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Survey Settings & Restrictions
1. General Settings
Survey Name & Description
Default Language
Custom Variables Setup
Survey Status Management
2. Start & End Dates
Scheduling a Survey Availability Window
Timezone Handling
Auto-Close & Closed Message
3. Response Restrictions
Domain Restriction
How It Works
Email Restriction
Whitelist Mode
Blacklist Mode
CSV Upload for Bulk Email Lists
Location Restriction
How Location Detection Works
Phone Number Restriction
How It Works
Authentication Required
Authentication Methods
One-Response-Per-Person Enforcement
Combining Multiple Restrictions
4. Response Goals
Setting a Target Response Count
Sample Size Calculator
Goal Tracking & Notifications
Email Notification
In-App Alert
Auto-Close Survey
Webhook Trigger
5. Vouchers & Rewards
Configuring Rewards
Voucher Code Generation
Budget Tracking
6. Survey Feedback Collection
How It Works
Enabling Survey Feedback
What Respondents See
Viewing Feedback Analytics
7. Custom Variables
URL Parameter Injection
Hidden Fields for Tracking
Source Tracking
User Identification
Campaign Attribution
Personalisation
Variable Syntax & Usage
Passing Variables to End Pages & Integrations
Common Custom Variables
8. Advanced Settings
Google Analytics Tracking
Auto-Completion Timer
Response Notifications
Track Location
Offline Responses
Allow Multiple Responses
Collect Partial Responses
Summary of Advanced Settings
9. Comments & Sharing
Question-Level Comments
Sharing Outside the Workspace
10. One-Time Response
Cookie-Based Duplicate Prevention
Session-Based Tracking
IP-Based Limiting
Configuring the Restriction Method
Choosing the Right Method
Configure survey availability, response restrictions, goals, rewards, and custom variables to control who can respond and when.
The General Settings panel is where you define the foundational properties of your survey. These settings establish the survey’s identity, default language, operational status, and any custom variables you need for tracking and personalisation.
General
Restrictions
Goals
Rewards
Survey Name
Customer Satisfaction Q1 2025
Description
Quarterly customer feedback survey to
measure NPS and satisfaction levels…
Default Language
English (US)
Status
Active
Custom Variables
3 variables defined
Edit
The survey name is used internally within the SurveyAnalytica dashboard to identify your survey. It appears in the survey list, analytics reports, and notification emails. The description is optional but recommended for team collaboration — it helps other workspace members understand the purpose of the survey at a glance.
Select the primary language for your survey. This determines the default language for the survey interface, system messages (such as “Next”, “Submit”, and validation text), and the initial translation layer. SurveyAnalytica supports multi-language surveys — you can add additional translations from the survey builder’s Translations section after setting the default language here.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Default Language | The primary language for survey text and system UI elements |
| RTL Support | Automatic right-to-left layout for Arabic, Hebrew, Urdu, and other RTL languages |
| Additional Translations | Add more languages from the builder; respondents can switch using the language selector |
| Auto-Detect | Optionally detect the respondent’s browser language and show the matching translation |
Custom variables allow you to inject contextual data into your survey using URL parameters. Define variable names in Settings, then pass values via the survey URL (e.g., ?source=email&userId=abc123). These variables can be used in question text, piping logic, end page messaging, and are stored alongside each response for segmentation and reporting.
source, userId)The status toggle controls whether your survey is currently accepting responses. Survey statuses include:
| Status | Behaviour | Responses Accepted |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | Survey is in design mode; not accessible via the public link | No |
| Active | Survey is live and collecting responses | Yes |
| Paused | Survey link shows a paused message; existing data is preserved | No |
| Closed | Survey is permanently closed; shows closed message to visitors | No |
Schedule your survey to automatically open and close at specific dates and times. This is particularly useful for time-boxed research, seasonal feedback campaigns, and compliance scenarios where data collection must occur within a defined window.
By default, surveys become available immediately upon activation and remain open indefinitely. The scheduling feature allows you to define precise start and end dates, ensuring the survey is only accessible during the intended period. When a respondent visits the survey link outside the scheduled window, they see a configurable closed message.
When you configure start and end dates, the platform uses the selected timezone for all calculations. This means a survey scheduled to end at “5:00 PM EST” will close at exactly that time in the Eastern timezone, regardless of where respondents are located. The timezone defaults to your workspace’s configured timezone, but you can override it per survey.
When the end date is reached, the survey automatically transitions to a closed state. Any respondent who visits the link after this point sees a customisable closed message. You can edit this message in the General Settings to provide context — for example, directing visitors to a newer version of the survey or providing a contact email for questions.
