Event Type Designer

This guide is for implementers creating event types to capture field data and survey responses. You should be familiar with form design concepts, but you don't need programming knowledge.

What is Event Type Designer?

Event Type Designer lets you create custom data collection forms for recording time-based observations about registrants. Define fields, validation rules, and approval workflows without writing code.

When to use Event Type Designer

Use this tool when you collect data that changes over time or comes from field visits:

Use case	Example event type
Vulnerability assessments	"PMT Survey" with scoring fields
Field visits	"Monthly Household Visit" tracking
Verification surveys	"Household Verification" checklist
Program monitoring	"Compliance Check" for conditional programs
Health assessments	"Nutrition Survey" for mother-child programs

Mental model: events vs registry fields

Registry fields	Event data
Permanent characteristics	Time-based observations
Name, birthdate, gender	Survey responses, visit notes
Changes rarely	Changes regularly
One value at a time	Multiple records over time
Examples: "Date of Birth"	Examples: "Monthly Income Assessment"

Rule of thumb: If you need to track history ("What was the value in June?"), use an event type. If you just need the current value, use a registry field.

Before you start

Prerequisites

• Studio Editor or Studio Manager permissions

• Understanding of what data you need to collect

Planning your event type

Decide:

1. Name: Clear, descriptive name (e.g., "Vulnerability Assessment")

2. Target: Individuals, Groups, or both

3. Fields: What data to collect and their types

4. Multiple events?: Can a registrant have multiple events of this type?

5. Approval: Do events need review before becoming active?

Creating an event type

There are two ways to create an event type:

• Form view (default): Full configuration on one page with tabs

• Wizard (alternative): Guided 3-step process

Method 1: Using the form view (recommended)

Step 1: Open Event Type Designer

1. Click Studio in the main menu

2. Click Event Types (under Forms & Fields)

3. Click the New button

Click New to create a new event type.

Step 2: Enter basic information

The event type form with Basic Information and Configuration sections.

Field	What to enter	Example
Event Type Name	Descriptive name	"Vulnerability Assessment"
Technical Name	Auto-generated code (read-only)	x_evt_vulnerability_assessment
Target Type	Who this event applies to	Individual, Group, or Both
Description	Optional explanation	"Annual household vulnerability survey"

Enter the event type name, target type, and description.

Step 3: Configure options

Field	What it does	Default
Kobo Form ID	Link to a KoBoToolbox form (optional)	Empty
Allow Multiple Events	If checked, a registrant can have multiple events of this type	Checked
Requires Approval	If checked, events need review before activation	Unchecked

Tip: Uncheck "Allow Multiple Events" if only the latest assessment matters (e.g., vulnerability scores where only the most recent is relevant).

Step 4: Define fields

Click the Fields tab to add your data collection fields.

Click Add a line to start adding fields to your event type.

Click Add a line to create each field:

Setting	What to enter
Field Label	What users see (e.g., "Monthly Income")
Field Type	Type of data (see table below)
Required	Check if field must be filled

Fields added to the event type with labels, types, and options configured.

Available field types

Select the field type from the dropdown.

Type	Use for	Example
Short Text	Names, codes, short answers	"Household ID"
Long Text	Notes, descriptions, comments	"Visit observations"
Whole Number	Counts, quantities	"Number of children"
Decimal Number	Amounts, measurements	"Monthly income"
Date	Calendar dates	"Assessment date"
Date & Time	Timestamps	"Visit timestamp"
Yes/No	True/false, checkboxes	"Household present?"
Single Choice	Dropdown selection	"Housing type"
Multiple Choice	Multi-select options	"Income sources"
Link to Record	Reference another record	"Assigned case worker"

Configuring selection fields

For Single Choice and Multiple Choice fields, enter options in the Selection Options column:

value1|Label 1
value2|Label 2
value3|Label 3

Example for "Housing Type":

owned|Owned
rented|Rented
informal|Informal Settlement
temporary|Temporary Shelter

Adding validation rules (optional)

Click on a field row to open the field details form where you can configure:

Validation type	Use for	Example
None	No validation	Default
Value Range	Min/max for numbers	Income between 0 and 1,000,000
Pattern Match	Regex for text	Phone number format

Configuring conditional visibility (optional)

Show or hide fields based on other field values:

Setting	What it does
Visibility	Always Visible or Conditional
Show When Field	Which field to check
Condition	Is Set, Is Not Set, Equals, Does Not Equal
Value	Value to compare (for Equals/Does Not Equal)

Example: Show "Disability Type" field only when "Has Disability" is Yes.

