Clear instructions help respondents complete your survey correctly. PaperSurvey allows you to add custom instructions in multiple locations, ensuring participants understand how to answer each question type.

Adding footer instructions

The footer area provides space for general survey instructions that appear on every page:

1. Navigate to Survey Settings
2. Locate the footer text fields:
   • Footer Left - Instructions on the left side
   • Footer Center - Central instructions
   • Footer Right - Right-side instructions
3. Enter your custom text in any or all fields
4. Save your changes

Using instruction shortcodes

PaperSurvey provides visual shortcodes to demonstrate how to mark responses:

• [check] - Shows a filled checkbox
• [multicheck] - Displays multiple checkbox example
• [singlecheck] - Shows single selection example

Where to add instructions

Beyond footers, consider adding instructions in:

• Survey introduction - Overview and general guidelines
• Section headers - Instructions for specific question groups
• Individual questions - Using the "Extra help text" field
• Thank you message - Next steps or submission instructions

Best practices

• Keep instructions concise and action-oriented
• Use visual examples with shortcodes
• Place critical instructions near relevant questions
• Test with a small group to ensure clarity
• Consider multi-language instructions if needed

Well-placed instructions reduce errors and improve response quality, leading to better data collection outcomes.