How can I streamline a multi-step branching form workflow in n8n?

Below is some guidance based on how the n8n Form node and associated branching functionality work.

Multi‑Page Forms and Branches

n8n lets you build multi‑step forms where the first page collects general data (in your case, traveler data) and then you conditionally direct users to additional pages via subsequent Form nodes. The current design means that different “pages” (or steps) are essentially separate form nodes that you link together. This is required when different branches (such as Hotel, Flight, Car, Ferry) have their own questions. While it might seem like you’re creating several forms, you can reuse logic by duplicating and slightly modifying a base form rather than building each from scratch.

Executing Multiple Branches

When a user selects one or more options in a dropdown, you can use a Switch node (as shown in one of the official examples) to determine which branch(s) should run. In workflows where multiple branches execute sequentially, note that n8n only displays one final Form Ending page (the one associated with the last branch). This behavior means that even if a user selects more than one option, you can design your workflow to show the completion step from the final branch.

For example, if a user selects Hotel and Flight, you could have the Hotel branch first (with its own Form node) and then, once completed, move on to the Flight branch—all within the same workflow.

Populating the Dropdown Dynamically

At this time, the n8n Form node requires the form fields (and their options) to be defined using JSON. There isn’t an out‑of‑the‑box feature to dynamically populate a dropdown list without pre‑defining the values and/or endpoint for each branch. The typical approach is to hard-code your options in the JSON definition. For example:

JAVASCRIPTCopied
[
  {
    "fieldLabel": "What do you need?",
    "fieldType": "dropdown",
    "fieldOptions": {
      "values": [
        { "option": "Flight" },
        { "option": "Hotel" },
        { "option": "Car" },
        { "option": "Ferry" }
      ]
    },
    "multiselect": true,
    "requiredField": true
  }
]

If your business logic requires a dynamic list, you’d typically need to use an external process (for example, an API call to fetch options) and then create or update the form definition—this would involve more custom integration.

In Summary

• Multiple Forms: Although it might feel heavy to have several form nodes, you can build a workflow where one form collects traveler data and then uses a Switch node to execute only the necessary branch(es). Each branch (Hotel, Flight, etc.) will have its own Form node.
• Branching: Use a Switch node to route to the proper form branch based on the user’s dropdown selections. Keep in mind that in multi‑branch workflows, only the final Form Ending node is displayed.
• Dropdown Population: Currently, dropdown options must be defined statically in the JSON. There isn’t a built‑in way to have the form node automatically populate options from external data without additional setup.

This approach is consistent with how the Form node and branching are implemented in n8n. If you decide to refactor, consider creating a base template that you can duplicate for each branch to minimize repetition.

Hope this helps clarify your options for building your multi‑step, branching form workflow in n8n!