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Start Date | When the survey becomes available for responses | Immediately (no restriction) |
| End Date | When the survey stops accepting new responses | Never (no restriction) |
| Timezone | Reference timezone for all date calculations | Workspace timezone |
| Closed Message | Message displayed to visitors after the end date | “This survey is no longer accepting responses” |
Response restrictions give you fine-grained control over who can access and submit your survey. SurveyAnalytica offers five types of restrictions that can be combined to create precise audience targeting: Domain Restriction, Email Restriction, Phone Number Restriction, Location Restriction, and Authentication. Each type serves a different use case, from internal company surveys to geographically targeted research.
Domain
Restriction
Allow only specific
email domains
@company.com
Internal surveys
Email
Restriction
Whitelist or blacklist
specific email addresses
CSV upload supported
Invitation-only surveys
Location
Restriction
Geographic filtering by
country, state, or city
Google Places API
Regional research
Authentication
Required
Require login or
registration to respond
One response per user
Verified respondents
Domain restriction limits survey access to respondents whose email addresses belong to one or more specified domains. When enabled, respondents are asked to enter their email address before they can view the survey questions. The system validates the email domain against your allowed list and blocks access if the domain does not match.
company.com, partner.org). Do not include the @ symbol| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Multiple Domains | Add as many allowed domains as needed, separated by commas or one per line |
| Validation | The system checks the domain portion of the email address against the allowed list |
| Rejection Message | Customisable message shown when a domain is not allowed (e.g., “This survey is restricted to company employees”) |
| Data Capture | The entered email address is stored with the response for identification and follow-up |
Email restriction provides more granular control than domain restriction by allowing you to specify exact email addresses that are either permitted (whitelist mode) or blocked (blacklist mode). This is perfect for invitation-only surveys where you know exactly who should respond.
In whitelist mode, only the email addresses you specify can access the survey. All other email addresses are blocked. Respondents must enter their email before viewing the survey, and the system checks it against your pre-approved list.
In blacklist mode, the survey is open to everyone except the email addresses you specify. This is useful for excluding known spam respondents, test accounts, or people who have already provided feedback through another channel.
For large email lists, you can upload a CSV file containing the email addresses. The CSV should contain one email address per row (with or without a header row). The system automatically deduplicates the list and validates email formats during import.
Location restriction allows you to filter survey access based on the respondent’s geographic location. The system uses the Google Places API to provide accurate location detection and supports filtering at the country, state/province, and city level. You can either allow or block specific locations.
When a respondent opens the survey, the system determines their location using a combination of IP geolocation and, if configured, browser-based geolocation (which asks the respondent for permission). The detected location is then compared against your allowed or blocked location list.
| Filter Level | Example | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Country | United States, India, Germany | Country-specific product feedback |
| State / Province | California, Maharashtra, Bavaria | Regional compliance surveys |
| City | San Francisco, Mumbai, Berlin | Local market research, event feedback |
Phone number restriction requires respondents to enter and verify their phone number before they can access the survey. This restriction is useful when you need to ensure each respondent is a real person with a valid phone number, or when you want to limit responses to people from specific countries or phone networks.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| OTP Verification | SMS-based one-time password sent to the respondent’s phone for identity verification |
| Country Filtering | Restrict accepted phone numbers to specific country codes |
| Duplicate Prevention | Each phone number can only be used once per survey, preventing duplicate responses |
| International Support | Supports phone numbers from all countries with automatic country code detection |
The authentication restriction requires respondents to log in or register before they can access the survey. This provides the strongest level of respondent verification and is the most reliable method for enforcing one-response-per-person rules. Authenticated respondents are linked to their user profile, enabling rich cross-survey analytics.
When authentication is enabled, respondents are presented with a login screen before the survey loads. They can authenticate using any of the methods enabled in your workspace’s authentication settings:
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Email & Password | Standard registration/login flow with email verification |
| Google Sign-In | One-click authentication via Google account |
| SSO / SAML | Enterprise single sign-on integration (available on Business and Enterprise plans) |
| Magic Link | Passwordless login via email link — respondent clicks a link to verify identity |
When combined with authentication, the one-response-per-person rule becomes highly reliable. The system tracks which authenticated users have already submitted a response and prevents duplicate submissions. If a respondent tries to access the survey again, they see a message indicating they have already completed it.
You can enable multiple restriction types simultaneously. When combined, all enabled restrictions must be satisfied for a respondent to access the survey. For example, enabling both Domain Restriction and Location Restriction means a respondent must have an allowed email domain AND be in an allowed location.
Setting a response goal helps you track progress toward your desired sample size. SurveyAnalytica provides a built-in sample size calculator, a real-time progress tracker, and automatic notifications when your goal is reached.
