Forms - Multi-line text box option not working?

Genevieve P.

Hi all,

It's expected that the Multi-Line option would be greyed out if you're also looking to add Validation.

Validation on a Text field has to be applied to a single line. (For example, you wouldn't want a multi-line box to record and validate a Phone Number).

You should be able to set a Multi-Line text box to be required though, without the Display option being greyed out. I've been trying to replicate what you're describing, but as long as you have "No Validation" set, the Multi option should be available.

If anyone on this thread can replicate the issue while still having "No Validation" selected, it would be very helpful to see screen captures!

Thanks,

Genevieve

SShah

I am still having this issue. I do not have required checked. I check NO Validation and then check Multi Line. It then resets my validation to Phone and the Multi Line is no longer an option. I have tried multiple times with no luck. I have an enterprise account.

Screenshot 2022-05-25 110048.png

Screenshot 2022-05-25 110026.png

Lynn Meadow

I am having the same exact issue and I cannot do anything to get it to accept the multi-line. I have removed it, saved, rea-added the field, toggled the required and the validation. Every time i change it to no validation and then select multi-line, it automatically changes it back to "Email" as a form of validation.

Genevieve P.

Hi @Lynn Meadow

Please contact Smartsheet Support with the behaviour you're experiencing, including a screen recording , showing both the form set-up and the underlying sheet, along with the sheet URL. They'll be able to troubleshoot this with you in a private channel where you can share more details.

Thanks!

Genevieve

Chris Carter

Is there a fix for this issue? The posted work around does not work for me.

ApisCreativeHornbeck

Thanks! That was a big help.

Yan Dong

It was so tricky. you have to click on "Multi-line Text Box", not try to click on the radio button. I was crazy about the issue and just figured that out just by accident.

Matthew Hoffman

@Yan Dong Thank you for solving this!

CatherinePaine

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/328097#Comment_328097

I tried this but didn't work first time. For me it work not on the 'required' option text but when i toggled the 'hidden' field. Definitely buggy (a small bug not fixed for many years it seems!) but keep toggling away and it will fix itself in the end. Thank you community!

Erin L Foley

This problem intermittently occurs for me, and I have not figured out a reliable workaround.

• The Form field in question was not and never has been toggled as "required"
• There is no logic associated with it.
• I've tried changing the field type, saving the form, and then changing it back to text/number (this intermittently works, but not today!)
• I've tried deleting the field, saving the form, and then adding it back.
• However, that approach has no impact on the 2nd field in the same form where this problem is appearing.

Notice that as soon as I try to select the "multi-line" option, the "Email" field starts to get highlighted. At other times, the "Phone" field gets toggled.

Helena Hamilton

I also encountered this bug. My form was super simple, nothing required, nothing hidden, no logic. I must have tried, unsuccessfully 20 times to select "Multi-line text box". Each time, the Validation radio button would jump from "No validation" to one of the other validation options (often phone or e-mail) and "Multi-line text box" would be greyed out. No matter how many times I re-set the validation to "No validation", it would update as soon as I clicked on "Multi-line text box" (as stated above, just hovering over the "Multi-line text box" radio button, I could see which validation button was going to toggle on because the button would turn shaded). I finally deleted the entire form and started over and this time it worked. This is definitely an intermittent bug.

Donna Claes

@Yan Dong Thank you! This worked! This was driving me crazy!