Overview
Element451’s Surveys module offers an intuitive way to create, manage, preview, and share surveys. Customize survey settings, add diverse question types, and utilize advanced features like conditional logic and progress tracking. Preview your survey to ensure accuracy, then share it using a public link, embed code, or QR code to start collecting responses effortlessly.
Step 1: Add New Survey + Configure Settings
Navigate to Engagement > Surveys.
Click the + New Survey
button in the top right corner of the header.Replace 'Untitled Template' in the header with a name for your survey.
Click the tag
icon if you wish to add tags to this survey. Tags help to organize your surveys in your survey list.Configure Survey Settings:
Description (Optional): Provide a description for your survey respondents. The placement depends on the survey mode:
One-At-A-Time Surveys: Displayed on the Begin Survey page under the title.
Linear Surveys: Displayed in the header under the title.
Mode:
Linear: Displays all questions on a single page. Respondents can see and answer all questions without navigation. The survey opens immediately when accessed via URL.
One-At-A-Time: Displays questions one at a time, with navigation arrows. Respondents see a Begin Survey page before starting.
Active: Use the toggle to enable the survey to accept responses.
Start Date: Choose when the survey begins accepting responses.
End Date: Choose when the survey stops accepting responses.
Configure Advanced Settings:
Primary Font: Choose font for the title, question text, and question numbers.
Second Font: Choose font for the description and question details.
Image (Linear Mode Only): Upload a background image for the header.
Image Opacity: Set the image opacity.
Image Background Color: Select a color for the header (linear surveys) and the start page (one-at-a-time surveys).
The start page button color matches your primary color and can't be changed.Survey Unavailable Message: Customize the message shown when the survey is inactive.
Show Progress Bar (One-At-A-Time Mode Only): Displays progress visually.
Shuffle Question Order: Randomize question order.
Build: Move to the Build section to add and configure survey questions. Detailed instructions follow in the next section.
Step 2: Build the Survey by Adding Questions
On the left side of the Build section, you should see a gray vertical line and a plus sign. You will use the plus sign to add new questions. One by one, you then stack them to create the survey. If needed later, you can easily move the order of the questions by dragging the questions into the desired order. Each question has its own set of settings.
Add Questions + Configure Question Settings
Click the gray plus button to add a survey question.
Select the type of question you wish to add:
Text: Allows open-ended answers.
Dropdown: Allows the selection of one answer from a list of options.
Single Select: Allows the selection of one answer from a list of radio buttons.
Multi Select: Allows the selection of multiple answers from a dropdown list.
You also have an option to limit the number of selected choices.
School Select: Allows for looking up a high school or college via search.
Only a single high school or a college can be looked up per question.
Star Rating: Allows the rating using a set number of stars.
Smile Rating: Allows the rating using smiley faces.
Rating Grid: Provides a matrix for respondents to rate multiple items across various criteria.
You can define the rating scale up to a maximum of 10 and customize it with minimum and maximum rating labels, an N/A option, and the ability to reverse the scale.
Ranking: Allows respondents to order a list of items according to their preference or priority.
You can also include an N/A option and define the order in which the list is displayed: default, alphabetical, or random.
Advanced Settings (Conditional Logic/Branching)
You will find an Advanced Settings section under each question. The Advanced Settings section allows you to use conditional logic to create branching questions. This means you can display questions based on the respondent’s previous answers, tailoring the survey experience to gather more relevant data.
For example, if a previous question asks, “How did you attend orientation—in person or virtually?” you can set up a follow-up question like, “What prevented you from attending in person?” This follow-up question will only appear if the respondent selected “virtually” for the previous question.
By using conditional logic, you ensure that respondents only see questions that are relevant to them, making your surveys more efficient and personalized.
To add a condition, follow these steps:
Click the “+ Add Condition” button.
Choose the question you’d like to use as the basis for this condition.
Define the Criteria: Specify the condition by selecting from the following options:
None: No specific answer required.
Any: Any answer is acceptable.
Equals to: The answer must match a specific value.
Not equal to: The answer must not match a specific value.
Then, select the appropriate answer.
Add Multiple Conditions: You can add multiple conditions to refine when the question will appear. Note that adding multiple conditions creates an “AND” parameter, meaning all specified conditions must be met for the question to be displayed.
To remove a condition, click the minus sign to the right of the condition.
Save the Survey
To save your survey, click the save button in the top right corner.
Step 3: Preview + Share the Survey
Once you have created a new survey, configured its settings, and added your questions, it’s time to preview and share it to start collecting responses!
Previewing the Survey
It’s crucial to preview and test your survey before sending it out. This allows you to see it from your audience’s perspective and make any final adjustments.
Click the Preview Button: In the survey header, click the “Preview” button. This will open a side sheet with a preview of the survey.
Test the Survey: You can interact with the survey without actually submitting responses, ensuring everything works as expected.
Sharing the Survey
After previewing and testing your survey, follow these steps to share it:
Activate the Survey: If you didn’t activate your survey in Step 1, toggle on the “Active” setting within the survey.
Confirm Start and End Dates: Verify the start and end dates in the survey settings to ensure it will accept responses as planned.
Share the Survey: Click the “Share” button in the survey header. This will open a menu with various sharing options:
View Public Link: Opens the survey in a new tab, allowing you to see the survey as respondents will.
Copy Public Link: Copies the survey link to your clipboard, which you can then paste into emails or wherever you wish to distribute the survey.
Copy Embed Code: Opens the HTML code for the survey so you can copy and embed it on your website, allowing visitors to fill out the survey directly on your page.
Show QR Code: Generates a QR code that can be scanned with a mobile device, providing an easy way for respondents to access the survey.
The Surveys Module is only available with the Element Engage package.