Response Goal Progress
Customer Satisfaction Q1 2025
68%
342 responses
Target
Collected
342
Target
500
Remaining
158
Avg. per day
24
Define how many completed responses you need for your survey to achieve its research objectives. The target response count is displayed as a progress bar on your survey dashboard and within the survey settings, giving you and your team a clear view of how close you are to meeting the goal.
Not sure how many responses you need? The built-in sample size calculator helps you determine the statistically appropriate sample size based on three key parameters:
| Parameter | Description | Common Values |
|---|---|---|
| Confidence Level | How confident you want to be that the results represent the true population values | 90%, 95%, 99% |
| Margin of Error | The acceptable range of error in results (also called confidence interval) | +/- 3%, 5%, 10% |
| Population Size | The total number of people in the group you are studying | 500, 10,000, 1,000,000 |
Once a response goal is set, the progress bar is visible on the survey dashboard card, the survey analytics page, and within the settings panel. When the goal is reached, the system can:
Send an email to the survey owner and selected team members when the response count hits the target.
Display a notification banner in the SurveyAnalytica dashboard the next time a team member logs in.
Automatically close the survey once the target is reached, preventing over-collection of data.
Fire a webhook to an external URL when the goal is reached, enabling integration with project management or CRM tools.
Incentivise survey participation by configuring rewards for completed responses. SurveyAnalytica supports voucher codes, gift cards, and custom reward messages. Set per-response amounts, track budget spend, and let the system handle reward distribution automatically.
Respondent
Completes Survey
All questions answered
and submitted
Step 1
System Validates
Response
Completeness check,
duplicate detection
Step 2
Voucher
Issued
Unique code generated
and logged
Step 3
$
Respondent
Gets Reward
Email or on-screen
delivery
Step 4
Rewards are configured in the Rewards tab of Survey Settings. You define the reward type, value, currency, and the total budget you are willing to allocate. The system tracks spending against the budget in real time and stops issuing rewards when the budget cap is reached.
| Setting | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Reward Type | Type of incentive issued to respondents | Voucher code, gift card |
| Amount | Value of the reward per completed response | $5.00, 10 EUR |
| Currency | Currency for the reward value | USD, EUR, GBP, INR |
| Budget Cap | Maximum total spend across all responses | $500 total |
| Message | Text displayed to respondent with their reward | “Thank you! Here’s your $5 gift card” |
When voucher codes are used as the reward type, SurveyAnalytica generates unique, single-use codes for each completed response. You can choose between system-generated codes (random alphanumeric strings) or upload your own pre-generated codes via CSV. Pre-uploaded codes are distributed one at a time in the order they appear in the file.
| Code Source | How It Works | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| System-Generated | Unique 12-character alphanumeric codes created on the fly | General incentives, discount codes |
| Pre-Uploaded (CSV) | You upload a CSV of codes; they are issued one per response in order | Partner codes, pre-purchased gift cards |
The Rewards tab displays real-time budget tracking, including total spend to date, remaining budget, number of rewards issued, and projected spend based on current response rates. When the budget cap is reached, the system automatically stops issuing rewards but continues collecting responses. You will receive a notification when the budget is 80% spent and again when it is fully exhausted.
Gather feedback about the survey experience itself. When enabled, a brief satisfaction question is shown to respondents after they submit their final response. This helps you understand whether respondents found the survey clear, appropriately timed, and relevant — valuable insights for improving future survey design.
Survey feedback collection adds a lightweight post-submission question to the end of your survey. After the respondent clicks “Submit” and sees the thank-you page, a small feedback widget appears asking them to rate their experience. This feedback is tracked separately from your survey data and does not affect response analytics.
The feedback widget appears on the thank-you page after submission. It is deliberately minimal to avoid survey fatigue. Respondents can choose to provide feedback or simply close the page — the widget is entirely optional and does not block the submission confirmation.
| Feedback Format | Display | Data Captured |
|---|---|---|
| Star Rating | 5-star scale with hover highlights | Numeric value (1-5) |
| Thumbs Up/Down | Two-button positive/negative choice | Boolean (positive or negative) |
| Emoji Scale | Row of 5 emoji faces from sad to happy | Numeric value (1-5) |
| Open Comment | Small text area (optional add-on) | Free text (max 500 characters) |
Survey feedback data is available in the Survey Analytics section under the Feedback tab. You can view the average rating, distribution of ratings, and all open-ended comments. This data helps identify patterns — for example, if a survey consistently receives low feedback scores, it may be too long, poorly worded, or asking irrelevant questions.
