Build the survey and respondent journey

The survey builder separates the form structure from the respondent journey and report presentation. Build contains pages, questions and logic; Settings controls supported welcome, navigation and completion behaviour; Edit report shapes the reusable report view. Design all three together so respondents understand the task and analysts can interpret the results.

In the app: /projects/…/surveys/…/builder

Before you start

• Write the purpose, target audience and minimum evidence needed before adding questions.

• Keep a draft sample answer set for testing required fields, branching and report output.

Step by step

1. Outline pages first

Open the survey builder and use Build to divide the questionnaire into short, coherent pages. Give pages respondent-friendly names and order them from context to detailed evidence.

2. Add appropriate question types

Choose the type that matches the evidence: choice or scale for comparison, text for explanation and other supported structured fields where needed. Use required only when a response is essential.

3. Configure choices and validation

Write mutually understandable options, include not-applicable when legitimate and set supported validation carefully. Avoid forcing a misleading answer merely to prevent blanks.

4. Add conditional logic

Show or skip follow-up questions based on earlier answers where supported. Test every branch, including the path where no condition matches, so respondents cannot reach a dead end.

5. Edit the respondent journey

Use Settings to write the welcome and completion copy and review page labels, cover or other supported presentation controls. State expected time and how responses will be used.

6. Preview form and report

Run the preview on desktop and a narrow screen with sample paths. Open Edit report to check headings and output, then correct confusing labels before publishing.

What happens next

• Ask a colleague unfamiliar with the survey to complete the preview and explain what each question meant.

• Publish only after branching, required fields and completion messaging work for every intended audience segment.

Troubleshooting

A conditional question never appears

Check the source question, compared value and page order. Preview using the exact triggering answer and remove conflicting logic.

Respondents are blocked by a hidden required question

Review required settings on branched questions and test every route. A question that can be skipped by logic must not create an unreachable validation requirement.

The report uses unclear labels

Use respondent-friendly question and page titles in Build, then adjust supported report headings in Edit report before launch.