Overview - Activate Survey

Overview - Activate Survey

Overview – Activate Survey

Before you activate a survey, note that:
  • When the survey is initialized, you can change the text for questions, answers, the survey etc., but not the type of question or the type of answer.
  • You cannot add new questions or delete questions. Nor can you add answers to any of the array or multiple choice questions. However, you can add answers to the basic list type questions.
  • If you deactivate (not expire) the survey, responses will be moved to a backup table, and you will lose participation information; you will again be able to add new questions and groups and modify survey parameters.

Once you are happy with the structure of your survey: 
  1. Activate your survey
  2. Set Notification and Data settings
  3. Choose between open- or closed-access mode

1. Activate survey

Activate your survey by clicking Activate this survey on the top bar:


2. Notifications and data settings

Before activation, a window will be displayed with information about the notification and data management settings of your survey. The settings cannot be changed once a survey has been activated.



Check these survey settings before activation:
  • Anonymized responses: This option allows you to determine whether responses to your survey are matched with information from your survey's token table, or kept “anonymous”. If you decide to enable it, your survey is set to anonymize responses – there will be no way to connect answers and participants;
  • Save IP address: If enabled, the IP address of the survey respondent will be stored together with his/her answers;
  • Save timings: If enabled, the time spent on each page of the survey by each survey participant is recorded;
  • Date stamp: Enable this if you would like to see the date the answers were submitted;
  • Anonymize IP address: If enabled, the IP addresses of participants are matched with the participants;
  • Save referrer URL: If enabled, the referrer URL will be stored together with the answers.

Once you have chosen your desired settings, click Save & activate survey. This brings you to the last step, selecting between closed- or open-access mode.  A message pertaining to closed- and open-access mode will be displayed. 

3. Open- or closed-access mode

By default, the survey is in open-access mode. You can switch to closed-access mode by clicking Switch to closed-access mode. Below are the main differences between the two options:
  1. Open-access mode: Everyone can view your survey. You will be able to distribute your survey via the following channels: anonymous URL, QR Code, social media.  See Survey Settings --> Overview --> Share your survey for more details. 
  2. Closed-access mode: Participants will only be able to access the survey if they enter an access code – either manually or by URL which contains the code.  See Survey Menu --> Survey participants for more details.

By activating a survey, LimeSurvey:
  • Enables the responses and statistics section from the Survey Menu. Since the survey is now activated, responses can be gathered and statistics cane be created from these responses.

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