Other and N/A Choices With Logic
![Formsite other and N/A examples](https://www.formsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/formsite-other-and-na-examples-1024x576.jpg)
Multi-select items like Radio Buttons sometimes need the ability to enter an answer other than those shown. Another possibility is the need for “not applicable” or N/A as an explicit answer to a required question. The other and N/A choices may need follow-up questions or logic to operate as needed.
Other and N/A Options
![Formsite other and N/A example](https://www.formsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/formsite-other-and-na-example.png)
The Formsite items that commonly use the other and N/A options have those settings available in the form editor. For example, the Radio Button item has the option to use the last choice as “other”. That means a text input field follows the last choice in the item’s list of choices.
The text used for the last choice can be “other” or something custom like: “I need an amount not listed”. The Results Table collects the answers chosen and the other choice records the text of that answer followed by the value entered.
![Formsite other and N/A results](https://www.formsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/formsite-other-and-na-results.png)
Dropdown items act like Radio Button items in that it allows only one choice, but the “other” setting is not available as a setting. To use Dropdown items with an other choice, form owners can include a Short Answer item after the Dropdown.
Using the Rules settings, the Short Answer item would contain a rule to show when the Dropdown answer is the last choice.
Not Applicable
![Formsite other and N/A list](https://www.formsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/formsite-other-and-na-list.png)
Sometimes questions must have an answer, even if the answer is “no answer”. In those cases, the N/A option is useful. Using a Checkbox item, the form visitor can choose one or more answers. Setting the item’s Required setting requires an answer.
If the the form owner wants to allow an answer of N/A for a required question, the settings for the item contains a “use N/A choice” setting. Like the “other” setting, this option uses the last choice to prevent other answers for the item.
![Formsite other and N/A not applicable](https://www.formsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/formsite-other-and-na-not-applicable.png)
Choosing the last choice along with any other answers causes an error message to display. The error message comes from the Form Settings -> Custom Text page and can use a custom value, if needed.