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Builder review8 min readUpdated June 5, 2026

Show/hide rules and conditional sections

Handle InfoPath formatting rules that showed or hid sections based on state fields or field values.

Quick answer

In short

Show/hide rules can become either separate virtual screens or Power Apps Visible formulas. The right pattern depends on whether the source form behaved like a wizard/app or a single form with conditional fields.

Most likely cause

Large one-view forms become unusable when all hidden sections are generated on one screen without translating the state logic.

What to do next

Use virtual screens for major application sections. Use Visible formulas for small conditional field groups inside a data-entry screen.

Virtual screen pattern

Use this when the form used hidden state fields to create different pages inside one InfoPath view. Buttons should navigate between generated screens rather than toggle every section on a single canvas.

Visible formula pattern

Use this when a field or small group should appear only under a condition, such as showing a denial reason only when Denied is selected. In Power Apps, this usually becomes a DataCard.Visible or container Visible formula.

Review carefully when

  • A condition references a secondary data source.
  • A condition uses XPath functions that need Power Fx translation.
  • Several rules set Show/Hide fields in a chain.
  • The hidden state also affects required fields or submit behavior.

Keep reading the next most relevant guides for this form pattern.

Views8 min read

Single-view show/hide forms and virtual screens

Handle InfoPath forms that have one view but use rules to show and hide many sections.

Rules8 min read

Set-value, default, and calculation rules

Know what can be scaffolded as Power Fx and what needs formula cleanup after import.

Export8 min read

Validate the generated app before publishing

Run a focused test pass that covers screens, dropdowns, labels, checkboxes, save behavior, and business rules.