Creating and Managing Surveys

Administrators can create comprehensive feedback collection tools to gather user sentiment, measure satisfaction, and collect actionable insights from portal users. The Survey module provides flexible survey design capabilities that support diverse data collection needs through nine distinct question types, customizable Thank You pages, and flexible distribution options that integrate seamlessly with existing portal functionality.

Survey creation enables administrators to design feedback instruments with configurable question structures, presentation modes, and post-submission experiences that guide users through efficient feedback submission while maintaining response integrity and data quality throughout the survey lifecycle.

Requirements

To create and modify surveys, users must be assigned a security role with one of the following permissions:

• Administrator System Role, or
• Additional Role Settings: Enable Survey Management Access

Creating New Surveys

Accessing Survey Creation

1. In the Setup Home page, click Create > Surveys
2. Click New to initiate survey creation

Configuring Basic Survey Properties

Configure the essential survey settings that define how the survey functions and is presented to respondents:

Name:

• Enter the internal name of the survey (required)
• Use clear, descriptive names that communicate the survey's purpose to administrators
• Names appear in the Surveys Home list and administrative interfaces
• The internal name does not need to match the user-facing survey title configured later

Page Skip Logic:

• Select how survey questions will be displayed to respondents (required)
• Choose from two presentation modes:
  • One question per page: Each question appears on its own screen with Next/Previous navigation, supporting focused attention for longer or complex surveys
  • All questions on one page: All questions display simultaneously with single-submission workflow, optimizing completion speed for shorter feedback forms
• Page Skip Logic can be changed after survey publication through More Actions > Edit Settings
• Changes to this setting affect only new users accessing the survey after the modification, without impacting responses already in progress

Status:

• Displays the current lifecycle state of the survey
• New surveys are automatically created in Draft status
• Draft surveys cannot be accessed by respondents until published
• Status changes are controlled from the survey detail page, not during initial creation

Saving Initial Survey Configuration

Click Save to create the basic survey structure. This establishes the survey foundation and redirects you to the Survey Builder page where you can:

• Add and configure questions on the Survey tab
• Design the Thank You page on the Thank You tab
• Preview, publish, clone, or archive the survey
• Access survey settings and sharing options

Click Save & New to save the current survey and immediately open a new survey creation form, useful when creating multiple surveys in succession.

Click Cancel to discard all changes and return to the Surveys Home page without creating a survey.

Survey Builder Overview

After saving the initial configuration, the Survey Builder page provides comprehensive tools for designing survey content and managing survey lifecycle.

Survey Header and Actions

The survey header displays:

• Survey icon and internal name
• Back to previous screen link (top-left)
• Publish button (top-right)
• More Actions menu (⋯ button) with options:
  • Edit Settings: Modify survey name and Page Skip Logic
  • Delete: Permanently remove the survey
  • Clone: Create a copy of the survey
  • Archive: Deactivate the survey while preserving data
  • Preview: View the survey as respondents experience it
  • Get Link: Copy survey URL for distribution

Survey Builder Tabs

The Survey Builder uses two primary tabs for content configuration:

Survey Tab: Design the survey structure including title, description, and questions

Thank You Tab: Configure the post-submission experience including header, body text, image, and optional redirect

Designing Survey Content (Survey Tab)

Survey Title and Description

Title (required):

• Enter the survey title that displays at the top of the survey page
• This title is visible to respondents and should clearly communicate the survey's purpose
• Use engaging, descriptive titles that encourage participation

Description (optional):

• Enter a description that provides context or instructions to respondents
• Displays below the title on the survey page
• Use to explain survey purpose, estimated completion time, or response guidelines
• Example: "Take our survey and let us know what you thought of your most recent experience with us."

Adding Questions

Questions are added through a drag-and-drop interface:

1. Question Types Panel (left side): Displays nine question type tiles:

   • Rating
   • Sentiment
   • Radio
   • Single checkbox
   • Checkboxes
   • Dropdown
   • Single-line text
   • Multi-line text
   • NPS

2. Form Canvas (right side): Drag question type tiles from the left panel into the form area

3. Edit Question Dialog: Each dropped question opens an Edit Question dialog for configuration

4. Question Placement: Questions can be dropped between existing questions or at the end of the list

Reordering Questions

Questions can be reordered using two methods:

Drag-and-Drop: Click and hold a question card, then drag it to the desired position in the survey

Move Buttons: Click the up/down arrows button on the top-right of each question card to shift questions sequentially

Questions can be positioned anywhere in the survey, including between existing questions, to optimize survey flow and respondent experience.

