Decision Tree free documentation

Install or update

For Joomla 5 and Joomla 6. Use a PHP version supported by your installed Joomla version; the extension’s own minimum is PHP 8.1.

1. Get pkg_decisiontree-1.4.0.zip from the Free download page.
2. Back up your site before updating. Keep your existing installation in place.
3. Open System → Install → Extensions and upload the package ZIP. It installs the component and content plugin together.
4. Open Components → Decision Tree.

If article embeds are not appearing, check that Content - Decision Tree is enabled under System → Plugins.

If you use Pro, update Free first and then Pro. Both packages must remain installed.

Create your first tree

1. Open Components → Decision Tree and select New. If the Free site already has a tree, open it to edit instead.
2. Give the tree a clear title and, if helpful, a short description.
3. Select Add question and enter your first question.
4. Add an option for each answer. Choose Goes to question to connect an answer to another question, or Shows result to finish with an outcome.
5. For a basic outcome, enter the result text. Add call-to-action text and a URL if the visitor should continue to a page or resource. Choose whether the link opens in a new tab.
6. Repeat until every intended path reaches an outcome. Check the validation message and preview the journey.
7. Set the tree’s status to Published when it is ready to appear on the site, then select Save.

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Use the Question list to switch between questions. You can duplicate a question and its options, reorder answer options or collapse options to make a longer question easier to work on.

Use the visual canvas

Select Visual canvas to see the tree’s structure. Switch back to Form builder whenever you prefer a question-by-question view. Both views edit the same tree.

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• Questions: show the question text and answer count. The entry question has a Start badge.
• Outcomes: show a short result preview and the answer that reaches it.
• Connections: show which answer leads to each question or outcome.
• Edit question: opens the question’s editing window. You can also double-click a question card.
• Edit outcome: opens the answer option that produces that outcome.

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Arrange and navigate

• Drag a question or outcome card to move it. Drag the empty background to pan.
• Use Zoom in, Zoom out, Fit tree or Auto arrange.
• Hold Ctrl on Windows/Linux, or Command on macOS, while scrolling to zoom.
• Focus a question card and use the arrow keys to move it. Press Enter to edit it.

Moving cards changes the editor layout, not the visitor’s question order. Save to keep your arrangement. Older trees without a saved layout are arranged automatically when first opened in the canvas.

Done, Save and preview

Done updates your unsaved work; Save stores it. After editing in a canvas window, select Done to return to the canvas. Then use Joomla’s main Save or Save & Close button to keep the tree and its layout.

Preview decision tree lets you test the complete tree using your current unsaved changes. Follow each route and check the outcome. Links are disabled in administrator previews so they do not take you away from your work.

Free includes the complete-tree preview. Previewing from a selected question or opening an individual outcome preview is a Pro feature.

Change the start question

On a question card, select Set as start question to make it the entry point. The same action is available in the form builder.

Visitors will begin at that question. Earlier questions and connections are retained, but some questions may no longer be reachable from the new starting point. Review any warnings before saving.

For example, if question A leads to B and you make B the start, new visitors begin at B. They do not answer A first. The frontend Back button follows only the questions the visitor has actually answered; it does not take them to A.

The current start question cannot be deleted. Choose another start question first if you need to remove it.

Understand path warnings

• Unreachable question: no route from the current start reaches it. Reconnect it if it should be part of the journey, or remove it if it is no longer needed.
• Incomplete option: an answer needs a next question or an outcome.
• Missing connection: an answer refers to a question that is not available. Choose an existing destination.
• Loop or self-reference: a connection leads back into a repeating route. Adjust the answer destinations so the journey can finish.

Select a warning or error badge to inspect the issue. Review every intended path rather than relying only on the visual arrangement of cards.

Display a tree

In a Joomla article

Use Copy embed tag in the tree list or editor, then paste the tag into an article. A tree with ID 1 uses:

{decisiontree id=1}

Replace 1 with your tree’s ID. The tree and article must be published, and the content plugin must be enabled.

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To hide the tree heading:

{decisiontree id=1 heading=false}

To use a different heading level:

{decisiontree id=1 heading_level=h3}

Heading levels h1 to h6 are supported. The default is h2.

As a menu item

Create a Joomla menu item using Decision Tree → Single Tree, choose the tree and publish the menu item.

Step numbers and navigation

Enable Show step numbers on the frontend display in the tree editor to show Step 1, Step 2 and so on. Visitors can use Back to revisit their own journey or Reset to begin again.

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Import and export

Export a tree

Select the tree in the list and choose Export JSON. Keep this file as a reusable template or a content backup before making substantial changes.

Import a tree

1. Select Import JSON, choose a Decision Tree export file and select Preview Import.
2. Review the title, question/outcome information, validation and proposed import settings.
3. Choose the available import mode. If your Free site already contains its one tree, use Replace existing tree and select that tree.
4. Export the existing tree first if you want to keep a copy. Confirm the replacement when requested, then complete the import.
5. Review the imported tree, check its status and preview each route before displaying it.

Importing is a separate preview-and-confirm process; selecting a file alone does not replace your tree. Trees in Trash still count towards the Free limit until permanently deleted.

Browse the starter templates for example workflows. JSON files transfer tree data, not a complete Joomla site backup.

Troubleshooting

• The article shows the tag instead of a tree: check the tag syntax and that Content - Decision Tree is enabled.
• A tree is missing: confirm the ID and published status. Check that the article or menu item is accessible to the intended visitor.
• New is unavailable: Free allows one tree. Edit or replace it, or permanently delete an unwanted tree after backing it up.
• Canvas changes disappeared: Done closes the editing window; use the main Save button to store changes.
• A button looks different on your site: frontend presentation can also be affected by your Joomla template and its custom styles.

Report a Free issue on GitHub or contact Grant for help.

When you need Pro

Pro adds multiple trees, whole-tree duplication, rich outcome blocks including images, previews from individual cards and anonymous analytics. The Free administrator’s “What’s in Pro” panel is optional and collapsible.

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Compare the editions · Read the Pro guide