Survey Automator FAQ

Have a look at some questions we frequently receive from clients. If you cant find the answers you’re looking for, feel free to contact us

Tab Question Answer
Survey What video formats are supported in Survey Automator? The Survey Automator supports MP4 as the allowed file format for videos when uploading to a survey.
Survey Can I import multiple answers at once into the Survey tab? Yes, you can! When editing a question, you can paste a list of answers directly into the answer field. Each line will automatically be added as separate answer alternatives. This is especially useful when copying answer lists from Word or other documents.
Survey How can I format text in the Survey tab? You can apply bold , italic , and underline using the relevant shortcuts ( Ctrl + B , Ctrl + I and Ctrl + U )
Survey How do I randomize the order of answers? To randomize answer alternatives, open the question in the editor and click the three-dot menu(⋯) to access “Answers Settings” . There, you can enable the “Randomize” option. This will shuffle the order of answers for each respondent, helping to reduce order bias.
Survey How do I move a question to a different place in the survey? There are two main ways to move a question in Survey Automator, depending on which view you’re working in. In list view ( Ctrl + L ) which is recommended when working in larger forms. Click on the three-dot menu (⋯) to the right in the question bar and select Move . You can select how you want to move the question or by holding down Ctrl/Cmd and using the arrow keys. You can also move the question in the Preview mode by clicking the Edit button and Move. The shortcuts work in Preview Mode as well.
Survey How do I duplicate a single question within the same project? To duplicate a question inside your project, go to the Survey tab (and if you prefer switch to List View —this gives you the clearest overview and easiest access to each item). Find the question you want to copy, then click the three-dot menu (⋯) to the right of that row. From there, simply choose “Duplicate question.”
The system will instantly create a copy of the question, placing it right below the original. Everything—texts, answer options, layout settings, and conditions—is included in the duplicate, so it’s perfect for repeating structures or slight variations. Once duplicated, you can edit the new version as needed without affecting the original.
If you’re working with grid questions or complex layouts, this feature can save a lot of time and ensure consistency throughout the survey.
Survey What’s the purpose of the “Header” Info item when adding a new question? The “Header” option under Info items is used to insert large section titles directly into your survey form. It doesn’t collect any data from the respondent—its purpose is purely visual. When you add a Header, it appears with bold formatting and a larger font size to help break the survey into clear, logical sections. This is especially useful in longer surveys where you want to signal a shift in topic or provide structure, such as labeling a section as “Background Questions” or “Final Comments”. You can add a header by clicking “+ New Question” , selecting “Info” as the type, and then choosing “Header” from the list. Once saved, it becomes part of the layout and will appear exactly where you insert it in the survey flow. It’s a simple way to improve clarity and make your survey feel more organized and readable for respondents.
Survey How do I limit the number of digits in an open-ended response? Use the Min/Max settings in the question editor. For example, to allow only Swedish postal codes, set Min to 10000 and Max to 99999 .
Survey How do I translate the survey to Finnish, for example? Go to the Survey tab and use the Language Selector in the top right corner to add a new language. You can then use the built-in AI translation tool to automatically translate the content. If needed, manually adjust any parts that were skipped or mistranslated.
Survey Can I conditionally display a question based on a previous answer? Yes! You can define visibility conditions in the question settings. Click the three-dot menu(⋯) in the top-right corner of the question editor. Select “ Condition ” > “ Add new ”. Give your condition a name, then select the trigger question and choose the specific answer(s) that should cause this question to be shown.
Survey How do I add a video in my survey? To embed a video in your survey, use the bookmark feature within the question or info item editor. Click the {} icon (or Ctrl + space) to open the Bookmark Editor > “ Video ”. You can then choose to insert a video or paste a video link from Vimeo/Youtube .
Survey The AI translation skips some questions – how can I fix this? Sometimes the AI may not translate all questions at once. If that happens, try running the translation again. If the issue persists, you can instead translate individual questions manually.