Custom variables allow you to pass external data into your survey via URL parameters. These hidden fields are powerful tools for tracking respondent sources, personalising survey content, segmenting responses in analytics, and integrating with downstream systems such as CRMs and marketing platforms.
Custom variables are passed as URL query parameters when sharing the survey link. For example, if you define a variable named source, you can pass its value by appending ?source=email to the survey URL. The value is captured automatically when the respondent opens the survey and is stored alongside their response data.
The full URL format looks like this:
https://survey.surveyanalytica.com/s/abc123?source=email&userId=user456&campaign=spring2025
Custom variables act as hidden fields — they are invisible to the respondent but stored with every response. This makes them ideal for tracking information you already know about the respondent without burdening them with additional questions. Common uses include:
Identify which marketing channel or touchpoint drove the respondent to the survey (email, social media, website embed, QR code).
Pass a customer ID, account number, or CRM identifier to link survey responses back to specific records in your systems.
Track which campaign, experiment, or A/B test variant the respondent belongs to for accurate attribution analysis.
Pass the respondent’s name, company, or product to dynamically personalise question text and thank-you messages.
Once defined, custom variables can be referenced throughout your survey using single curly-brace syntax: {variableName}. The platform replaces the placeholder with the actual value at render time.
| Usage Location | Example | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Question Text | Hi {name}, how would you rate…? | Hi Sarah, how would you rate…? |
| Description Text | This survey is about {product} | This survey is about Premium Plan |
| Thank-You Page | Thank you, {name}! Your feedback on {product} is appreciated. | Thank you, Sarah! Your feedback on Premium Plan is appreciated. |
| End Page Redirect URL | https://example.com/done?ref={userId} | https://example.com/done?ref=abc123 |
Custom variables are not just for display — they are passed along to end pages, redirect URLs, and integrations. When you configure a redirect URL on the thank-you page, you can include variable placeholders that are resolved before the redirect happens. Similarly, custom variables are included in webhook payloads and integration data, making it easy to correlate survey responses with external systems.
| Variable | Source | Example URL |
|---|---|---|
source |
Marketing channel | ?source=email |
userId |
User identifier | ?userId=abc123 |
campaign |
Campaign reference | ?campaign=spring2024 |
ref |
Referral code | ?ref=partner-001 |
name |
Respondent name (for piping) | ?name=Sarah |
product |
Product or service reference | ?product=Premium+Plan |
region |
Geographic segment | ?region=north-america |
lang |
Language preference override | ?lang=es |
?name=John%20Doe instead of ?name=John Doe. The platform automatically decodes URL-encoded values when displaying them in question text.
userId will not match a URL parameter of userid or USERID. Ensure consistency between your variable definitions and the URLs you distribute.
SurveyAnalytica provides a range of advanced settings that give you fine-grained control over survey behavior, data collection, and respondent experience. These settings are found in the Settings panel of the survey builder.
Connect your own Google Analytics account to track survey views, completions, and respondent behavior. Enter your GA Measurement ID (e.g., G-XXXXXXXXXX) in the settings panel. Once configured, pageviews, question interactions, and completion events are sent to your GA4 property, allowing you to analyze survey traffic alongside your website analytics.
| Setting | Field | Description |
|---|---|---|
| GA Measurement ID | gaMeasurementId |
Your Google Analytics 4 Measurement ID (format: G-XXXXXXXXXX). Events are sent automatically when respondents view pages and submit responses. |
Set a time limit for survey completion. When enabled, a countdown timer is displayed to respondents, and the survey can optionally auto-submit when time expires. This is useful for timed assessments, quizzes, or when you need to enforce consistent response times across respondents.
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Timer Duration | Total time allowed for survey completion. Presets: 1 min, 3 min, 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, 30 min, or custom value in seconds. | Disabled |
| Show Timer to Respondent | Display a visible countdown (MM:SS format) to the respondent while they take the survey. | Yes |
| Auto-Submit on Expiry | Automatically submit the respondent’s answers when the timer reaches zero, even if they haven’t clicked Submit. | No |
Enable email notifications to be alerted whenever a new response is submitted. Notifications are sent to the survey creator and any additional email addresses configured. This is useful for monitoring response activity in real-time, especially for high-priority surveys or customer feedback loops that require immediate action.
When enabled, the survey requests the respondent’s browser geolocation (with their permission) and stores GPS coordinates alongside the response data. This is valuable for field surveys, location-based research, and verifying that responses come from the intended geographic area. Respondents see a standard browser permission prompt; if they decline, the response is still recorded without location data.
