Overview
Tags transform forms from static questionnaires into dynamic, intelligent data collection tools. This module teaches you how tags control what questions students see, how tags are applied as students answer questions, and the critical distinction between application tags and profile tags.
What you'll learn:
How tags create real-time conditional logic in forms
The difference between inclusion and exclusion logic
Where tags save: application records vs profile records vs nowhere
How to configure tags on question choices
How form responses drive tagging and automation
Time: 20 minutes
Prerequisites: Complete PLS-4B: Applying Tags to understand tag basics
How Tags Work in Forms
Tags in forms serve two powerful purposes:
Conditional logic: Control which questions appear based on tags
Auto-tagging: Automatically apply tags based on student answers
These two capabilities work together to create forms that adapt to each student's unique situation, collecting only relevant information and automatically categorizing students for matching, assignments, and reporting.
Real-Time Tag Application
When students fill out forms in Housing.Cloud, tags are applied in real-time as they answer questions—not after they submit the entire form.
How It Works
Student selects an answer to a question (e.g., "Are you a first-year student?" → "Yes")
If that answer choice has tags attached, those tags are immediately applied
The form automatically refreshes with the new tags
Any questions with conditional logic re-evaluate and appear/disappear based on the new tags
This happens instantly—students see questions appear or disappear as they answer
Example: First-Year Housing Questions
Question 1: "What is your class standing?"
☐ First-Year → adds tag: "Class Year: First-Year"
☐ Sophomore → adds tag: "Class Year: Sophomore"
☐ Junior → adds tag: "Class Year: Junior"
☐ Senior → adds tag: "Class Year: Senior"
Question 2 (conditional): "First-year students: Do you plan to participate in First-Year Experience housing?"
Condition: Only shows if student has tag "Class Year: First-Year"
When student selects "First-Year" in Question 1, this question immediately appears
If they change their answer to "Sophomore," this question immediately disappears
Real-Time = Better Experience: Students don't have to wait until the end of the form to see relevant questions. The form adapts instantly as they answer, creating a personalized, efficient experience that collects only the data you need.
Conditional Logic: Inclusion vs Exclusion
You can configure questions to appear or disappear based on tags using two types of logic:
Inclusion Logic ("Include when")
What it does: Question appears ONLY if the student has ALL specified tags
When to use: When a question is relevant only for specific groups
Example:
Question: "Graduate students: Will you need family housing?"
Condition: Include when
Class Year: GraduateResult: Only graduate students see this question
Exclusion Logic ("Exclude when")
What it does: Question appears UNLESS the student has ANY of the specified tags
When to use: When a question should be hidden for specific groups
Example:
Question: "First-year housing policy acknowledgment"
Condition: Exclude when
Class Year: Sophomore,Class Year: Junior,Class Year: Senior,Class Year: GraduateResult: Only first-year students see this question (it's excluded for everyone else)
How to Set Conditional Logic
In the form builder, select the question you want to make conditional
Click the Condition button
Toggle between "Include when" and "Exclude when"
Search for and select the tag(s) that control visibility
For inclusion logic: student must have ALL selected tags
For exclusion logic: student must have NONE of the selected tags
Click outside the condition menu to save
The Condition button now shows a checkmark icon indicating conditions are set
Include vs Exclude Decision: Use inclusion when you can define the specific group that SHOULD see the question (e.g., "only athletes"). Use exclusion when it's easier to define who SHOULDN'T see it (e.g., "everyone except commuters").
Where Tags Save: A Critical Distinction
Not all form tags save to the same place. Understanding where tags go is crucial for using them effectively.
Application Forms → Application Tags
Where tags save: The application record for that specific housing cycle
Why: Application tags are contextual snapshots tied to that specific application (e.g., "Preferred Building: East Hall," "First Choice: Double Room," "Early Move-In Requested")
Where you see these tags:
On the application detail page in Admin → Applications
In the Roommate Finder (if tags are marked public)
Used by rulesets during auto-assignment
Important: Application tags do NOT automatically transfer to the student's profile. They stay with the application record.
