> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.pulselabs.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.pulselabs.ai/data-capture-tools/survey-creation-and-management.md).

# Surveys

### What are surveys in Pulse Labs?

Surveys are questionnaires that let you collect structured responses from participants asynchronously. You build a questionnaire, invite participants, and review responses as they come in. The underlying survey engine used by Pulse Labs gives you access to a full range of question types, conditional logic, and validation rules.

The standout feature is AI-assisted survey creation: describe what you want to ask in plain language, and the platform generates a structured survey that you can then refine.

### Creating a survey

From your project's Data tab, select **Add Capture Series** and then select **Survey**. The creation flow has four steps.

#### Step 1: AI generation (optional)

You'll see a text input where you can describe your survey protocol or paste in your existing survey outline. Examples of what you can paste in:

* A list of questions: "Do you own a car? If yes, what make? How satisfied are you?"
* A research brief: "I want to understand how people choose streaming services"
* Bullet points of topics to cover

The AI generates a structured survey with appropriate question types and basic conditional logic. For example, if you ask about car ownership and then car make, the AI will set up branching so the make question only appears for car owners.

You can skip this step entirely and build manually.

#### Step 2: Survey builder

The survey builder interface where you design (or refine) your survey. The workspace has three areas:

* **Toolbox (left)** — All available question types you can drag onto the canvas
* **Canvas (center)** — Your survey as participants will see it, with questions displayed as editable cards
* **Property Panel (right)** — Configuration for the selected question or survey element

**Question types available**

<table data-header-hidden><thead><tr><th width="268.39990234375"></th><th></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Type</strong></td><td><strong>Use Case</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Single choice (radio)</td><td>One answer from a list</td></tr><tr><td>Multiple choice (checkbox)</td><td>Multiple answers from a list</td></tr><tr><td>Dropdown</td><td>One answer from a long list (saves space)</td></tr><tr><td>Text input</td><td>Short free-form response</td></tr><tr><td>Long text input</td><td>Multilined open-ended responses</td></tr><tr><td>Rating</td><td>Scaled responses (1-5, 1-10, etc.)</td></tr><tr><td>Matrix</td><td>Same question applied to multiple items, supporting single- and multi-select responses</td></tr><tr><td>File Upload</td><td>Collect files or screenshots from participants</td></tr><tr><td>Ranking</td><td>Drag-and-drop ordering of items</td></tr></tbody></table>

We also support signature, expression, HTML, and Yes/No question types, but those are less common.

**Configuring questions**

Select any question to open its properties in the right panel. Key settings include:

* **Required** — Whether the participant must answer before continuing
* **Description / Help Text** — Additional context shown below the question
* **Validation rules** — Set min/max values, text length limits, or use regex patterns to enforce custom formats (e.g., require an Employee ID field to match a specific pattern such as two letters followed by four numbers). For step-by-step instructions, see the [SurveyJS Data Validation guide](https://surveyjs.io/survey-creator/documentation/end-user-guide/data-validation-in-forms).
* **Visibility conditions** — Show this question only when a previous answer meets certain criteria
* **Choice randomization** — Randomize option order to reduce bias
* **"Other"** and **"None"** options — Add these with a toggle

**Conditional logic**

The logic builder lets you create if-then rules that control survey flow:

* Show or hide questions based on previous answers
* Skip entire pages based on a response
* Set default values automatically
* Show informational content at specific points

Access the logic editor through the question properties or the dedicated Logic tab at the top of the builder.

#### Step 3: Add participants

[Add participants](/participants/recruitment.md) to your survey by:

* **Email (Bring Your Own)** — Type individual email addresses
* **CSV upload (Bring Your Own)** — Upload a list of email addresses in bulk
* **From our participants** — Select from the Pulse Voices panel
* **From your project pool** — Select from participants previously invited to a past project

You can skip this step and add participants later from the survey dashboard.

#### Step 4: Launch

Review your survey configuration and choose to:

* **Launch now** — Immediately sends invitations and accepts incoming responses
* **Schedule Launch** — select a future date to launch (at 1:00 AM EST)
* **Save as Draft** — Saves everything without launching (you can launch later from the dashboard)

### Survey dashboard

Once created, each survey has its own dashboard showing:

* **Survey name and status** (Draft or Active)
* **Draft card** — If still in draft, shows a Launch button
* **Responses table** — Once launched, shows all responses with:
  * Search and filter by response status
  * Response count
  * Select multiple responses for bulk actions
  * Select a single response to view full details
  * Compare response versions (if a participant resubmitted)

Responses are managed with approval workflows.

* **Pending** — Participant invited, survey not started or not completed&#x20;
* **In progress** — Participant has started survey, but not finished
* **Completed** — All responses submitted in full but not approved or rejected&#x20;

Once a response is completed, the researcher approves or rejects it.

* **Approved** — Response is auto-approved (if configured in the survey settings) or manually reviewed and accepted
* **Rejected** — Response doesn't meet your team’s quality standards

You can configure whether responses are auto-approved or require manual review in the survey settings.

#### Survey settings

Access settings from the survey dashboard to configure:

* **Data capture settings** — What metadata to collect alongside responses
* **Acceptance criteria** — Whether you require manual approval for responses
* **Response limits** — Maximum number of responses to accept

#### Previewing your survey

Before launching, use the Preview feature to test your survey as a participant would experience it. Preview supports:

* **Desktop view** — Full-width layout
* **Mobile view** — Narrow layout simulating a phone screen
* **Full interactivity** — Test conditional logic, validation, and navigation

Preview mode highlights any issues like missing required fields, broken logic rules, or accessibility concerns.

#### Survey delivery

Before launching your survey either immediately or on a scheduled date, you have the opportunity to edit the survey while it’s still in draft.

#### Survey delivery automation

In addition to sending survey invitations immediately, you have two options for automating survey delivery:

* Scheduling a future date to send survey invitations
* Send survey invitations after participants have completed a previous survey or evaluation

### Tips for good surveys

* **Use the builder to auto-format an existing draft, then refine** — Use the builder to fine-tune question wording, add logic, and adjust the flow.
* **Use conditional logic** — Hide irrelevant questions. For example, ensure the survey does not prompt users who don’t own a vehicle for their driving habits.
* **Keep it concise** — Respect participant time. Use logic to keep the effective length low even if the total question count is high.
* **Test all paths** — Use Preview to walk through every combination of answers, especially if you have complex branching.
* **Randomize choices** — Enable choice randomization for opinion questions to reduce order bias.
* **Add progress indicators** — Configure multi-page surveys to show participants how far they've come.

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