A category hierarchy helps organize survey data into parent–child structures such as Region → Country → Department → Team. In Survey Automator, a well-built category hierarchy enables you to generate multiple reports automatically — one for each child level — while maintaining accurate roll-ups and comparisons across all organizational layers.
What is a Category Hierarchy?
A category hierarchy is a structured way to group data into related levels. Each level refines the previous one, helping you manage data at scale.
For example: Global → Region → Country → Department → Team.
In Survey Automator, hierarchical categories can be used to export multiple reports automatically.
By setting the parent node as the driver variable, the system generates reports for all child nodes — each comparing its results to the parent level.
This makes category hierarchies essential for automated reporting and dashboard consistency.
Why Use Category Hierarchy in Reports?
Hierarchical categories simplify complex reporting and ensure data alignment across levels. They allow:
● Automatic aggregation from detailed to summary levels.
● Drill-down navigation in dashboards (e.g., Company → Region → Team).
● Consistent category structures across survey waves or projects.
Without a hierarchy, every report must be built manually. This increases the risk of inconsistent roll-ups and data mismatches — especially in multi-country or multi-department surveys.
How Category Hierarchy Differ from Flat Categories
A flat category treats each value as independent — like gender or age group.
A hierarchical category, on the other hand, defines dependencies between levels.
Example structure:
Global
├── Region A
│ ├── Country X
│ │ ├── Department 1
│ │ └── Department 2
│ └── Country Y
└── Region B
This parent–child model enables multi-level aggregation and filtering — features that flat structures cannot support.
It also ensures total-to-segment consistency across exports and visualizations.
How to Enable Multi-Level Hierarchical Reporting
Once your project includes a hierarchy, you can activate hierarchical reporting for each report or dashboard.
Steps:
1. Open your Report or Dashboard.
2. Click the ⚙ (cogwheel) icon in the top bar.
3. Choose Multiple reports.
4. Select your Driver variable — the hierarchical category.
5. Confirm to generate separate reports for each node.
This produces a navigable report structure such as All → Region → Department → Team, with comparisons preserved at each level.
Important: Always Include a Top Node
Every hierarchy must have a single top node — for example, “All,” “Company,” or “Total.”
The top node represents the overall population, and every child level must branch from it.
If your hierarchy lacks a top node:
● Totals and roll-ups will fail.
● You won’t be able to create multiple reports.
● Aggregations will show as incomplete or zero.
Tip: Use a neutral label like “All” or “Total” to make roll-up layers clear.
Best Practices for Hierarchical Reporting
● Maintain a consistent naming convention across levels.
● Always verify that your top node includes all branches.
● Use the Integrity feature to control data visibility.
● Test exports to Excel or PowerPoint before sharing.
● When translating or localizing, ensure hierarchy labels remain identical.
FAQ
1. What is the main benefit of a category hierarchy?
It automates report generation by creating multiple reports across all levels of your organization tree.
2. Can I use multiple hierarchies in one project?
Yes, but only one hierarchy can act as the driver variable for multi-level reports.
3. What happens if I forget the top node?
The system cannot aggregate results or create multiple reports, leading to data gaps.
4. Can I edit hierarchies after importing data?
Yes, but always delete unused descendants to prevent duplicates or blank nodes.
5. Where can I learn more?
See our FAQ or explore our feature overview
Turn Your Hierarchy into Actionable Reports
A well-structured category hierarchy is the backbone of scalable reporting in Survey Automator.
It keeps your data organized, enables consistent roll-ups, and ensures every report reflects the full picture — from “All” down to each team.
👉 See real examples — browse our PowerPoint report templates and find a layout that fits your hierarchy.