Introduction
Branching Scripts are VAN scripts that, instead of presenting each element in a linear fashion, allows you to "branch" specific elements based on specific responses. This can be a major time-saver for your canvassers and volunteers. For instance, if your script includes an ID Survey Question and a voter responses that no, they absolutely do not support the Democratic Party, then there's probably not much use in asking them to volunteer, right?
Branched Scripts can currently be used only in Open Virtual Phone Banks and on MiniVAN. This means you will not be able to use them for standard Virtual Phone Banks or for printed canvassing lists.
Using Scripts
With Branched Scripts, you can set your script to end or present different text based on each response. Here's a visual explanation of the above example.
After selecting Branching Scripts under Script Type, a new option becomes available in each script element, allowing you to choose which element the proceeding element leads to.
To use the above example, if I am asking voters if they support Democrats and they say Yes or Undecided, I have my script set to "branch" to 5, which then takes the canvasser to the Volunteer Survey Question. If, however, the voter says No, Republican or provides No Response, I have my script "branch" to 6, ending the script.
Branching your script is done by selecting the drop-down menu in each script element like so:
Remember that you'll want to branch each script element, even just text boxes, to create a successful script. You'll also need to set "End" for where you need the script to end in order to make the Branched Script work most effectively.