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Building a Survey

This guide walks you through creating and managing a survey in the Custom Survey Builder.

Written by Craig Sully

The Survey Builder canvas

All surveys are built on an infinite canvas made up of pathway columns.

At the top of the canvas is Q1. Below this are five pathways, each representing a different learner outcome.

You can:

  • Pan around the canvas by clicking and dragging

  • Zoom in and out using your mouse or controls

  • Use Fit to view the full survey

  • Expand or collapse question cards to change how much detail you see

Adding a custom question

Custom questions are the only part of the survey you can create and manage.

To add a question:

  1. Open the pathway you want to add it to

  2. Click + Add Question

  3. Select a question type:

    • Menu Options

    • Free Form

  4. Enter your question text

  5. If using Menu Options, add your answer choices

  6. Click Add Question

The question will appear in that pathway only, and will sit above the final message.

Editing a question

You can edit any custom question after it has been created.

This includes:

  • Changing the question text

  • Updating answer options

  • Fixing or refining wording

Changes are saved automatically and applied immediately.

Reordering questions

Custom questions can be reordered within a pathway.

You can:

  • Drag and drop questions into a new position

  • Or use the up and down arrows

This controls the order in which learners see questions.

Copying a question

You can reuse questions across pathways.

To copy a question:

  • Click Copy on the question

  • Go to another pathway

  • Click Paste

This is useful when you want consistent questions across multiple learner journeys.

Deleting a question

To remove a question, hover over it and click the delete icon.

This action cannot be undone.

Question types

There are two types of custom questions.

Menu Options

Menu Options present learners with a predefined list of answers.

Use this when you need structured, consistent responses across learners.

Each question must have between 2 and 10 options.

Free Form

Free Form questions allow learners to type their own response.

Use this when you want open-ended feedback or qualitative answers.

Working with pathways

Each survey contains five pathways:

  • Employment

  • Education

  • Apprenticeship

  • Not Working and Not in Education

  • Other / Gap Year / Volunteering

Each pathway can contain its own set of custom questions.

This allows you to tailor questions depending on the learner’s situation.

Before publishing

Before using your survey, check:

  • Each pathway has the correct questions

  • You are only asking necessary questions

  • Menu Options are used where appropriate

  • Questions are not duplicated unnecessarily across pathways

Shorter surveys generally result in higher completion rates.

Key rule

Q1, Q2 and Q3 are fixed and cannot be edited.

They are fixed because:

  • Q1 ensures consistent WhatsApp delivery and reduces spam risk

  • Q2 is required for destination code reporting

  • Q3 ensures consistent start date data for reporting

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