Survey How do I apply visibility conditions to specific answers or rows in a question? To add visibility conditions to a specific answer alternative or a row in a grid , open the question in the editor. Then click the three-dot menu(⋯) next to the answer or row you want to edit. Select “Condition” , then choose the question and answer that should trigger visibility.
This allows you to tailor complex layouts where only certain parts of a question appear based on previous responses—ideal for grids, multi-selects, and matrix formats.
Survey What can bookmarks be used for in survey questions? Bookmarks (inserted via the {} icon or Ctrl + Space ) allow you to dynamically display videos , images , links , or custom text in your survey. You can personalize content based on participant data or previous answers —for example, inserting the respondent’s name, organization, or a targeted message based on their profile or earlier responses.
Survey What are answer blocks, and how can I use them in my survey? Answer blocks are reusable sets of answer alternatives that can be shared across multiple questions. When you edit a question with predefined answers—for example: “Good”, “Neutral”, and “Bad”—you can save them as an answer block. This lets you apply the same answer set to other questions without recreating it manually. If you later make a change to the answer block (like renaming or reordering an option), that change will automatically apply to all questions that use the same block. This ensures consistency and saves time when working with repeatable scales or recurring response options across your survey.
Survey What does the “Screen Out” item do, and when should I use it? The “Screen Out” item is a special type of logic message you can insert into your survey when you need to disqualify certain respondents based on their answers. When someone reaches a Screen Out, the survey ends immediately for them, and they’re shown a customizable message explaining that they don’t meet the criteria for continuing. This is commonly used in recruitment or eligibility surveys—for example, if a respondent indicates they don’t belong to the target group, like answering “No” to a question about working in a specific industry. To use it, create a logic item by clicking “ + New Question ,” select the “Logic” type, then choose “ Screen Out .” You can then add your message and set a condition so that only respondents who meet the disqualification rule will be shown the Screen Out. The system will also track them as “screened” in the response status , which helps when filtering data or calculating valid response rates.
Survey How do I export a list of all questions in the survey? In the Survey tab , click on the Export icon in the top-right corner. This will export the question structure, including IDs, texts and logic.
Survey What’s the difference between Preview mode and List View mode in the Survey tab? Preview mode shows how the full survey form will appear to respondents. List View mode displays one row per survey item and is optimized for quicker editing. You can switch between the two using the shortcut Ctrl + L (or Cmd + L on Mac)
Survey Can I show or hide questions depending on what someone wrote in a free-text field? Yes. You can conditionally display a question, answer, or row based on what a respondent wrote in an earlier open-ended question. To set this up, click the three-dot menu (⋯) for the item you want to control, then choose Condition . Select the previous open-ended question, change the comparison method to Text value , and enter the word or phrase you want to filter on—for example, “Excel”.
This allows you to show follow-up items only when specific text is detected in the response. It also works at both the question level and the individual answer level, depending on how you want to apply the logic.
Survey How do I rename an answer template? Renaming is not currently supported. As a workaround, you can detach the answer block from the question and then create a new one with the desired name.
Survey How can I add a rule that prevents one question from having a higher value than another? To add a rule that compares answers between two questions, you can use an Error message (Logic) in the survey. This allows you to show a warning if a specific condition is met — for example, if one value is greater than another — and block the respondent from moving forward until it’s corrected. When setting up the Condition , you’ll need to use the system’s internal question IDs (QIDs) in your expression. These can be found in the survey’s List View. The error will appear automatically during the survey if the condition is true.
This approach is useful for validating numerical relationships between responses, such as part totals, logical limits, or sequencing rules.
Survey How can I use custom CSS to style buttons or other elements in my survey? You can add CSS directly in Survey Settings > Scripts / CSS . This allows you to override default UI styles like ui-button, or define your own custom styles.
To modify a button with multiple built-in UI classes, for example:

