microsoft/SharePoint Lists.

In this example, I’ll show you how to create conditional form experiences with branching logic, using a new employee onboarding form as an example. Whether you’re managing employee information, project requests, or approvals, branching logic can make your forms more intuitive, efficient, and structured.

In the associated video below, I also demonstrate a comparison between this SharePoint branching logic, and the Microsoft Forms branching logic. In addition to that, I show how to create logic in a Power App form, so that you can see the difference in interface, capabilities and complexity.

Here are the branching logic steps:

Create Your List and Define the Columns

Before we jump into configuring branching logic, we first need a SharePoint list with all the necessary columns.

For this example, I’ve created an Employee Onboarding form that captures different details based on the type of employee being added. Here are the columns I’ve included. These steps are also shown in the video below.

First Name (Single line of text)
Last Name (Single line of text)
Employee Type (Choice: Full Time, Part Time, Contractor)
Contracting Company Name (Single line of text) (Only needed if the employee is a contractor.)
Department (Choice: IT, Marketing, HR, Finance) (Only needed for full-time and part-time employees.)
IT Admin Access (Single line of text) (Only needed if the employee is in IT.)
Marketing Software Required? (Choice: Yes, No) (Only needed for Marketing employees.)
Marketing Software Needed (Choice: Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, CAD software) (Only needed if marketing software is required)
Computer software needs (Choice: for IT dept, a list of software your IT dept uses) (only if dept is IT)
IT software needed (Single line of text) (only if dept is IT)
Work Location (Choice: Office, Remote)
Ship Equipment (Choice: Yes, No) (Only needed if the employee is remote.)
Shipping Address (Single line of text) (Only needed if shipping equipment is required.)
Manager Name (Person) (All employees need this field.)

Once your list is set up with these columns, you’re ready to customize your form and introduce branching logic!

Build the modern form

To begin customizing the form, follow these steps:

1. Go to your Microsoft List and click on the Forms button to open the modern forms box.

2. Click the New form button. Note that you could potentially create multiple intake forms from here.

This will bring you to the form editing page. On this screen, you have the option to add a logo, title, and description at the top of your form. Note that you also have the ability to add descriptions when you click on each field on the form. Unfortunately, the descriptions you may have added when you created the columns in the list, will not automatically be on this form.

Create Branching Logic

3. Click the Branching logic button, shown in the screenshot here, beneath the editing pencil on the side of the form. This lets you toggle back and forth between editing the form’s fields and setting up the branching logic.

You’ll now see a list of all the fields in your form. This is where we’ll define the conditions that determine which fields appear based on the user’s selections.

4. Define branching logic for each field

Here’s where the magic happens! We’ll now configure each field’s branching rules, to control how the form behaves based on Employee Type, Department, Work Location, and several other fields.

The Fields and Logic

Employee Type Field

Since different employee types require different fields, we’ll set up the following rules:

If “Contractor” is selected, show Contracting Company Name and then skip directly to Work Location (contractors don’t need to select a department).
If “Full Time” or “Part Time” is selected, show Department (since these employees belong to a specific department).

Contracting Company Name Field

After this field, skip directly to Work Location (Contractors don’t need department-related questions).

Department Field

We need different fields to appear based on the department selected:

If “IT” is selected, show IT Admin Access (IT employees often require special admin access).
If “Marketing” is selected, show Marketing Software Required (Marketing employees may need access to special tools).
If “HR” or “Finance” is selected, skip directly to Work Location (since no additional fields are required for these departments).

IT Admin Access Field

After this field, show IT Software Needs (if applicable).

Marketing Software Required Field

If “Yes” is selected, show Marketing Software List (so users can specify required software).
If “No” is selected, skip to Work Location.

Work Location Field

If “Remote” is selected, show Ship Equipment (since remote employees may need a company-provided laptop, monitor, etc.).
If “Office” is selected, skip to Manager Name (since no shipping is required).

Ship Equipment Field

If “Yes” is selected, show Shipping Address (so users can specify where to send the equipment).
If “No” is selected, skip to Manager Name.

With these rules in place, we now have a form that dynamically hides and reveals fields based on the user’s responses, ensuring that only relevant questions are displayed!

Test Your Form

Now that all the branching rules are in place, it’s time to test the form thoroughly.

With the form still open on your screen, click the Preview button at the top right.
Select different Employee Type values and confirm that the correct fields appear.
Try different Department options to verify that only the relevant fields are shown.
Select Remote for Work Location and check if the Ship Equipment field appears as expected.
Go through multiple scenarios to ensure the form behaves correctly for all potential inputs.

If something doesn’t work as expected, go back into the Branching Logic settings and adjust the conditions accordingly.

Share Your Form

Once you’re satisfied with the form, it’s time to share it with others!

Click on the Share button in the form settings.
Copy the form link and distribute it to the appropriate team members.
Remember, users don’t need access to the underlying list—they can simply fill out the form without seeing the data in the list.

Why Use Branching Logic in Microsoft List Forms?

1. Improved User Experience

Branching logic ensures that users only see the fields that are relevant to them, reducing confusion and making the form easier to complete.

2. Streamlined Data Entry

Users don’t have to scroll past unnecessary fields, making the form faster to fill out.

3. Reduced Data Entry Errors

By eliminating irrelevant fields, you reduce the risk of users entering incorrect or unnecessary data.

4. Professional & Dynamic Forms

Branching logic transforms static forms into smart, dynamic interfaces—a big improvement over traditional SharePoint forms.

Conclusion

That’s it! You’ve now successfully created a dynamic form with branching logic in Microsoft List Forms.

This feature is a game-changer for anyone who wants to create smarter, more efficient forms without writing a single line of code. Whether you’re onboarding employees, managing project requests, or collecting travel requests, branching logic makes your Microsoft Lists forms far more intuitive and user-friendly.

As always, let me know if you have any questions—I’d love to hear how you’re using this feature!

Happy form building, and here is the associated video: