PaperSurvey is not just for paper forms. The same survey can be answered online on any phone or computer, and web answers land in the same table and charts as paper ones. This guide sets up your first web survey. The sections marked More about... open up when you want the finer points.
| Step | Where |
|---|---|
| 1. Create the survey | Surveys › Create Survey |
| 2. Add questions | Setup tab |
| 3. Turn on the web link | Settings › Web Surveys |
| 4. Adjust the form (optional) | Settings › Web Surveys |
| 5. Share it | Email, message, QR code, website |
| 6. Watch responses arrive | Responses and Analysis tabs |
| 7. Close the survey | Settings › General |
Step 1: Create the survey
On the Surveys page, click Create Survey, enter a name and choose the language. The design mainly shapes the printed form, so for a web-only survey any design will do. Click Create.
Step 2: Add questions
Click Add question, pick a type, type the question and its options, and click Save. Every question type works on both paper and web, so you can add a printed version later without rebuilding anything.
More about questions on the web
- Required. The Required switch on a question card stops the form from being submitted without an answer.
- Pages. A Page break question splits the form into screens with Next and Previous buttons. Long surveys are easier to finish that way.
- Skip logic hides questions that do not apply, based on earlier answers. See skip logic.
- Introduction. A Heading or Description at the top of the survey is the first thing respondents read.
- Accessibility. See accessible surveys.
Step 3: Turn on the web link
- Click Settings at the top right of the survey.
- Open Web Surveys and turn on Activate.
- Click Save Changes.
The survey's link appears under Share your survey, together with Copy link, Open survey and View QR code. Open the survey yourself once and submit a test answer before you send the link out.
If Activate cannot be turned on, verify your email address first. Web surveys need a verified account email.
Step 4: Adjust the form (optional)
The rest of the Web Surveys section changes how the form looks and behaves:
- Customize link sets a memorable address, such as
customer-feedback-2026. Links you already shared stop working once you change it. - Appearance shows or hides the header and sets its colours to match your organization.
- Completion Message is the text people see after they submit.
More web survey settings
Advanced, at the bottom of the Web Surveys section, holds the rest:
- One submission per device and Save progress to browser, so a respondent who closes the page finds their answers again on the same device.
- Spam challenge, for links posted in public places.
- Embed Code and Custom Domain Name. See embedding a web survey and custom survey domain.
- Randomize questions and Custom CSS.
Send Email Confirmation, under Completion, emails respondents a confirmation after they submit. It needs an Email question in the survey, and support turns it on for your team on request. For every option in detail, see How to Create a Web Survey.
Step 5: Share it
Copy the link and send it by email, chat or social media, put the QR code on a poster or a printed handout, or embed the form on your website. Respondents can answer on any device.
More about sharing
- Know where answers came from. Survey links creates tracked links, one per newsletter, poster or partner, and tags each response with its source. See tag survey responses.
- QR codes. See using QR codes for survey distribution.
- Paper and web together. Add a link or QR code to paper surveys prints the web address on the paper form. See collecting responses on paper and web.
- Personal links. Links that already know who the respondent is, from a spreadsheet, are covered in customized web survey links and emailing survey invitations.
- Kiosks and tablets. See adding a survey to the home screen.
Step 6: Watch responses arrive
Each submission appears in the Responses tab straight away. Web answers need no scanning or verification, so the data is ready as soon as it arrives.
The Analysis tab charts every question as responses come in, and Export on the Responses tab downloads the data as Excel, CSV, SPSS, R, SAS or Stata. Web and paper responses are stored the same way, so a survey collected both ways is analyzed as one. See Creating an Analysis Dashboard and Exporting Survey Data.
Step 7: Close the survey
When you have enough responses, open Settings › General and change Status to Closed. The link then shows a closed message instead of the form, and you can reopen it at any time. See How to Close a Web Survey for other options.
Ready to add paper as well? Your First Paper Survey prints the same survey.