.ui-button.ui-widget.ui-state-default.ui-button-text-only.ui-corner-left {
background-color: #0073e6;
color: white;
border-radius: 4px;
}

This gives you full control over the layout—just make sure to test carefully so no other components are affected unintentionally.
Survey How do I change the colors of my survey? Click the cogwheel icon (⚙️) in the top-right corner of your project to open Server Settings , then choose Design . Under the Colors section, you can customize the page background , survey background , and text colors . Changes apply instantly, so preview the form to confirm your design.
Survey How do I add images like logos or a background to my survey? Go to the Survey tab and click the cogwheel icon (⚙️) to open Survey Settings . Choose Logos and Images , there you can upload your left logo , right logo , and background image . These will appear in the layout of your survey form.
Survey How do I change the question ID in the Survey tab? Open the question in the editor. At the top left, you’ll see the default internal ID (QID). To change it, simply click into the field and type your preferred Client ID . This is useful for aligning with external systems or imported data. Avoid using IDs that start with “Q” followed by numbers to prevent conflicts with internal IDs.
Survey What is a QUID, and how is it different from a Client ID? The QUID (Question Unique ID) is a system-generated identifier for each survey item. It ensures every question has a unique reference for internal use—especially important in logic, exports, and reports.
A
Client ID is optional and user-defined. It replaces the QUID for external mapping—use it when importing or exporting data to match your own naming conventions (e.g., “AGE” or “Q5”). Just click into the QUID field in the Survey tab to set your Client ID.
Survey How do I mark an answer as a “Don’t Know” option? In the Survey tab, open the question in the editor. Click the checkbox or radio button icon next to the answer you want to mark. This sets it as a “Don’t Know” answer. Click it again to remove the setting. “Don’t Know” options are treated differently in reports and charts, so use this to clearly separate neutral or non-opinion responses.
Survey How can I add a comment field to an answer alternative? You can add a comment field to one answer alternative in a question by clicking the three-dot menu (⋯) next to that answer and choosing “Add comment.” This inserts a text box that appears only when the respondent selects that answer. You can define the size, make it required, and add placeholder text.

Note:
Only one such comment field is allowed per question. If you need multiple comment fields tied to different answers, create follow-up questions with visibility conditions. Each follow-up can then include its own open-ended input.
Survey How do I set up redirect links? Go to the Survey tab , click the cogwheel icon (⚙️) in the top-right corner then choose Survey texts . Here, you’ll find redirect options for different outcomes: Complete , Screen out , Quota full , Already completed , and End fieldwork . Paste your target URL in the “Redirect to URL” field for each case you want to redirect. The respondent will be automatically sent to that URL when the matching condition is met.
Distribute What does a “Hard Bounce” mean in email distribution? A Hard Bounce means that the message could not be delivered to the recipient. If you’re sending to a specific organization, it’s a good idea to ask them to whitelist the sender address in their email system to prevent this issue.
Distribute How can I track which emails were successfully delivered or bounced? Go to the Distribute tab and open the Distribution Log (click on Show Participants ). Each recipient is tagged with a status such as Delivered , Opened , Clicked , Hard Bounce , or Blocked . Use filters to view only undelivered contacts or export the list for follow-up.
Distribute Can I increase the number of emails sent per hour? Yes, you can increase the rate—for example, to 400 emails per hour—by dividing your distribution into batches with 15-minute intervals.
Distribute Can I send both SMS and email in the same project? Yes, it’s possible to use both channels. SMS is often used as a complement when email doesn’t reach the recipient or fails to deliver.
Distribute How do I resend the survey to people who haven’t responded? In the Distribute tab, filter by Idle . Select all participants by clicking the first one, hold down the Shift button and click on the bottom one. Then you can send out the survey again!
Distribute Can I schedule when messages are sent? Yes. When preparing your email or SMS in the Distribute tab, you can set a scheduled time and date instead of sending immediately. This is helpful when coordinating distributions across time zones or campaigns.
Distribute How do I change the sender email address? Changing the sender address requires domain integration , which costs 2500 SEK/month . An alternative solution using your own mail server is currently under development.
Distribute Sometimes our survey is available in multiple languages. How can I make sure the survey opens in the correct language for the respondent? By default, the survey opens in the main language ( XQLANG=m ) . To force a specific language version to load, you can adjust the link by adding or changing the XQLANG parameter. For example, XQLANG=sv for swedish, XQLANG=en for english.
Example URL:
https://.researchautomators.se/?EXAMPLE&XQLANG=m
Dashboard How do I export a report to PowerPoint or Excel in another language (e.g., Finnish)? In the Dashboard tab, open the report you want to export. Use the language selector in the top-right corner to switch to your desired language.

Once the report reloads, click
Export → Slides or Export → Tables . The exported file will reflect the selected language for all question texts, answer options, and headers.

