---
title: "Replicate Blocks"
slug: "replicate-blocks"
description: "Create replicate blocks in Slate forms, map repeated school and employer fields to records, and query replicate block responses."
status: "update"
updated: 2026-10-19T18:52:18Z
published: 2026-10-19T18:52:18Z
canonical: "knowledge.technolutions.net/replicate-blocks"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://knowledge.technolutions.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Replicate Blocks

**Replicate blocks** are a type of [section break](https://knowledge.technolutions.net/docs/form-palette#section-break) that let registrants repeat a given set of form fields.

Potential use cases include:

- Collecting multiple school or school level combinations
- Adding multiple interest or interest type combinations
- Collecting multiple device values and their types
- Collecting multiple academic interests or preferences in an ordered manner
- Forms that don’t let registrants save their responses

Replicate blocks can be used on the following form scopes:

- Person
- Application
- Dataset scoped forms
- Person Page
- Application Page
- Dataset Page

> [!NOTE]
> 💡 Tip
> 
> Replicate box data will not be grouped together when viewing in an auto-mapped PDF in the Reader or upon application PDF download. A new custom-mapped PDF will need to be created to display replicate box data groupings.

## Creating a replicate block

To add a replicate block, start by editing the form:

1. Select Edit Form.
2. Determine which field or group of fields should reside within the replicate block. Note that form fields with the type of *Calendar* are not supported within replicate blocks.
3. Arrange these fields together on the form. Conditional logic may be used within the replicate block.
4. Place **Section Breaks** around the field or group of fields.
5. Edit the opening section break
6. Enter the following configurations in the popup window:
  - **Replicate**: Select 'Replicate Block.'
  - **Replicate Title**: Enter a descriptive title.
  - **Insert Label**: This text will display as a hyperlink, allowing the addition of a new replicate.
  - **Row Label**: Enter a label that categorizes each grouping of fields (such as `Interest`, `School`, or `Device`). A number will be appended to this label, in increasing order, as additional replicates are added.
  - **Row Limit**: Set the maximum amount of replicates that can be added.
  - **Row Minimum**: Set the minimum amount of replicates that can be added. This should be set to at least 1.

If the replicate block itself should conditionally display based on values entered in other form fields, filters may be added to the replicate block section break. Ensure that the *Row Minimum* is set to **at least 1** in order to use conditional logic filters on a replicate block.

In the example below, the following values were entered and the "New Interest" link was selected twice:

- **Replicate Title**: Add your areas of interest
- **Insert Label**: New Interest
- **Row Label**: Interest
- **Row Minimum**: `1`

[![replicates_2.PNG](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/replicates_2.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-03T05%3A49%3A49Z&se=2026-11-03T06%3A49%3A49Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=xf065cXzMIXywYw%2F95z3V%2F3mo21D0eq331hVhYfY49w%3D)](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/replicates_2.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-03T05%3A49%3A49Z&se=2026-11-03T06%3A49%3A49Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=xf065cXzMIXywYw%2F95z3V%2F3mo21D0eq331hVhYfY49w%3D)

## Multiple replicate blocks on the same form

Use section breaks to include multiple replicate blocks on one form. Each block can collect multiple rows and save them to the person record through the fields inside that block. For example, a person-scoped form can collect schools in one replicate block and employers in another.

Configure the fields as follows:

1. Open the form and select **Edit Form**.
2. Open the school name field inside the first replicate block. Set **System Field Group** to **Schools** and **System Field** to **School: Name**. Save the field.
3. Open the employer field inside the second replicate block. Set **System Field Group** to **Jobs** and **System Field** to **Job: Employer**. Save the field.
4. Submit a sample response with two different school names and two different employer names.
5. Open the saved response to check all four values. Open its associated person record to check the two school entries and two job entries.

Each additional row uses the mapping configured on its field. **Row Limit** controls how many rows the form can collect. If a value appears in the saved response but is missing from the record, check that field's mapping and its intended record destination.

## Replicates on custom tabs

Replicates may be added to person, application, and dataset page-scoped forms for use on custom tabs. However, depending on how this data should display on the record, it may be more effective to use the replicate blocks outside of a custom tab and later display the data on the tab without using replicate blocks.

When determining whether to use replicate blocks on tabs, consider the following:

- Loading the custom tab will not show the replicate block fields automatically. Editing the tab on the record will display the first replicate block with the data as it currently exists on the record.
- When viewing and editing the replicate blocks on a custom tab, the Delete option is hidden for the first block. Deleting a replicate from a custom tab may not delete the values stored in the field on the record, since they may be stored in fields in other replicate blocks as well.
- Should a replicate be deleted, the remaining replicates will re-order chronologically. For example, if Interest 2 is deleted in a group of three interests, Interest 3 will now become Interest 2.

## Querying on replicate blocks

Slate generates the join, exports, and filters for a replicate block **if** the replicate block contains a value for the row label setting. To query on information in the replicate block from a form response query base:

1. Add a [subquery export](/v1/docs/subquery-exports-outputs) or [filter](/v1/docs/subquery-filters).
2. Join to the **replicate block**. The join's name will be the same as the replicate block's row label setting.
3. Add any desired exports, filters, sorts, or other settings.