FormWork supports repeatable field groups, including groups nested inside other groups. Use them when a respondent needs to enter an unknown number of related items, rather than squeezing each item into a fixed set of numbered fields.
Example: companies and their contacts
A client onboarding form might collect several companies, each with several contacts:
- A company group contains the company name and registration details.
- Inside each company, a repeatable contact group contains a person’s name and contact details.
- Respondents add the number of companies and contacts they need.
This is an implementation pattern, not a claim that a complete onboarding application is included. You still configure the fields, validation, and subsequent review process.
Stable identity matters when items move
Repeated instances have stable IDs. Reordering an item changes its position without making it a different item. This is useful when calculations, workflow steps, or a custom interface need to refer to the same instance after a respondent edits a list.
The API represents answers as a flat map of paths to primitive JSON values. A repeated field can have a path such as:
line_items[item_a].quantityThe repeated group stores the ordered instance IDs. Nested paths identify the hierarchy without requiring a different database column for every possible item. Follow the exact answer format in the form structure documentation and API reference.
Working with the results
Use For Each workflow steps to process repeated data, templates to render it, and entry administration to inspect submissions. Conditions and validation still need to be designed for the repeated structure.
Field IDs become part of answer paths. Choose them carefully: the builder does not let you change a field’s ID or type after creation. Publish structural changes through form versions, and test integrations against representative nested answers.
See the data modelling article for the design rationale, or client onboarding for a practical walkthrough.