Feb 11
Matrix by column and not row
Hello, would it be possible to have a matrix working by column and not row (choice per column = mandatory but not by row). Thanks a lot !
Pending
Feb 12, 2026
Hi, Thanks so much for your fast answer. Attached an example : there is 1 column per child, the number of column depends on the number of children (question at the begining of the form). I want an answer per child. If I switch row and column, it will be too difficult to read. Thanks so much for your support ! Elisabeth
Feb 12, 2026
Hi Elisabeth, Thank you so much for the clarification — your use case makes perfect sense. At the moment, the matrix block in Tally can only enforce required answers per row, not per column. This means it isn’t currently possible to require at least one selection per child (per column), as you described. We completely understand why switching rows and columns wouldn’t be ideal in your case, especially from a readability perspective. We’ve taken your use case into account and will share it with our product team as a feature request. It’s a very thoughtful setup, and we can definitely see how column-based validation would be useful in scenarios like yours. Please feel free to reach out if there is anything else I can assist you with.
Feb 12, 2026
Thank you so much for you answer. It's amazing the job your are doing! Such a service and really listening to your users & use cases! Congrats!
Feb 12, 2026
Thank you, Elisabeth. We really appreciate those kind words 😊
Hi Elisabeth, That would indeed be quite a specific use case. By default, the matrix works per row, meaning you select one option in each row. To better understand your request, could you share a bit more about your use case and why you’d need the selection to be required per column instead? In some cases, simply switching rows and columns might achieve what you’re looking for. Feel free to reply here with more details, or you can contact us directly at https://tally.so/support and we’ll be happy to explore possible workarounds with you. Please feel free to reach out if there is anything else I can assist you with.