If any parts still appear in the original language, you can finish or adjust translations directly in the
Dashboard tab before exporting.
Dashboard How can I export a report to share with others? To export a report, open the report and click the Download button in the top-right corner. A menu will appear with options to download either in PowerPoint or Excel . The export reflects any filters and breakdowns you’ve applied. Additional options in the menu include Download all , Update reports and Text import/export.
Dashboard How can I segment and analyze specific groups based on multiple criteria in the Dashboard? To analyze a specific group based on a combination of background variables (such as gender, behavior, or attitudes), use the Calculated Copy and Calculation features in the Dashboard tab:

1. Go to the
Dashboard and click Edit on the page you want to work with.

2. Locate the question you want to segment (e.g., satisfaction). Click the three-dot menu (⋯) and choose
Calculated Copy .

3. Select the relevant answer options (e.g., “Very satisfied” and “Somewhat satisfied”) and use
Merge to group them. Give the new field a descriptive name (e.g., “Satisfied group”).

4. Click Calculations and create a condition that combines the criteria you’re interested in—such as:

◦ Gender = Female

◦ Interest level = High

This creates a filtered version of the original question that only includes responses from that specific group. You can now display and compare this segment across charts or tables in your dashboard.
Repeat the steps to define and analyze other groups or to apply the same logic to additional questions.
Dashboard Can I compare results between different segments in the same chart? Yes! In the Dashboard tab, open your report and click Edit in the bottom-right corner to access the variable settings.

Find the question you want to compare, then click the
three-dot menu next to its variable name. Choose Breakdown list (or Secondary breakdown list ) to segment results by background variables or survey answers—such as job role, region, or department.

The chart will update to show separate bars, columns, or rows for each group. You can also break down results by time periods (e.g. by month or year) to track changes over time. It’s a powerful way to visualize differences across segments in a single chart.
Dashboard How do I change the PowerPoint template used in my report export? To apply a custom PowerPoint layout when exporting your report, you can upload and use your own .PPTX template . Open the Dashboard tab, then click the Settings icon in the top-right corner of the screen. Click Design , select PowerPoint .

Here, you’ll find the option to upload or select a
PowerPoint template . Once uploaded, your template will define the layout, fonts, colors, and positioning of elements for each slide in your exported report. You can choose whether to preserve the design choices made in your template (like fonts and layout) or override them with system-wide defaults.

Templates work best when they include
named placeholders for charts and text—this ensures the exported data maps neatly into your design. If your team uses different branding per client, you can upload multiple templates and switch between them as needed.
Dashboard How do I use a numeric question for comparisons in a report? To use a numeric question for group comparisons in a report, you can create a segment based on numeric values. Here’s how:

1. Go to the
Dashboard tab and click Edit .

2. Locate the numeric question you want to use (e.g. “How much do you spend on X weekly?”) and click the
three-dot menu (⋯) .

3. Select
Calculated Copy to create a copy of the question.

4. Choose the values you want to include (e.g. 4 and 5), and use
Merge to group them.

5. Name the segment, such as “High spenders”.

6. Hide the copy by selecting
Exclude — it won’t appear in the survey but will be available in reporting.

7. In the
Dashboard tab, click (⋯) next to the segment question and choose Add to breakdown list .

Now your selected questions will breakdown based on “high spenders”, this is repeatable for multiple segments.
Great for analyzing satisfaction, behavior, or attitudes by score, age, spending, or other numeric inputs.
Dashboard How do I group answer alternatives for comparisons when reporting? (Also called creating segments) To group answer choices into custom segments for reporting, use the Calculated Copy function in the Dashboard tab . This allows you to define new variables based on selected responses from an existing question.
Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the
Dashboard tab and click Edit .

