Switch between field types

Have you ever added a field to your form, and spent time customizing it, only to realize that another field type would better suit your question? With our new field-switching feature, you no longer need to recreate fields from scratch and lose your work. The field-switching feature allows you to seamlessly convert field types while retaining shared properties, making form building more flexible and efficient.

How to switch field types

Start by selecting the field that you need to change. It is important to mention that only certain field types are compatible for switching; we will discuss these options in detail later.

Next, select the fields Settings icon to open the right-side panel. When a field can be changed, the first option in the right-side panel will be a dropdown titled Change field type that contains the compatible field types available for switching.

Once you select a new field type, the system carries over common properties such as Labels, Instructions, and other options to the new field.

Field compatibility

The field-switching feature supports two main categories:

1. Choice fields

You can switch between Single choice, Multiple choice, and Dropdown fields. This is useful if, for example, you start with a single choice question and later decide a dropdown format fits better within your form’s structure.

2. Text fields

Here you can choose between Short answer, Long answer, Email, Phone number, Link, and Number fields. If you initially choose a Short answer but realize that your question might need a more detailed answer, you can easily change the field to a Long answer.

Important mentions for live forms

If your form is already live and collecting submissions, there is an important consideration when changing field types: all collected data for that field will be lost. This happens because the field-switching action creates a new field, even though common properties remain the same.

Before switching field types on a form that has already gathered submissions, you will receive an alert notifying you about this potential data loss with an option to Duplicate & convert the new field.

The original field can be hidden using the Hide field option in the right-side panel. This way, the field no longer displays on the form but allows you to keep all the collected data in the Submissions table.

It’s also important to take into consideration that if you convert a field that was part of conditional logic rules (Field Rules, Form Rules, or Email Rules), you will need to update those rules. Remember that converting a field deletes the original, thus causing any logic that references it to break, so you’ll need to reconfigure the rules with the new field.

Related articles

• Choosing the right field type for building your form
• How to manage multiple fields on a 123FormBuilder form?
• How to Set Multiple Fields on the Same Row in 123FormBuilder