Enable offline mode to allow respondents to complete the survey without an internet connection. Responses are stored locally on the device and automatically synced to the server when connectivity is restored. This is essential for field research, in-store kiosks, remote locations, and events where Wi-Fi may be unreliable.
By default, surveys can be submitted multiple times by the same person. When this setting is disabled, the system uses cookies and session tracking to prevent duplicate submissions (see Section 9 for detailed One-Time Response options). When enabled, respondents can take the survey any number of times — useful for kiosk deployments, classroom settings, or longitudinal studies where the same person provides feedback at different intervals.
When enabled, the survey saves respondent answers progressively as they navigate through pages. If a respondent abandons the survey before completing it, the partial data is still captured and available in your analytics. Partial responses are flagged separately from complete responses in the response dashboard, so you can analyze both completion data and drop-off patterns.
| Setting | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| GA Measurement ID | Text | Empty | Your Google Analytics 4 tracking ID |
| Auto-Completion Timer | Duration | Disabled | Time limit with optional auto-submit |
| Show Timer | Toggle | On | Display countdown to respondent |
| Auto-Submit on Expiry | Toggle | Off | Submit automatically when timer ends |
| Notifications | Toggle | Off | Email alert on new response |
| Track Location | Toggle | Off | Request GPS coordinates from respondent |
| Offline Responses | Toggle | Off | Allow offline survey completion with sync |
| Allow Multiple Responses | Toggle | On | Let same person respond multiple times |
| Collect Partial Responses | Toggle | Off | Save incomplete survey submissions |
SurveyAnalytica includes built-in collaboration tools that let your team discuss and review surveys before publishing. Comments are real-time and tied to individual questions, while sharing controls determine who can access the survey within and outside your workspace.
Team members can leave comments on individual questions directly within the survey builder. Comments appear in a thread alongside the question and are synchronized in real time via WebSocket, so multiple collaborators can discuss simultaneously. Use comments to flag issues, suggest wording changes, or approve questions before publishing.
By default, surveys are private to your workspace. To share a survey externally for review (not for response collection), use the Share overlay accessible from the survey builder toolbar. Sharing options include:
The one-time response setting prevents individual respondents from submitting the survey more than once. SurveyAnalytica offers multiple detection methods, each with different levels of reliability and user experience trade-offs. Choose the method that best fits your survey’s requirements for data integrity.
Cookie-based prevention is the lightest-touch method. When a respondent submits the survey, a browser cookie is set to record the submission. If the same respondent tries to access the survey again from the same browser, they see a message indicating they have already completed it.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| How It Works | Sets a browser cookie after submission; checks for cookie on subsequent visits |
| Reliability | Low to moderate — respondents can clear cookies or use incognito mode to bypass |
| User Experience | Seamless — no extra steps required from the respondent |
| Best For | Casual surveys where exact one-per-person enforcement is not critical |
Session-based tracking uses server-side session identifiers to detect duplicate submissions within a single session. This is stronger than cookies alone because it is managed server-side, but it resets when the session expires (typically after 30 minutes of inactivity or when the browser is closed).
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| How It Works | Server-side session ID tracks submission status; persists for session duration |
| Reliability | Moderate — prevents rapid re-submissions but resets after session expires |
| User Experience | Seamless — no extra steps required from the respondent |
| Best For | Preventing accidental double-clicks and rapid re-submissions |
IP-based limiting records the respondent’s IP address upon submission and blocks subsequent submissions from the same IP. This method is more robust than cookies because respondents cannot bypass it by clearing browser data. However, it can inadvertently block legitimate responses from shared networks (e.g., corporate offices, universities, public Wi-Fi).
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| How It Works | Records submitter IP address; blocks subsequent submissions from the same IP |
| Reliability | Moderate to high — difficult to bypass without VPN, but may block shared-IP users |
| User Experience | Seamless for most respondents; may frustrate users on shared networks |
| Best For | Public surveys distributed via social media or website embeds where cookies may be cleared |
The right method depends on your survey’s context and how critical data integrity is. Below is a comparison to help you decide:
| Method | Reliability | User Friction | Bypass Difficulty | Recommended For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cookie | Low | None | Easy (clear cookies) | Casual feedback, polls |
| Session | Moderate | None | Easy (new session) | Anti-double-click protection |
| IP Address | Moderate-High | None (but shared IP issues) | Medium (VPN needed) | Public surveys, website embeds |
| Authentication | High | Login required | Difficult (new account) | Critical research, employee surveys |
Need more help?
If you have questions about configuring survey settings or need assistance with advanced restriction setups, contact our support team at
support@surveyanalytica.com
or visit the
SurveyAnalytica Help Centre
for more guides and tutorials.