2. Locate the question you want to segment.

3. Click the
three-dot menu (⋯) next to it and choose “Calculated Copy.”

4. Select the answer options you want to group together.

5. Use
Merge to combine them into a single category (e.g., “Group A”).

6. Save and rename your new segment as needed.

7. You can now use this segment in the
Dashboard tab as a filter, breakdown, or for comparisons in charts and tables.

This is useful when you want to simplify comparisons by combining multiple response options into broader categories — without modifying the original question.
Dashboard How do I code open ended questions into fixed answer alternatives? To transform open-ended responses into fixed categories for reporting, use the Coded open-ends feature in the Survey tab. This allows you to define text-based rules that automatically assign responses to predefined answer groups.
Here’s how:

1. Open the
Dashboard tab and go to the open-ended question.

2. Click the
three-dot menu (⋯) and select “Coded open-ends.”

3. In the coding window, define your categories using keywords, phrases, or regular expressions.

◦ For example:
fast, quick

4. Each line creates a rule that tags matching responses with a category.

5. Once saved, the coded results behave like fixed answer alternatives — and can be used in filters, charts, breakdowns, and exports.

This method is ideal when you want to quantify recurring themes or topics from open text responses — such as customer feedback, spontaneous brand mentions, or stated reasons.
Dashboard What are multiple reports in a project? Multiple reports are separate reports within the same project. Each can have its own filters, layouts, comparisons, export settings etc—ideal for year-on-year results, different audiences, or custom dashboards.
Dashboard Can I copy reports from one project to another? Go to the Dashboard tab and click the report name in the top-right corner. Choose “New report”, give it a name, and it will be added to the list of available reports for the project.
Dashboard How do I create a new report in a project? Go to the Dashboard tab and click the report name in the top-right corner. Choose “New report”, give it a name, and it will be added to the list of available reports for the project.
Dashboard Can I set a default report? Yes. From the report menu, choose “Default report”. This sets which report opens first when users access the Dashboard tab.
Dashboard What does the Edit button do in the Dashboard? Each question in the Dashboard now has its own Edit button. Clicking it opens a menu where you can set the chart to scaled , add the question to the breakdown list , add it to the KPI list , exclude it , and more. These actions apply only to that specific question, giving you precise control over how each result appears in your dashboard.
Dashboard How do I set a chart to scaled in the Dashboard? To display a chart in scaled order (from low to high, for example), click the Edit button next to the chart in the Dashboard. Then choose “Set scaled.” This reorders the answers based on their scale, which is useful for visualizing agreement levels, satisfaction, or similar structured questions.
Client How do I add a client? In the Client tab, click ADD CLIENTS . You can either:

• Select
Import clients to upload a list
• Or click
Add client to add one manually

When adding manually, a permissions window will appear where you can set access rights. Click
CREATE , and the system will generate a unique client link for them to access the project.
Client How can I see which clients are linked to my project? Go to the Client tab to view a list of all added clients. The table shows key details for each client, including their role , which reports they have access to, and other permissions.
Home What should I do if Duo Mobile isn’t working on my new phone? Log in to your account and select “Settings” > “Add new device” . Then choose an alternative authentication method such as “Call” or “Enter a code” to complete the setup without using Duo Push.
Home Why can’t I anonymize a project? Make sure you are assigned as the Protection Manager for the project. Only Protection Managers have the rights to perform anonymization.
Home How do I create a copy of an existing project? To duplicate a project, go to the Project Overview and click the three-dot menu (⋯) in the top-right corner of the project box. Then select “Duplicate” . This will create a new project using the same survey form, messages, and report templates—but without any response data.If you want to copy both the structure and the data, use the “Backups” option instead to restore from an existing backup.
Home How do I assign someone else as a Protection Manager for a project? Go to the Project Overview and click the three-dot menu (⋯) on the project box and choose Settings . At the bottom of the menu, you’ll see the current Protection Manager. Use the dropdown menu to add another user as a Protection Manager.

Only Protection Managers can view/export personal data or anonymize the project.
Home How do I create a project that’s protected from unauthorized data access? When creating a new project, select the Protect checkbox. This ensures only users designated as Protection Managers can access personal data. Others will be able to view and edit the survey but not see sensitive information.
Once a project is created, you cannot toggle protection on/off. You must duplicate the project to change its protection setting.
Home Can I create a copy of a project that includes both structure and responses? Yes—but not using the regular “Duplicate” function. That only copies the survey form, messages, and reports (without data).To include responses as well, use the Backups feature: Go to the Project Overview → click the three-dot menu (⋯) on the project card → select Backups → then choose Restore as new project . This creates a full copy of the project, including all responses saved at the time of the backup.
Home Can respondents pause the survey and continue later? Yes! Survey Automator supports automatic save-and-resume functionality for respondents using unique links generated in the Distribute tab. As long as the respondent opens the survey from the same device and browser, their progress is automatically saved after each page. When they return later using the same link, they’ll be taken back to where they left offNote: This functionality does not work for anonymous links.
Home What does “Blocked with code 6” mean? This means the participant has been removed from the project. You can restore them using a backup from the project card.
Home Can I schedule anonymization to run automatically after a specific time? Yes. If you’re assigned as the Protection Manager for the project, you can schedule automatic anonymization based on your data retention policy.
Go to the
Project Overview , click the three-dot menu (⋯) , and select Anonymize project . In the popup, click “Schedule” and choose how often it should run: one time, weekly, or monthly. Then set the number of days to retain personal data—for example, 180 days.