Bio/Questionnaire Forms → Application Tags
Where tags save: The application record (same as application forms)
Why: Bio forms are tied to housing applications for roommate matching within a specific cycle
Where you see these tags:
On the application detail page
In the public bio profiles students browse in Roommate Finder
Used by matching rulesets to calculate compatibility
Task Forms → Tags Don't Save
Where tags save: Nowhere—task forms do NOT generate tags
Why: Task forms are purely for data collection. The responses are stored as form answers attached to task records, but no tags are created.
What this means: You can't use task form responses for conditional logic or automation. Task forms are informational only.
Additional Forms → Profile Tags (Potentially)
Where tags save: Can be configured to save to profile records or nowhere, depending on form configuration
Why: Additional forms are standalone and not tied to housing cycles, so tags can optionally be saved to the student's permanent profile
Configuration: When building the form, each question choice can have both addTags (application tags, if applicable) and addProfileTags (permanent profile tags)
Summary Table
Form Type |
Tags Save To |
Persist Across Cycles? |
Used For |
|---|---|---|---|
Application |
Application record |
No (cycle-specific) |
Matching, conditional questions, cycle eligibility |
Bio/Questionnaire |
Application record |
No (cycle-specific) |
Roommate matching, public profiles |
Task |
Nowhere |
N/A |
Data collection only |
Additional |
Profile (configurable) |
Yes (if saved to profile) |
Surveys, special requests, documentation |
Application Tags vs Profile Tags: Application tags are snapshots tied to a specific housing cycle application. They don't automatically become permanent profile characteristics. If you need tags that persist across cycles (like "Student-Athlete" or "Honors Program"), use profile field mapping or Additional forms configured with addProfileTags—not application form tags.
Configuring Tags on Question Choices
For selection-based questions (Radio, Dropdown, Checks), you can attach tags to each answer choice.
How to Add Tags to Choices
In the form builder, select a question with choices (Radio, Dropdown, or Checks)
For each choice option, you'll see a tag field or + Add Tag button
Click + Add Tag next to the choice
Search for and select the tag(s) to add when this choice is selected
You can add multiple tags to a single choice
Repeat for other choices
Example: Sleep Schedule Question
Question: "What's your preferred sleep schedule?"
☐ Early Riser (5-7am wakeup) → Tag: "Sleep Schedule: Early Riser"
☐ Night Owl (11pm-1am bedtime) → Tag: "Sleep Schedule: Night Owl"
☐ Flexible → Tag: "Sleep Schedule: Flexible"
When a student selects "Early Riser," the tag "Sleep Schedule: Early Riser" is immediately added to their application. If they change their answer to "Night Owl," the "Early Riser" tag is removed and "Night Owl" is added (because this tag category is exclusive).
Exclusive Tag Categories
If your tags belong to an exclusive category (configured in tag setup), only one tag from that category can be active at a time.
Example: "Sleep Schedule" is an exclusive category
Student selects "Early Riser" → tag applied
Student changes answer to "Night Owl" → "Early Riser" tag removed, "Night Owl" tag added
Only one sleep schedule tag can be active at a time
Non-exclusive categories allow multiple tags to accumulate (e.g., "Interests" category might have "Sports," "Music," "Reading" all active simultaneously if using checkboxes).
Common Tag Scenarios in Forms
Scenario 1: Progressive Disclosure
Goal: Show follow-up questions only when relevant
Setup:
Question 1: "Do you have any accessibility needs?" (Yes/No)
"Yes" choice adds tag: "Accessibility Required"
Question 2: "Please describe your accessibility needs" (Text field)
Condition: Include when "Accessibility Required"
Result: Students who select "No" never see the detailed question. Only students with accessibility needs provide the detailed description.
Scenario 2: Department-Specific Questions
Goal: Show different questions to different student populations
Setup:
Question 1: "What is your academic program?" (Dropdown: Undergraduate, Graduate, Medical, Law)
Each choice adds a tag: "Program: Undergraduate," "Program: Graduate," etc.
