Validating data at the point of entry can be vital when a value must be within a specific range, length, or format. This can inform users about the data required within fields and ensure accuracy.

Formulas using functions from our Formula Cheat Sheet make this possible, and if you’re looking for more granular control of alphanumeric text, Regular Expressions (Regex) are also supported.

Standard Validation

The following standard options are available for validating user answers before looking into implementing custom formulas.

Property	Description	What it looks like
Required	On almost all field types. Enforces the user to provide an answer, eliminating the possibility of missing data in key form fields.  This property also includes a conditional logic option for when a field becomes required. Example If the answer to a safety checklist question is “Failed”, then you can use the conditional logic to make it a requirement that the user submits a photo of the item/asset being inspected.
Date Range	On Date / Time fields.  Allows a minimum and maximum date range to be set, preventing the user from selecting a date outside of it.
Number Range	On Numeric fields.  Allows a minimum and maximum number range to be set, preventing the user from selecting a number outside of it.
Answer Format	On Text fields.  Choose a common formatting rule to which the value entered conforms. – Email Address – Local Phone – International Phone – Web Address – List of Emails

Validation Behaviour

You have full control over how validation happens on every page of your form. The default behavior is “Inline”, but you can change it by selecting a page field in your form and specifying the validation type for that page.

• Inline
  Validation occurs immediately after the user has entered a value into a field.
• Page Change
  Validation occurs when the user tries to navigate to another Page.
• End of Form
  Validation allows the user to leave this page while fields remain invalid, and validation checks are performed only when the entry is to be uploaded.

Custom Validation

The “Custom Validation” property is available on almost every field type. It allows a formula to be defined that checks whether a value is valid according to a business-specific rule or requirement.

If a formula result is TRUE, the value is valid. If FALSE, the value is invalid, and a default or custom validation message will be displayed in the app.

Formulas can be entered directly into the property or using the Formula Builder by clicking the hammer icon.

You can reference the data name of the field to which you are applying the validation without using the VAL() function, i.e., {{field1}} as opposed to VAL(‘field1’). VAL() is generally used in the Dynamic Value property of a field when its current value needs to be referenced to drive its new value.

The Custom Validation property requires a FALSE result to trigger (i.e., this value is FALSE, hence not valid, notify user) and, in turn, display the validation message.

With a FALSE result triggering the validation message, there are three common methods for creating a formula to do this, depending on your preference.

For example, let’s trigger validation if a number is less than or equal to 100. Assuming the data name of the validated field is numeric.

Option 1

Add a formula that checks if the value is what you need.

{{numeric}} > 100

As long as the value entered is above 100, the result is TRUE. As soon as it falls below or equals 100, the result is FALSE, triggering validation.

Option 2

Add a formula that checks if the value is not what you need.

Encase a condition in a NOT() function.

NOT({{numeric}} <= 100)

The condition returns TRUE when the value is less than or equal to 100, and NOT() inverts it to FALSE(), triggering the validation.

Option 3

Add a formula that lets you specify the result of a condition.

Using an IF() function.

IF({{numeric}} <= 100 , FALSE() , TRUE())

When the IF() function’s condition is TRUE, and the value is less than or equal to 100, the IF() function returns FALSE, triggering the validation.

Data Validation

The following examples touch on a few types of data validation.

Range Validation+

Check whether a value falls within a given range.

For example, a number needs to be greater than 100 and less than 200. Validation formulas would look like this:

Example 1

{{dataname}} > 100 AND {{dataname}} < 200

Example 2

NOT({{dataname}} <= 100) AND NOT({{dataname}} >= 200)

Example 3

IF({{dataname}} <= 100, FALSE(), TRUE()) AND IF({{dataname}} >= 200, FALSE(), TRUE())

Length Validation+

Check if a value’s number of characters falls between a set range of values.

For example, a value’s character length needs to be greater than 10 and less than 20. Validation formulas would look like this:

Example 1

STRING-LENGTH({{dataname}}) > 10 AND STRING-LENGTH({{dataname}}) < 20

Example 2

NOT(STRING-LENGTH({{dataname}}) <= 10) AND NOT(STRING-LENGTH({{dataname}}) >= 20)

Example 3

IF(STRING-LENGTH({{dataname}}) <= 10 OR STRING-LENGTH({{dataname}}) >= 20, FALSE(), TRUE())

Format Validation+

Check if a value’s format starts with or contains a set of values.

For examples (1-3), validation formulas would look like this:

A value must not contain special characters (#, %, &).

Example 1

NOT(CONTAINS({{dataname}} , ‘#’) OR CONTAINS({{dataname}} , ‘%’) OR CONTAINS({{dataname}} , ‘&’))

Example 2

IF(CONTAINS({{dataname}} , ‘#’) OR CONTAINS({{dataname}} , ‘%’) OR CONTAINS({{dataname}} , ‘&’) , FALSE() , TRUE())

A value needs to start with the text ‘AB-‘:

Example 1

STARTSWITH({{dataname}} , ‘AB-‘)

A value needs to contain the text ‘@=at’:

Example 1

CONTAINS({{dataname}} , ‘@=at’)

Consistency Validation+

Check if a value needs to be greater or less than another value. For example, a start date needs to be before an end date, and vice versa.

On Date/Time fields, validation formulas would look like:

For the start date.

Example 1

{{startDate}} < {{endDate}}

Example 2

NOT({{startDate}} > {{endDate}})

Example 3

IF({{startDate}} > {{endDate}} , FALSE() , TRUE())

For the end date.

Example 1

{{startEnd}} > {{startDate}}

Example 2

NOT({{endDate}} < {{startDate}})

Example 3

IF({{endDate}} < {{startDate}} , FALSE() , TRUE())