Subforms in Array: How to Use Repeating Elements in Your Forms

It’s perfect when you want users to provide the same type of information multiple times — such as adding multiple contacts, items, tasks, or steps — all within one clean, expandable section.

What Is a Subform?

A Subform is a repeatable section inside your main form. It allows users to:

Fill in the same group of fields multiple times (e.g., listing products, attendees, tasks)
Keep your main form layout clean and compact
Dynamically add rows of data with minimal setup

Where to Find the Subform Element

To add a Subform:

Open your form in the Form Builder
Navigate to the Toolbox on the right-hand side
Select the Media & More tab
Drag and drop the Subform element into your form

📌 Tip: You can change the label of the subform button to something more specific, like “Add Item” or “Add Contact.”

Creating & Editing a Subform

Once you've placed the Subform element in your form:

Click the ➕ icon on the Subform element

This opens a new screen where you can build your subform.
Name your Subform
Click the text next to the folder icon at the top to rename your subform (e.g., "Attendee Info").
Add a Description Field
This will appear when users create a new row. Use it to prompt for something descriptive (e.g., "Enter contact name").
Drag Elements from the toolbox into the subform builder
Add any fields you need — text, dropdowns, numbers, etc.
Click “Done”
This saves your subform and takes you back to the main form.

Editing a Subform

To make changes later, click the ➕ icon again on the subform element in your main form to re-enter the subform editor.

Using Subforms in the Array App

Once published, subforms are easy to interact with on the Array mobile or web app.

➕ Adding a Row

Tap the “+” button on the subform element
You’ll be prompted to enter a description (e.g., "Main Contact")
After clicking Save, the subform will open
Fill in the subform fields
Click Save again to return to the main form

Each completed entry will now appear as a row beneath the subform button.

Viewing & Editing Entries

Tap an entry to edit its details
You can rename the entry by tapping the description at the top
Make your changes, then tap Done to save

Managing Subform Entries

Tap the three dots (⋮) in the top-right of any subform entry to:

Delete the entry
Duplicate the entry
Cancel the action

This makes it easy to manage multiple subform entries efficiently.

Example Use Case: Task List in a Job Form

Imagine you're building a form for a job site inspection, and you want the inspector to log each task completed on site. Using a subform, they can:

Tap “Add Task”
Fill in the task name, duration, and outcome
Save it
Repeat for each task

This keeps your main form clean while allowing for unlimited task entries.

Summary

Subforms help you:

Keep your forms tidy and organized
Collect structured, repeatable data
Improve user experience on long forms