Prefill can turn every row of a spreadsheet into its own web survey link, whether a row is an event, a place, a data collector or a person. Each link opens your web survey with that row's data already applied: matched answer fields pre-filled, {{placeholders}} in the text replaced, and any Prefill Data values attached invisibly to the response. If you are new to prefill, start with the complete guide.
Before you start
- Enable web surveys for the survey in its settings.
- Unique Page Marking must be active for the survey, since each link is tied to a uniquely identified copy.
- Upload your spreadsheet as a prefill list if you have not already, from the survey's Prefill page or under More › Prefill lists: one row per link, column headers named after the survey fields they should fill.
You do not have to leave the links dialog for the first two: its Survey requirements and response settings section turns on Unique page marking and web surveys, and creates a survey version if there is none yet.
Generating the links
- Open the survey's Prefill page, or your prefill list, and select the rows you want links for.
- Open Collect responses and choose Get web survey links.
- Pick the survey to pre-fill (on the survey's Prefill page it is already chosen) and, optionally, a Link expiry date after which the links stop accepting responses. Tags are optional too: they are added to each response submitted through these links, and
Key:Valuetags get a column per key in exports. - Press Create links. A spreadsheet downloads with one URL per selected row, alongside the row's data, ready to drop into a mail merge. The last column, QR Code, holds a scannable code of each row's link, so a facilitator can show it on a screen or print the sheet and let people scan it with their phone.
If you would rather PaperSurvey sent the invitations for you, choose Send by email instead in the same dialog. On Enterprise plans PaperSurvey can email each person their own link through your own email provider, and remind the people who have not responded. The button stays greyed out until your mail server is set up and tested in Settings, then Email Sending. See Emailing Survey Invitations and Reminders.
Controlling how links behave
Two survey settings decide what the links allow. Both are in the links dialog under Survey requirements and response settings, and in the survey's Settings:
- Prefill links only. Only the generated links can submit the survey. Anyone visiting the plain survey address is turned away, which keeps uninvited responses out of a closed panel.
- Allow multiple submissions. By default each link accepts one submission. Enable this when the same link should be usable repeatedly, for example a site-level link filled in weekly.
Distributing the links
The downloaded spreadsheet works anywhere URLs work: individual emails, a mail merge with the respondent's name from the same row, the QR codes on printed invitations, or SMS. Because the paper copies and the web links come from the same list, responses from both channels arrive in the same survey with identical attached data.
On Enterprise plans you can skip the mail merge entirely and have PaperSurvey send the invitations and any reminders through your own email provider. See Emailing Survey Invitations and Reminders.