Gravity Forms Conditional Logic Not Working? Here’s How to Fix It (and Go Beyond)

Gravity Forms conditional logic depends on three things: field setup, JavaScript, and plugin or theme interactions. When any of these misfires, forms break unpredictably. Logic barely works, as fields vanish, notifications don’t send, and confirmations go missing. 
 
There are more than a few easy ways to fix this, don’t worry. Keep reading, we’ll walk you through them. 

Here’s what usually causes Gravity Forms’ Conditional Logic to stop working: 

• Field Setup Problems: If your conditional rules point at the wrong field type, mismatch hidden or pre-filled values, or use the wrong operator (“contains” vs “is”), logic will fail. For instance, a multi-select field using “is” won’t trigger properly, but switching the operator to “contains” usually fixes that. 
    

• JavaScript Errors: Errors from other plugins or your theme can stop Gravity Forms’ scripts mid-run. Open your browser console and look for red errors mentioning gf or gravity forms. That way, you can find the source of the conflict. 
    

• Theme or Plugin Conflicts: Scripts that mess with the DOM, load their own Query libraries, or modify page behaviour can break conditional logic. Switching temporarily to a default WordPress theme is a good way to diagnose this. 
   

• Caching Issues: Sometimes old scripts get loaded instead of the newest version. That can make rules look like they’re not working. 
  

Setting up your fields correctly is just the start. Gravity Forms has some built-in limitations that can make forms behave unexpectedly:  

• No Nested Conditions: You can’t combine multiple AND/OR rules for a single field, confirmation, or feed. 
    

• Limited Field Comparisons: Native logic can’t dynamically compare one field’s value to another without custom code or an add-on. 
    

• No Dynamic Rule Generation: Rules won’t automatically trigger based on calculations or multiple field inputs; this includes dates as well. 
    

• Multi-Page Form Limitations: Logic can break across pages if hidden fields don’t carry over properly. 
    

These restrictions explain why some forms seem “broken” even when everything looks correct in the editor. 

Most issues stem from setup or environment. Start with these fixes to rule out the common causes. 

1. Check Field Setup

First, make sure the fields themselves aren’t the problem. 

• Match operators to the field type (like “contains” for multi-select, “is” for single-value).
  

• Make sure hidden and pre-filled fields load properly when the page opens.
  

• Also make sure that all referenced fields exist and aren’t being removed by other scripts.
  

Example: A hidden date field that keeps today’s date needs to use a format that matches your conditional rule. Otherwise, a rule like “before Feb 14” won’t trigger. 

2. Clear Cache 

Cached files can stop your latest changes from taking effect. Even properly configured rules can look broken if you’re loading an old script. 

• Clear your browser cache.
  

• Clear out caching plugins or server-side caches, like Varnish or Redis.
  

• Test in an incognito window to see if fresh scripts load

  
  

3. Disable Conflicting Plugins 

Plugins that modify scripts or layouts can mess with logic. 

• Turn off plugins one by one, testing after each change.
  

• Watch for plugins that change the DOM, sliders, pop-ups, or optimisation tools.
   
• Replace or isolate any plugin that causes conflicts.
  

Example: Autoptimise’s JavaScript minification sometimes breaks conditional logic. Turning it off usually fixes things. 

4. Enable No Conflict Mode

This mode separates Gravity Forms scripts from external ones. 

• Turn it on in Gravity Forms settings.
  

• If the form works afterward, another script was the culprit

  
  

5. Test in a Default Theme 

Themes can block logic just like plugins can. 

• Change to a default WordPress theme- like Twenty Twenty-Four.
   
• Test the form.
    
• If it works there, your original theme might be injecting scripts or styles, causing problems.
    

Troubleshooting tip: You can test changes on a staging site to avoid bothering your live users. 

At some point, you’ll need Advanced Conditional Logic (ACL). Sometimes the setup is fine, but built-in logic can’t handle the tricky workflows. 

• Multi-step Forms: Hidden fields don’t always carry forward, causing failures in multi-step logic. 
    

• Conditional Calculations or Pricing: Anything that needs to compare multiple fields will likely fail with default logic. 
    

• Complex Visibility Rules: Showing or hiding fields based on dates, roles, or combined conditions isn’t possible without extra logic.

ACL adds smarter logic to Gravity Forms. You can create nested, dynamic, multi-field rules that make forms behave exactly how you want, with no extra coding tricks needed. 

What Makes Advanced Conditional Logic Different

• Nested AND/OR conditions: Mix rules for more precise control.
    
• Multi-field dependencies: Fields can respond to several others at once
  

• Field-to-field comparisons: Compare values directly instead of just checking if a field is filled
  

• Dynamic rules: Work based on dates, calculations, or user roles
  

• Integrations: Plays nicely with Gravity Flow, PayPal, and Webhooks.
    

How Our Advanced Conditional Logic Plugin Fixes Conditional Logic Problems 

• Reliable rendering: Fields won’t vanish halfway through the form
  

• Error handling & debugging: Logs broken rules so you can fix them fast
  

• Avoids native bugs: Runs logic without depending on the default JavaScript triggers.
    

Use Example: You can set your form to show a membership checkbox only if today’s date is before Feb 14 and the user role is Subscriber. 

Download Advanced Conditional Logic for Gravity Forms 

Advanced Conditional Logic makes sure your fields don’t disappear halfway through the form. It logs any broken rules so you can fix them fast. And it skips the usual Gravity Forms quirks, so your logic actually works the way you set it up. 

How To Set Up Advanced Conditional Logic (ACL) 

Setup is fast and easy. Here’s the quick rundown: 

1. Grab the Plugin

• Download the ACL plugin ZIP file from your source.
    

 2. Upload and Activate 

• Go to WordPress Dashboard > Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin.
  

• Upload the ZIP, then click Activate.
  

• Don’t worry, any current conditional logic in your forms will keep working.
    

 3. Check Your Form Fields 

• Open a form in Gravity Forms.
  

• Click a field and you’ll see the Advanced Logic section.
  

• Start adding new rules and operators.
    

 4. Optional: Use ACL on Notifications & Confirmations 

• Edit a notification or make a custom confirmation.
  

• Scroll down and switch on ACL.

Default confirmations won’t work with ACL, so make a new one if needed.

 5. Test It Out

Once done, try your form with different inputs to make sure the rules fire right. Check notifications and confirmations too, everything should work as expected

Gravity Forms Conditional Logic stops working mostly because of hidden fields, wrong operators, caching, or sneaky plugin conflicts. Check those first. Usually, that’s enough to fix it. 

After that, your forms should start cooperating. A few tweaks, a quick console peek, maybe clearing caches, and most issues will disappear. Everything runs smoothly, and submissions flow as they should. 

If you want to handle complex, nested rules without headaches, Advanced Conditional Logic is your best bet. Otherwise, focus on the basics and get back to building your forms.


Learn more about our WordPress Plugins, and Advanced Conditional Logic for Gravity Forms here.