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Operators are the middle word in When field operator value. They decide whether a rule’s Then actions should run. Studio only shows operators that make sense for the field type you picked. If an operator is missing from the dropdown, that field family does not support it — pick a different operator or a different source field.

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How to pick an operator in Studio

1

Open a rule editor

Open Logic → Rules, or use Branch / Add condition on a field. Every rule has a When section at the top.
2

Pick the source field

In the first dropdown, select the field whose answer you want to test. Only fields that exist on an earlier or the current page are reliable on first load — later-page answers stay blank until the respondent reaches them.
3

Choose the operator

The middle dropdown lists only operators valid for that field’s type. Labels may change by family (e.g. After on dates vs Greater than on numbers) — the behavior matches the operator pages linked below.
4

Enter or pick the comparison value

Type a literal, pick option chips, or open the same Value control and pick another field’s live answer. Operators like Is empty need no value.
5

Set match mode and add Then actions

Use All when every clause must pass, Any when one is enough. Nest groups for (A AND B) OR C. Then add Then actions — show, hide, require, jump, and more.
6

Preview on Fill

Open Fill from Studio and walk through the form. Change answers and confirm rules fire when you expect — especially for blank fields, multi-select, and cross-page references.
Unsure which operator fits? Start with Equals for exact matches, Is empty / Is not empty for skipped vs answered, Contains for partial text or “one of these options selected”, and Is any of for allow-lists on choices.

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How match groups work (ALL vs ANY)

Every When row or nested group has a match mode: You can nest groups inside groups. An empty group (no clauses) never matches.
Fail-closed by design. If a clause is incomplete (missing field, unknown operator, or empty comparison value where one is required), that clause counts as false — the rule does not fire by accident.

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Golden rules for blank answers

Is empty and Is not empty are the only operators meant for unanswered fields. Everything else assumes there is something to compare.

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Field-type → allowed operators

Studio groups block types into families. The table below is the full list of operators each family supports.

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Text fields

Email, phone, URL, textarea, rich text, password, and most other free-text blocks.

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Number fields

Integer, number stepper, currency, range slider, flex slider, rating, year, duration, and calculated results stored as numbers.

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Date & time fields

Date, time, date-time, and month pickers.
Date fields do not offer “greater than or equal” or “less than or equal” in Studio. Use after / before with the exact boundary date, or compare a number field instead.

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Choice fields

Select, radio, checkbox list, tags, country, NPS, dual listbox, choice cards, and similar pick-one or pick-many blocks.

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Yes / no fields

Toggle and single checkbox blocks.

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Presence fields (uploads, signatures, composites)

File, image, video, signature, map picker, repeater, matrix, date range, and other blocks where “answered” means something was provided — not a simple scalar.

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Default (fallback)

Any block type not listed above gets equality and empty checks only.

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Operator catalog

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Equality

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Numbers & dates

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Text & membership

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Choice lists

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Empty / filled

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Special

  • Always — used by Calculated fields; not in the normal When picker

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Compare to another answer

In the Value control, type a fixed value or open the dropdown and pick an input field. The clause then compares the source field to whatever the respondent typed in another field (live, as they fill). You still pick a normal operator (Equals, Greater than, …). Only the right-hand side is dynamic.
Referencing a field on a later page stays blank until the respondent reaches that page — so early-page rules that depend on later answers will not match yet.

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Test on fill (quick checklist)

1

Open Fill preview

From Studio, launch Fill in a new tab so you see the respondent experience.
2

Walk the happy path

Enter values that should make your When true. Confirm Then actions appear (fields show, require, jump, etc.).
3

Try blank and edge cases

Leave fields empty, pick “wrong” options, and change answers back — rules should turn off when When becomes false.
4

Check cross-page references

If you compared to another field or read a later page, navigate page-by-page and confirm timing matches your intent.
The field type does not support that operator. Check the family tables above or pick a different source field.
Incomplete clause (empty comparison value), blank source answer, or a later Hide / conflicting rule overriding your Then.
Often a cross-page field reference or a multi-select interpreted with the wrong operator (e.g. Equals vs Equals set).
By design — use Is empty for the skipped path. Not equals requires an actual answer.
Last modified on September 7, 2026