Download the current survey's definition — its questions, answer options, logic, and flow — as a file you can back up, version, or share. This is separate from the collected responses; to download those, see Exporting Survey Responses.
Export a survey (JSON / Word)#
Open the survey in the builder and click the Download icon (↓) on the top toolbar, next to the Fielding and Analysis icons. It offers two exports:
- Export JSON — saves the survey definition as a
.jsonfile, handy for backups, version control, or moving a survey between environments. - Export to Word — opens the Word export options dialog, then saves a
readable
.docxversion of the questionnaire to share or review.
If you have unsaved changes, the builder saves them first so the file matches what is on screen. If that save fails, nothing is exported and the error says what to fix.
The same two exports are also on each survey card's ⋯ menu on the Surveys page, as Export as JSON file and Export to Word.
Both export the survey definition (the questions), not the collected responses.
Word export options#
Export to Word — from the builder's Download menu or a survey card's ⋯ menu — opens a dialog where you choose what the document includes. All options are checked by default; uncheck any you want left out:
- Logic rules — display, skip and termination logic, and the Survey Rules section. An end of survey shows its status (screenout, quota full or quality control), its message and any linked quota. Branches close with an "End of branch" line, descriptive text shows its own logic, and a hidden question shows "Hidden, treated as displayed".
- Randomization — choice and row randomization, section randomizers (a "Randomizer:" line naming the sections and how many are shown), priority and auto-code settings. A randomizer closes with an "End of randomizer" line, and a section that shuffles its questions shows a "Randomize questions" or "Custom question order" line under its heading.
- Survey flow — flow elements such as variable assignments, section loops (a "Loop:" line under the section heading saying what it repeats over), flow groups (a "Group:" line before the group and "End of group:" after it), a "Set Global Variables:" line before each flow step's assignments, the Create / Edit Global Variables and Display Global Variables blocks, plus global variable definitions.
- Quotas — quota definitions and their conditions, quota groups, cross-quota grids and panel redirect URLs.
- Images — pictures embedded in questions and answer options.
- Validation rules — answer validation such as required, ranges and totals, plus the answer format (number, email, phone, postal code), a custom required message, auto-answer when only one option is shown and skip when no options are shown.
- Recode values — recoded answer numbering; unchecked, answers are numbered sequentially (1, 2, 3…), which is useful for respondent-facing copies. Checked, an option also shows its export name, and a matrix row shows its recode when that differs from its printed number.
Interface (plugin) details and translated text are always included when the survey has them. So are page breaks between questions, the "One question per page" setting, answer settings (such as a matrix answer mode, a dropdown, a distribution's target total or file upload limits), and question and section descriptions. A question that uses a custom interface names it on its type line, for example "Standard Matrix (interface: sequential_select)".
Each option maps to a query parameter on GET /api/surveys/{id}/export/word
(rules, randomization, flow, quotas, images, validation,
recodes). A parameter defaults to true when omitted, so only unchecked
options are sent, as <name>=false.
Tips#
- Backups — Use Export JSON to keep a copy of a survey's definition before making big changes.
- Sharing — Export to Word produces a readable document for stakeholders who don't use the builder.
Related guides#
- Survey Builder Overview — building and editing surveys
- Exporting Survey Responses — downloading collected responses
- Platform Feature List — full capability inventory
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