When anonymization is triggered, the following actions will take place:

• The selected personal data (e.g. first name, last name, email) is deleted

• The project is unpublished (no more responses can be submitted)

• Backups of the project are deleted

• Any exported case data files are deleted

• Previously generated report files are deleted (except dashboards)

This feature is especially useful for organizations needing to automate
GDPR compliance or meet strict client requirements for data deletion
Home How do I get started with Survey Automator? After logging in, you’ll land on the home page , where you can see projects and folders you have access to. To begin, click the + NEW PROJECT button to start your first project.
Want faster onboarding? We highly recommend watching our short video guides:
👉
https://vimeo.com/showcase/surveyautomator


Pro tip: Even if you’re experienced, the video series includes quick tips that can save time and help avoid setup issues.
Home How do I contact the helpdesk? To contact our support team, click the Help menu in the top-right corner of the platform and choose Contact helpdesk .


Tip: If you’re reporting an issue, try to include a direct link to the project or page where the problem occurred. The link automatically contains parameters that help us see exactly where you were—such as a specific survey or report page—which speeds up troubleshooting.
Home Can I organize or move my projects into different folders? Yes. In the Home view , each project is shown as a card. To move a project, click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner of the card and select Move . You’ll be prompted to choose a new folder.
Upload What is the Upload tab used for? The Upload tab is used to securely share files with the project team without relying on email. A common use case is uploading participant data (such as Excel files with email addresses or background variables) before it’s imported into the project — especially when working under GDPR constraints or client confidentiality requirements.
It’s also often used for
supplementary material , such as custom fonts, logos, or reference documents that are needed for survey styling or reporting. Files uploaded here are not immediately visible to others; they must be reviewed and approved by the project manager before being shared, imported, or published.
This makes the Upload tab a safe and structured way to receive files from clients, collaborators, or internal team members.
Upload Who can upload files to the Upload tab? Both clients and project team members can upload files. However, client uploads are restricted — they can upload, but not publish or share. Files they upload are marked as Pending and must be reviewed by the project manager before they’re accessible to others.
Upload What access do users have in a protected project? In a protected project, only users who are assigned the role of Protection Manager (also referred to as Project Manager in some parts of the system) have access to personal data . Users who are not protection managers — referred to as ordinary users — still have full access to the Survey, Report, and Dashboard tabs. However, their access to other tabs (such as Responses, Upload, or Distribute) is limited, since those areas may expose protected data.
This ensures that personal information is only accessible to users with explicit data protection responsibilities, while still allowing ordinary users to work on design, reporting, and analysis without risk of accessing sensitive respondent-level data.
Response How do I export all responses to Excel or SPSS? Go to the Responses tab and click the Export icon in the top-right corner. You can choose to export in Excel or SPSS format. Before exporting, select whether to include any filters.
Response How do I delete a response? In the Response tab, select the response(s) you want to delete and click on the delete button in the top-right corner. Be aware: deleted responses cannot be recovered unless a backup exists.
Response Where can I see how long each respondent took? The Response Length and End Timestamps columns in the Responses tab show when the survey started and ended for each participant. You can export this data to analyze response speed or detect outliers.
Response How do I apply weighting to my survey results? To set up weighting, go to the Responses tab and click the 9-dots icon in the top right. Choose Weighting to create your weighting logic—this can be based on variables like gender, age, or background variables.
Once your logic is defined, switch to the
Dashboard tab. Click the cogwheel icon (⚙️) in the top right, select Weighting , and toggle to enable Weighting. Your dashboard charts will now reflect the adjusted (weighted) values.
Make sure to verify your logic with test data before relying on weighted outputs in reports.
Response How do I apply weighting to my survey data? In the Responses tab, click the 9-dots icon (top right) and select Weighting . Define your targets—like age, gender, or region—and save. Then go to the Dashboard tab, click the cogwheel icon (⚙️), and enable weighting in settings. That’s it! Your charts will now automatically reflect the weighted results.
