Editing a launched survey

Online Surveys allows you to make any changes you want using the Survey Builder after your survey has launched.

However, you should be aware that making some changes can result in the loss or corruption of data if you have already collected some.

If you attempt to make a change that could result in the deletion of response data you will be notified by a warning like the one on the right. If you see this warning, you should pause and consider whether you want to make that change.

Below is a list of changes that can be made in the Survey Builder after the survey is launched. The changes denoted with an orange warning symbol are ones that would result in being presented with a warning in the survey builder, and could result in the deletion of data if you confirm the action.

Note: this page advises on technical issues and doesn’t advise on whether a change will affect the validity of your data. For example, changing question text does not pose a technical problem, but is a change that could completely change the perception of the question being asked and the answers that could be given after the change. This is for you to consider.

Builder changes

General survey settings

  • Editing the survey title

    Changing the survey title text will not affect your survey data or access to the survey.

  • Changing the survey description

    Editing the text in your survey description will not affect your survey data.

General question settings

  • Editing question text

    Changing question text is fine, and will update the text in the survey and in your results.

  • Making questions required / not required

    Changing this setting will enforce this rule for future participants.

  • Changing the question description

    Editing the text in your question description will not affect your survey data.

  • Changing question logic

    Changing question logic will not affect your response data, but should be thoroughly tested to ensure the new rules work as expected.

  • Changing screening rules

    Changing screening rules will not affect your response data, but should be thoroughly tested to ensure the new rules work as expected.

  • Changing validation rules

    Changing validation rules will not affect your response data, but should be thoroughly tested to ensure the new rules work as expected.

Adding, moving and deleting questions

  • Adding questions

    Adding questions to your survey will not affect the responses you've received so far. The new question will appear for future respondents and will be included in your results.

  • Moving questions

    Reordering questions or moving questions to a different page will not affect the responses you've received so far. The question will be moved in your survey for future respondents and in your results. You should be careful if you have used logic with this question and update the logic accordingly.

  • Deleting questions

    Deleted questions and any data collected for them will be permanently deleted from your results.

Editing Choice and Dropdown questions

  • Adding answer options to Choice and Dropdown questions

    Adding answer options will not affect the responses you've received so far.

  • Editing answer option text for Choice and Dropdown questions

    Changing the text is for your answer options is fine, and will update the text in the survey and in your results.

  • Reordering answer options in Choice and Dropdown questions

    Reordering answer options will not affect the responses you've received so far. The answer options will be reordered in the survey and in your results.

  • Changing the Randomise answers setting for Choice questions

    Turning Randomisation on or off will not affect your response data.

  • Deleting answer options from Choice and Dropdown questions

    Deleted answer options and any data collected for them will be permanently deleted from your results.

  • Changing a Choice question from Single answer to Multi answer

    Changing a Choice question from Single answer to Multi answer will change the underlying structure of the data for the responses to that question and may corrupt any responses received prior to the change.

  • Changing a Choice question from Multi answer to Single answer

    Changing a Choice question from Multi answer to Single answer will change the underlying structure of the data for the responses to that question and may corrupt any responses received prior to the change.

Editing Grid questions

  • Adding rows or columns to Grid questions

    Adding grid rows and columns will not affect the responses you've received so far.

  • Editing Grid row and column labels

    Changing the text for in your Grid row and column labels will not affect the responses you've received so far. The labels will be updated in the survey and in your results.

  • Reordering Grid rows and columns

    Reordering Grid rows and columns will not affect the responses you've received so far. The columns or rows will be reordered in the survey and in your results.

  • Deleting grid rows and columns

    Deleted rows or columns and any data collected for them will be permanently deleted from your results.

  • Changing a Grid question from Single answer to Multi answer

    Changing a Grid question from Single answer to Multi answer will change the underlying structure of the data for the responses to that question and may corrupt any responses received prior to the change.

  • Changing a Grid question from Multi answer to Single answer

    Changing a Grid question from Multi answer to Single answer will change the underlying structure of the data for the responses to that question and may corrupt any responses received prior to the change.

General page settings

  • Editing page titles

    Changing page title text will not affect your survey data.

  • Changing the page description

    Editing the text in your page description will not affect your survey data.

  • Changing page logic

    Changing page logic will not affect your response data, but should be thoroughly tested to ensure the new rules work as expected.

Adding, moving and deleting pages

  • Adding pages

    Adding pages to your survey will not affect the responses you've received so far.

  • Moving pages

    Reordering pages will not affect the responses you've received so far. You should be careful if you have used logic with any of the questions on this page and update the logic accordingly.

  • Deleting pages

    Deleting a page will delete both the page and any questions on the page. Deleted questions and any data collected for them will be permanently deleted from your results.

Further help and support

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