Step 5: Organize with field groups (optional)

Click the Field Groups tab to organize fields into tabs in the data entry form.

Click Add a line to create field groups for organizing fields into tabs.

1. Click Add a line to create a group

2. Enter a group name (e.g., "Demographics", "Economic Status")

3. In the Fields tab, assign fields to groups using the Group column

Field groups organize fields into separate tabs in the data entry form.

Fields without a group appear in a "General" tab.

Step 6: Save as draft

Click Save to create the event type in Draft state.

Note

Event types are created in Draft status by default. Draft event types can be edited freely but are not available for data entry until activated.

Method 2: Using the wizard

The wizard provides a guided 3-step process:

1. Basic Info: Name, target type, description

2. Add Fields: Define fields inline

3. Review: Summary and final options

To access the wizard, look for "use the wizard" in the empty state message or access it from the Action menu.

Event type lifecycle

Event types follow a three-state lifecycle:

Draft ──► Active ──► Inactive
  ▲                     │
  └─────────────────────┘
      (can reactivate)

State	Can edit fields?	Can edit settings?	Can be used?	Actions available
Draft	Yes	Yes	No	Activate
Active	No (locked)	Limited	Yes	Deactivate, Enter Event
Inactive	No (locked)	Limited	No	Reactivate, Set to Draft

Why these restrictions? Once active, changing fields would break existing event records. To modify structure: deactivate, create a new version, and migrate data (requires developer assistance).

Activating an event type

1. Open the event type in Draft state

2. Click Activate (requires Studio Manager permission)

3. The event type becomes available for data entry

Click Activate to make the event type available for data entry.

Deactivating an event type

1. Open an Active event type

2. Click Deactivate

3. Existing events remain but no new events can be created

Reactivating an event type

1. Open an Inactive event type

2. Click Reactivate to make it Active again

3. Or click Set to Draft to allow editing (if no events exist)

Using event types

Entering event data

Once an event type is active:

1. Go to Registry and open an individual or group record

2. Look for the Events tab

3. Click to add a new event

4. Select the event type and fill in the fields

5. Save

Viewing events

From a registrant record:

• The Events tab shows all recorded events

• Click an event to view details

From the event type:

• Click View Events to see all events of this type

• Use filters to find specific records

Kobo integration (optional)

If you collect data using KoBoToolbox, you can link an event type to a Kobo form:

1. Enter the Kobo Form ID in the event type configuration

2. This is for reference only - manual data entry is still required

Note

Automatic synchronization with KoBoToolbox is not currently implemented. The Kobo Form ID field allows you to document which Kobo form corresponds to this event type.

Managing event types

View all event types

Studio > Event Types shows all event types:

Column	Shows
Name	Event type name
Technical Name	Internal code
Target Type	Individual, Group, or Both
Fields	Number of fields defined
State	Draft, Active, or Inactive

The event type now shows Active status in the Event Types list.

Filtering event types

Use the search and filter options:

• Filter by state: Draft, Active, Inactive

• Filter by target: Individual, Group, Both

• Search by name: Find specific event types

Are you stuck?

Can't see the Activate button?

• You need Studio Manager permission

• The event type must have at least one field defined

• Check that you're viewing a Draft event type

Can't edit fields on an active event type?

• Active event types have locked field definitions

• Deactivate first, then edit (note: this affects data entry)

• Or create a new version of the event type

Selection options not saving correctly?

• Use the format: value|Label (one per line)

• The value (before |) is stored; the label (after |) is displayed

• Don't include spaces around the pipe character

Field not appearing in data entry form?

• Check that the field is not set to "Conditional" visibility

• If conditional, verify the condition is being met

• Ensure the event type is Active

Want to change fields after activation? This is difficult because existing events use the current structure. Options:

• Create a new event type with the updated fields

• Deactivate the old type (existing data remains)

• Contact a developer for data migration

How do I export event data? Event data export is not part of Studio. Contact your administrator for reports or data exports.

What if registrants have multiple events? Depends on the "Allow Multiple Events" setting:

• Checked: All events remain active and visible

• Unchecked: Only the latest event is shown as current

Next steps

• Define eligibility rules using event data: CEL expressions

• Add custom registry fields: Custom Fields (Registry Field Builder)

• Build approval workflows: Change Request Builder

• Return to Studio overview: Studio Overview