Response How do I customize columns in the Responses tab? Just click any column header in the Responses tab to access instant tools. You can show/hide system fields , rename variables for export , or adjust properties for background and category data—all without leaving the screen. It’s the fastest way to declutter your view and take control of your dataset.
Response How do I filter responses by date? In the Responses tab, click the cogwheel icon (⚙️) in the top-right corner and choose Other settings . There, you can set a date range to filter the responses shown. This limits both what you see in the list and what gets included in exports.
Report How do I add a new page to a report? Once you’re inside the report editor, click the “New Page” button at the top-right of the screen. Each page can be formatted differently, depending on whether you want tables, charts, or text summaries.
Report Can I change the chart type after adding a question? Yes! Click on the chart you’ve added, then open the dropdown: “Datatype” . From here, you can switch to a different visual—such as bar, column, table, or line graph. Each chart type supports different display options depending on your data.
Report What does the “Datatype” option do in the chart editor? The Datatype setting defines how the data is summarized—such as frequency (count or percentage), averages , percent positive , response count etc . For example, you can show percentages of responses, or display the average value for a numeric scale. Choosing the correct datatype helps you match the chart to the type of data you’re working with.
Report How can I make a report page show only in PowerPoint or Excel exports? To control where a report page appears, click the cogwheel icon (⚙️) located above the Datatype dropdown in the report editor. This opens a dropdown menu—then select Page Conditions . A settings panel will appear where you can choose whether the page should be included only in PowerPoint , Excel , or Dashboard exports. You can select one or multiple options. This is useful for customizing the visibility of specific pages depending on the report format being generated, allowing you to tailor content for different audiences.
Report What does a report consist of in Survey Automator? Reports are made up of one or more pages, and each page contains a set of charts or tables . You can freely add, remove, or reorder pages, and customize how each chart looks—whether it’s a bar chart, table, average score, or open-end summary. Each report is tied to a specific project and updates automatically as new responses come in.
Report Why is the response rate showing incorrectly in the report? This is usually caused by a missing or incorrect time period filter. Make sure that the correct period variable is being used in the filter settings to accurately reflect the intended timeframe.
Report How do I filter open-ended responses based on specific words? To filter or group open-ended responses using keywords, you’ll use the Open End Coding feature in the Report tab . This lets you automatically categorize free-text answers by matching them against keyword lists. It’s especially useful for summarizing qualitative feedback or spotting patterns in large volumes of text. Locate the Open-Ended Question, click on the three-dot menu (⋯) next to it and choose “Code Open End” . Add the new code, example: “Complaint”. In the popup text field , list relevant keywords separated by commas, example: “bad, slow, rude, broken”. The system will scan all open-ended responses and assign this code to any answer that contains at least one of those words.
Report Can I apply filters to show specific segments in the report? Yes! In the report editor, click the filter icon located below the “Datatype” and “Base” sections. From there, you can define filters based on questions , specific answers , or time periods . This lets you focus the report on targeted segments or track trends over time.
Connect Can reports be run on assistant servers? Yes, assistant servers can be enabled so that report jobs do not place load on the main project server.
Connect How do I connect data to Power BI? A dedicated database user is created and linked to a template project. SQL access is then granted via IP address to enable the connection.
Connect Database connection failed—why does this happen after periods of inactivity? If a project hasn’t been accessed for more than 50 days, the system automatically “packs” the project, which takes the administrative database offline.
To prevent this, set up a daily automation job using the
“Synchronize” task. This keeps the project active by accessing it regularly. Avoid using “Import Responses” unless you’re importing from another survey—this does not count as activity if no new responses exist.
If a connection fails unexpectedly, simply open the project and make a small change to reactivate it. This resets the 50-day timer.