How responses are counted and what happens at your limit | LimeSurvey

How responses are counted and what happens at your limit

About responses

Every plan includes a number of responses per subscription period: 25 per month on the free plan, more on the paid plans. The count applies to your whole survey site, across all surveys. See Subscription plans.

How a response is counted

A response counts once per participant, however many questions or question groups the survey has.

Situation Counts as
A participant completes the survey 1 response
A participant answers part of the survey and doesn't complete it 0.5 response
An administrator enters a response by hand 1 response
An administrator marks a partial response as completed 0.5 response

See your balance

  • On your survey site, the top bar shows how many responses you have left. Point at the number to see Response balance.
  • On your account page at account.limesurvey.org, the Account details tab shows Used responses and Remaining responses.
  • Also on the Account details tab, Response reminder sets when we email you: for example when fewer than 10 responses are left.

When your responses run out

  1. When your balance gets low, we send you the reminder email. Keep the email address of your account up to date.
  2. When the balance reaches zero, participants can't answer your surveys any more, and we email you again.
  3. On the free plan, your survey site is also locked: you can't open your surveys or export your responses until the lock ends.

Your data is safe while the site is locked. Nothing is deleted.

Get unlocked

  • Upgrade. Click Upgrade at the top right of your survey site. A paid plan lifts the lock right away. See Upgrade your plan.
  • Wait for the next period. Your responses are reset at the start of your next subscription period, and the lock ends.
  • Ask support. Once per period, support can unlock a locked free account so you can view and export your data. This adds only a few responses, not the full 25. See Get support.

Note: Deleting responses doesn't give responses back. The counter counts the responses collected in the period, not the ones you keep.

Next steps

FAQ

Do unused responses carry over?

No. At the end of each subscription period your responses are reset to the amount of your plan.

Will I lose my remaining responses when I cancel?

No. They stay until the end of the period you paid for. Then your account moves to the free plan with 25 responses per month. See Cancel your subscription.

How do I avoid running out in the middle of fieldwork?

Estimate how many people will take part before you start, check the balance in the top bar while the survey runs, and upgrade before you start collecting if you expect more responses than your plan has.

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