Editing Questions

To modify an existing question:

1. Click the Edit button (pencil icon) on the top-right of the question card
2. The Edit Question dialog opens with all configuration fields
3. Make your changes to any field
4. Click Save to apply changes or Cancel to discard them

Deleting Questions

To remove a question from the survey:

1. Click the Delete button (trash icon) on the top-right of the question card
2. The question is immediately removed from the survey
3. This action cannot be undone—removed questions must be re-added if needed

Question Configuration Fields

All question types share common configuration fields, with specific question types including additional options:

Question (required):

• Enter the question text that respondents will see
• Use clear, unambiguous language that respondents can understand without additional context
• Keep questions focused on single concepts to avoid confusion

Help Text (optional):

• Enter supporting text that displays below the question
• Use for clarification, examples, or specific response guidance
• Example: "Please rate on a scale from 0 (not at all satisfied) to 10 (extremely satisfied)"

Placeholder Text (optional, text input questions only):

• Enter example text that displays inside the answer text box before user input
• Provides response format guidance without requiring help text
• Example placeholder for job title question: "e.g., Marketing Manager"

Make this question required (checkbox):

• Check to require respondents to answer the question before survey submission
• Use strategically—mark only essential questions as required to reduce abandonment
• Required questions display with a visual indicator (typically an asterisk)

Question Type-Specific Configuration

Detailed configuration for each question type is covered in the Configuring Survey Questions documentation page. Key differences include:

• Rating: Displays 0-10 scale with "Strongly disagree" to "Strongly agree" labels
• Sentiment: Uses preconfigured sentiment options (no custom configuration)
• Radio, Checkboxes, Dropdown: Include option management with Preselect/Label columns and "Add an option" capability
• NPS: Requires three follow-up question texts for Detractors (0-6), Passives (7-8), and Promoters (9-10)

Validation Messages

The Edit Question dialog enforces validation rules:

Required Field Error: "Error: This is a required filed. You must enter a value."

• Appears when attempting to save without completing required fields
• The Question field is always required for all question types

NPS Follow-up Requirement: "All three follow-up questions are required."

• Appears when saving an NPS question without completing all three follow-up prompts
• All three prompts (Detractors, Passives, Promoters) must contain text

Configuring Thank You Page (Thank You Tab)

The Thank You tab controls the post-submission experience displayed after users complete the survey.

Thank You Page Fields

Featured Image (optional):

• Text field with image picker button
• Upload or select an image to display above the thank you message
• Provides visual branding or illustration for the confirmation page

Thank You Header Text (required):

• Enter a short, prominent heading for the thank you page
• Displays at the top of the confirmation screen
• Example: "Thanks so much"

Thank You Body Text (required):

• Enter detailed thank you message using the rich-text editor
• Full toolbar supports:
  • Text formatting (bold, italic, underline)
  • Lists (bulleted and numbered)
  • Text alignment (left, center, right, justify)
  • Links, images, and horizontal lines
  • Undo/redo functionality
• Example: "Your feedback means the world to us!"

Thank You Action Configuration

Thank You Action (dropdown):

• Select post-submission behavior:
  • No Action: Thank you page displays only the header and body text with no additional navigation
  • Custom Page URL: Displays a button that redirects users to a specified URL

Thank You Action Button Label (required when Custom Page URL selected):

• Enter the text label for the redirect button
• Example: "Back to the Home page"

Redirect URL (required when Custom Page URL selected):

• Enter the destination URL for the redirect button
• Use relative URLs for internal portal pages (e.g., /) or absolute URLs for external destinations
• The button navigates users to this URL when clicked

Thank You Page Preview

The right side of the Thank You tab displays a live preview showing:

• Featured image (if configured)
• Thank You Header Text
• Thank You Body Text (with formatting)
• Redirect button (if Thank You Action is configured)

The preview updates in real-time as you modify fields, enabling visual confirmation of the post-submission experience before publication.

Survey Actions and Management

Preview Survey

To view the survey as respondents experience it:

1. Click More Actions (⋯ button) in the top-right
2. Select Preview
3. The survey opens in preview mode (/survey/take?id=…&mode=preview)
4. Complete the survey to experience the full user workflow
5. Preview responses are not recorded or included in analytics

Use preview to validate question clarity, page flow, Thank You page presentation, and overall user experience before publication.

Edit Settings

To modify survey name or Page Skip Logic after initial creation:

1. Click More Actions (⋯ button)
2. Select Edit Settings
3. The Survey Settings dialog opens with:
   • Name (required): Internal survey name
   • Page Skip Logic (required): One question per page or All questions on one page
4. Make your changes
5. Click Save to apply or Cancel to discard

Changes to Page Skip Logic on published surveys affect only new users accessing the survey after the change.

Get Survey Link

To copy the survey URL for distribution:

1. Click More Actions (⋯ button)
2. Select Get Link
3. The Get Survey Link panel displays:
   • Text field containing the survey URL
   • Copy button
   • Link format toggle:
     • Internal link: Relative URL for use within the portal
     • Full path: Absolute URL including domain
4. Click Copy to copy the current link format to clipboard
5. Share the link with respondents via email, embedded in portal pages, or other distribution channels

Survey links are publicly accessible—anyone with the link can access and complete the survey without authentication.

