Activate or stop a survey | LimeSurvey

Activate or stop a survey

About activating a survey

A survey collects responses only while it is active. Before that it is a draft you build and preview. Activation is one click, with no confirmation dialog. Stopping a survey has two variants: Stop / pause survey closes it and keeps the data ready for analysis, Deactivate survey reopens the structure for editing and archives the data.

Activate a survey

  1. Open the survey in the editor. Check it first with the preview (eye icon in the top bar).

  2. Click the green Activate button at the top right.

  3. The survey is live. A panel confirms it and shows your response counters, the survey link with a Copy button, the QR code and the buttons Edit survey, Deactivate and Preview survey.

    The confirmation panel after activating a survey, with response counters, the survey link, the QR code and the buttons Edit survey, Deactivate and Preview survey

  4. Share the link: click Copy, or open the Share tab at the top of the editor later for all sharing options. See Share your survey link.

Note: While the survey is active, the + button is disabled. You cannot add or delete questions or groups, or change question types. Set your data recording options before you activate: Anonymized responses under Settings > Participant settings, and Date stamp, Save IP address, Save timings and the other options under Settings > Notifications & data lock once the survey is active.

Stop a survey

  1. In the editor, click the red Deactivate button at the top right. The dialog Do you want to stop your survey? opens.

  2. Choose one of the two options.

    Stop / pause survey closes the survey. Participants can no longer access it, an expiry date is set, and your responses and participant data stay available for analysis. Changes to questions and settings stay very limited. Use this to end a survey.

    Deactivate survey reopens the survey for structural changes. Responses and participant data are archived and are not available for analysis until you reactivate the survey and import them again. Use this only to change questions or the structure.

    The stop dialog with the two options Stop or pause survey and Deactivate survey

  3. Click Continue.

Tip: Export your responses before you deactivate a survey. If you change or remove questions before reactivating, the archived answers for those questions can be lost.

Next steps

FAQ

Do I have to activate the survey to test it?

No. Use the preview (eye icon in the top bar) at any time. Preview answers are not stored.

Why can't I add a question?

The survey is active. Click Deactivate, choose Deactivate survey and click Continue. Export your responses first, because archived answers can be lost when the structure changes.