Question 2: "Graduate students: Thesis or non-thesis track?"
Condition: Include when "Program: Graduate"
Question 3: "Undergraduates: Do you plan to participate in Greek Life?"
Condition: Include when "Program: Undergraduate"
Result: Each student population sees only questions relevant to their program.
Scenario 3: Roommate Matching Questions
Goal: Collect preferences for matching algorithm
Setup:
Bio form question: "How often do you have guests over?" (Rarely, Occasionally, Frequently)
Each choice adds a tag: "Social Frequency: Rarely," "Social Frequency: Occasionally," "Social Frequency: Frequently"
These tags appear in public bio profiles
Rulesets use these tags to calculate compatibility (students with matching social frequency get higher scores)
Result: Tags drive both visibility (in Roommate Finder) and automation (in matching algorithm).
Testing Conditional Logic
Always test your conditional logic before publishing a form.
Using Form Preview to Test
In the form builder, click Preview
Form opens in student-facing view
Start answering questions and watch for conditional questions to appear/disappear
-
In the admin preview panel (left side), you can see:
Profile Tags: Tags the student already has
Assigned Tags: Tags being added as you answer questions
Manually add profile tags using + Add Profile Tag to test different scenarios
Change answers and verify tags update correctly
Verify conditional questions appear for the right tag combinations
Test Multiple Paths: Use preview to test different student scenarios. Add profile tags for "First-Year" and verify first-year questions appear. Remove that tag and add "Graduate" to verify graduate questions appear instead. Test every conditional path before publishing.
Best Practices
Keep Conditional Logic Simple
Use one or two tags for most conditional questions
Avoid complex multi-tag requirements (requires ALL of 5 tags) that may not trigger as expected
Test every conditional path thoroughly
Use Meaningful Tag Names
Tag names should be descriptive: "Sleep Schedule: Early Riser" not "Tag_42"
Group related tags in categories: "Sleep Schedule," "Study Habits," "Social Preferences"
Consistent naming makes conditional logic easier to configure and debug
Document Your Tag Strategy
Keep a spreadsheet showing which questions add which tags
Document which tags control which conditional questions
Share this with your team so everyone understands the logic
Mark Important Tags as Public
Tags that should appear in Roommate Finder need to be marked "public" in tag configuration
Sleep schedule, study habits, social preferences should be public so students can browse compatible roommates
Administrative tags (priority status, special accommodations) should be private
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Conditional Question Never Appears
Possible causes:
Student doesn't have the required tag(s)
Earlier question that should add the tag isn't working
Condition uses "Include when" requiring ALL tags, but student only has some
Solution: Use preview to verify tags are being added correctly. Check that the conditional question's required tags match the tags being added by earlier questions.
Question Disappears After Student Answers
Cause: Student's answer added an exclusion tag
Example: Question has "Exclude when Class Year: Graduate" but student selected "Graduate" in an earlier question
Solution: Review your exclusion logic. This may be intentional behavior (question should hide for graduates) or an error in your conditional configuration.
Tags Aren't Saving to Profile
Cause: Application form and Bio form tags save to the application, not the profile
Solution: This is expected behavior. If you need tags that persist on profiles across cycles, use profile field mapping (covered in PLS-4) or Additional forms configured with addProfileTags.
Key Takeaways
Tags are applied in real-time as students answer questions, creating dynamic, responsive forms
Conditional logic controls which questions appear based on tags using inclusion (show if has tags) or exclusion (hide if has tags)
Application and Bio forms save tags to the application record, not the student's profile
Task forms don't save tags at all—they're purely for data collection
Selection-based questions (Radio, Dropdown, Checks) can have tags attached to each choice
Exclusive tag categories ensure only one tag from that category is active at a time
Always test conditional logic using form preview before publishing
What's Next
Now that you understand how tags create intelligent, conditional forms, you're ready to learn about Additional forms—standalone forms that work differently from cycle-attached forms.
Continue to: PLS-5C: Additional Forms - Standalone Data Collection