Clone Survey

To create a copy of a survey for templates or variations:

1. Click More Actions (⋯ button)
2. Select Clone
3. The Clone Survey dialog opens
4. Enter a Survey Name for the new copy (required)
5. Click Clone
6. The new survey is created in Draft status with identical configuration and questions
7. Edit the cloned survey as needed without affecting the original

Use cloning to:

• Create survey templates for repeated use
• Make structural changes to published surveys (clone, edit, then publish the new version)
• Develop survey variations for different audiences

Publish Survey

To activate a draft survey for respondent access:

1. Click Publish button in the top-right
2. A confirmation dialog appears: "Are you sure you want to publish the survey? When published, users will be able to access it with the link."
3. Click Yes to confirm
4. The survey status changes from Draft to Published
5. The survey becomes accessible via its link
6. Analytics tracking begins

What remains editable after publishing:

• Thank You page content (Featured Image, Header Text, Body Text, Thank You Action)
• Page Skip Logic setting (affects new users only)
• Survey name (through Edit Settings)

Archive Survey

To permanently deactivate a survey while preserving collected data:

1. Click More Actions (⋯ button)
2. Select Archive
3. A confirmation dialog appears
4. Click Continue to confirm
5. The survey status changes to Archived
6. The survey link becomes inactive—users attempting to access it receive an error
7. All collected data remains accessible in the Analyze tab

Use archiving when:

• A survey is no longer relevant for active data collection
• You want to prevent new responses while maintaining historical data
• Replacing an old survey with a new version

Delete Survey

To permanently remove a survey:

1. Click More Actions (⋯ button)
2. Select Delete
3. A confirmation dialog appears
4. Click Yes to confirm deletion
5. The survey is permanently removed from the system
6. All collected response data is deleted
7. The survey no longer appears in any lists

Before deleting, verify:

• The survey is not attached to Training module courses or learning paths
• The survey is not linked from portal tabs or Engagement Pages
• All needed response data has been captured or exported

Managing Published Surveys

Published surveys have specific management considerations due to structural lockdown that protects response data integrity.

Analyze Tab (Published Surveys Only)

Published surveys display an Analyze tab showing:

Date Range Filter:

• Date picker with preset options (Today, This Month, This Quarter, This Year, Custom Range)
• Filters all metrics and question results to the selected timeframe

Overview Metrics:

• Views: Total count of survey link clicks (includes multiple opens by same user)
• Conversion Rate: Percentage of views resulting in completed submissions
• Submissions: Total number of completed responses

Question-Level Results:

• Each question displays below the overview metrics
• Choice-based questions show charts and aggregated statistics
• Text-based questions show individual response lists
• Date range beneath each question indicates the filtered timeframe

Survey Tab (Published Surveys)

The Survey tab on published surveys is read-only:

• Title and Description are visible but cannot be edited
• All questions are displayed but cannot be modified, reordered, added, or removed
• The Question Types panel is not displayed
• Edit and Delete buttons on question cards are removed

To make structural changes to a published survey, clone it and edit the new draft version.

Thank You Tab (Published Surveys)

The Thank You tab remains fully editable on published surveys:

• Featured Image can be changed
• Thank You Header Text can be modified
• Thank You Body Text can be updated with full rich-text editing
• Thank You Action configuration can be changed

Changes to the Thank You page take effect immediately for all new survey submissions without affecting the survey's published status or existing response data.

Best Practices

Survey Design Strategy

Clear Objectives: Define specific data collection goals before designing questions. Know what decisions the survey data will inform.

Question Type Selection: Choose question types appropriate to measurement needs—use Rating or NPS for quantitative metrics, Radio or Checkboxes for categorical responses, and Multi-line Text for qualitative feedback.

Survey Length Balance: Shorter surveys typically achieve higher completion rates. Balance comprehensive data collection with user attention span and willingness to complete.

Required Questions: Mark only essential questions as required. Too many required questions increase abandonment risk.

Logical Flow: Order questions logically—start with easier questions, group related questions together, place demographic questions at the end.

Publication Timing

Thorough Testing: Always preview surveys before publication to validate question clarity, flow, and Thank You page presentation.

Pilot Groups: Test with small user groups before broad deployment when possible to identify confusing questions or technical issues.

Publication Readiness: Ensure all questions are finalized before publishing—structural changes require cloning after publication.

Distribution Strategy

Link Sharing: Share survey links through appropriate channels—email for targeted audiences, portal navigation for ongoing feedback, external distribution for broad reach.

Portal Integration: Embed surveys in portal tabs for permanent navigation presence or in Engagement Pages Tiles for strategic placement in custom experiences.

Training Integration: Attach surveys to relevant courses and learning paths for automated post-training feedback collection.

Ongoing Management

Regular Monitoring: Check analytics periodically to identify low conversion rates requiring optimization or high response volumes indicating strong engagement.

Response Pattern Analysis: Review question-level results to identify unexpected patterns, confusing questions, or opportunities for survey refinement.

Lifecycle Management: Archive surveys when no longer relevant to prevent outdated feedback collection. Clone high-performing surveys as templates for future initiatives.

Creating and managing surveys provides essential feedback collection capabilities that support data-driven decision making, continuous improvement processes, and user experience optimization through flexible, accessible, and analytically rich survey design and deployment systems.

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