How does {% if some_list %} evaluate when some_list is an empty list?

As false, since empty collections are falsy

Always true, because the variable exists

It raises a template syntax error

Which comparison operators can be used directly inside an if tag?

Only equality checks; other comparisons aren't supported

Regular expressions only, no simple operators

Django Template If Else

The {% if %} tag lets templates render different HTML depending on truthiness or comparisons of a context variable.

The {% if %} Tag

{% if %} evaluates a variable or expression for truthiness, exactly like Python's if statement, but without parentheses or a colon. Content inside the tag renders only when the condition is true, and the block must be explicitly closed with {% endif %}.

Example

{% if user.is_authenticated %}
  <p>Welcome back, {{ user.username }}!</p>
{% endif %}

else and elif for Multiple Branches

A single if can chain additional conditions with {% elif %} and provide a fallback with {% else %}. Django checks each condition top to bottom and renders the first branch that matches, falling through to else only if none of them do.

Example

{% if cart.total >= 100 %}
  <p>You qualify for free shipping!</p>
{% elif cart.total >= 50 %}
  <p>Spend a little more to unlock free shipping.</p>
{% else %}
  <p>Add items to your cart to see offers.</p>
{% endif %}

Example

{% if role == 'admin' or role == 'editor' %}
  <p>You can publish articles.</p>
{% endif %}

{% if 'draft' not in article.tags and article.published %}
  <p>This article is live.</p>
{% endif %}

{% if not user.is_authenticated %}
  <a href="{% url 'login' %}">Log in</a>
{% endif %}

Django template conditions support ==, !=, <, >, <=, >=, in, not in, and, or, and not. Truthiness follows normal Python rules: an empty string, empty list, 0, None, and False are all falsy, so {% if articles %} is a safe way to check for a non-empty queryset before looping over it.

== and != — equality and inequality
<, >, <=, >= — numeric and date comparisons
in and not in — membership tests against a list, string, or queryset
and, or, not — combine or negate conditions

Operator	Example
==	{% if status == 'active' %}
in	{% if 'admin' in user.groups.all %}
and / or	{% if is_owner or is_staff %}
not	{% if not comments %}

Note: Because empty containers are falsy, {% if articles %} and {% if articles|length > 0 %} behave the same way — prefer the plain variable check, it's shorter and reads more naturally.

Note: Django template expressions can't be grouped with parentheses, so mixing and and or in one condition can be ambiguous. When a condition needs both, split it into nested {% if %} tags instead of relying on operator precedence.

Exercise: Django Template If Else

Which tag must close an if block in a Django template?

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