Loop Screens allow for more complicated configurations of how captured data is related to itself, i.e. nested Loops or multiple internal screens related to one Key Field.

Loop Screens

For users that are familiar with the Legacy Builder, Loop Screens were previously the only type of repeating screen that allowed users to either capture data in a simple Table layout or in more complicated schemas, referred to as Advanced Loops.

Since Tables suffice for most use cases, the primary reason to opt for a Loop Screen over a Table is when a complicated repeating layout is needed. 

For more information on specifically creating Tables, visit the Help Center article, "Creating Tables in the Builder."

Use Cases

There are two main use cases for which Advanced Loops comes in handy.

Nested Loop Internal Conditional Screen

Casually referred to as a "Loop within a Loop," a Nested Loop is a set of repeating fields that relate to a secondary Key Field, all related back to the primary Key Field.

An easy to visualize example is a moving company. When quoting a job, a mover would want to know how many rooms are in the house and the amount of furniture in each room. This is technically two Loops where the second is dependent on the first. Without the first Loop, the furniture is not assigned to a room and without the second Loop, the movers won't know how many items are in a room.

As each house is different, a simple Table would provide the flexibility to add as many room as is needed for a specific house but a Nested Loop allows for each room to not only have furniture listed but details about those pieces provided as well. Movers may need to know the dimensions or weight of specific furniture and a Nested Loop is the only clean way to manage this entire example.

A conditional screen triggered by information captured in the first internal screen.

Conditions can hide or reveal an entire screen based on choices made in the previous screen. Let's say our moving company from above wants to note whether an item is damaged before they handled it to protect them from liability. But taking that additional step may only be needed a few times and would be a waste of time to bring the screen up for every line item. A conditional screen would only be required should the mover note that a piece is already damaged.

Another example could be a home inspector that wants to capture unique information about each item that fails an inspection. They want to enter a description of the damage, actions to remedy it, and capture some pictures of it. If most items pass the inspection, the failed item screen only needs to show if you indicate that it has failed.

Methods for Creating Loops

There are several methods for creating Loop Screens and Advanced Loops.

From the Center Workspace

Loops Screens can be created by converting a Screen.

1. In the center workspace, below the current last screen of the form, click Add Screen.

   

2. Click the ellipsis icon in the upper right corner of the screen to expand the menu and select Convert to Loop.

   

3. If your screen does not already have a field, the modal that pops up will require you to create a Key Field. If your Screen already has a field, the modal will give you an option to create a new Key Field or select an existing field to be the Key Field. Click Done to close the modal.

   

   

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to create a Nested Loop, this time clicking the second ellipsis that is in line with the internal screen to expand the menu and select Convert to Loop.

   

5. Once all screens are looped as needed, be sure to label each screen clearly. At this point, you can start adding fields to finalize the Loop Screen.

From the Outline

Loop Screens can be created by Looping a Screen from the Outline or dragging additional screens into an existing Loop.

Loop Icon Drag and Drop

Either click Add Screen from the Outline or choose an existing screen. Hover over the screen block in the Outline and a circular arrow icon will appear on the right side labelled "Loop this screen." Click this icon to launch the the Key Screen modals, mentioned above under "From the Center Workspace."

To create a nested loop, just click the circular arrow icon in the box for the internal screen. Or use the drag and drop method to add a secondary internal screen. Add fields to the Loop Screen from the center workspace as usual.

From the Outline, find an existing Loop Screen or create a new one using one of the alternative methods in this article. You'll also need an additional screen that will then be dragged and dropped into the Loop Screen.

Please note that Loop Screens cannot be dragged into another Loop Screen but additional screens, Lists, or Tables can be dragged into a Loop Screen. Please remember that the more complex that a Loop Screen is, the longer it will take to complete for the user.

From the Screen Settings

Loop Screens can also be created from an existing Table. The Screen Style setting Labels Above is synonymous with Loop Screens. So changing a Table from Table or Table (pre-populated) to Labels Above will automatically convert the Table to a Loop Screen.

Select the screen from the center workspace or Outline to open Screen Settings in the left panel. Expand the Style menu and select Labels Above.

Mobile users will interact with a Loop Screen slightly differently than a Table. There is an initial screen for the Key Field and each subsequent internal screen or Nested Loop will be it's own screen. All internal screens must be completed before the user can return to the very first Key Field screen to add another line item. Please keep this in mind when deciding to use Advanced Loops because it does take longer to complete a form with an Advanced Loop. 

Additionally, the Test in browser function has a limited functionality for Advanced Loops so Save and Publish the form to test it on mobile.