Copy & Paste Questions

Have your questions ready in a document? SurveyMethods can automatically parse pasted text into properly formatted survey questions, saving you time.

When to Use This Method

• You already have questions written in a document
• Migrating questions from another survey tool
• Converting a paper survey to digital format
• Working from a stakeholder’s question list

How to Copy & Paste Questions

1. Click Create Survey from your dashboard
2. Select Copy & Paste Questions
3. Paste your questions into the text area
4. Click Parse Questions
5. Review and adjust the parsed questions
6. Click Create Survey

Formatting Rules

The parser uses line breaks to determine questions and options:

• Single line break = text becomes an answer option for the question above
• Blank line = starts a new question

Questions with Options

What is your favorite color?
Red
Blue
Green
Yellow

How did you hear about us?
Social media
Search engine
Friend referral
Advertisement

In this example:

• “What is your favorite color?” is the first question
• Red, Blue, Green, Yellow are its options (single returns)
• The blank line starts a new question
• “How did you hear about us?” is the second question with its own options

Open-Ended Questions

For questions without options, just add a blank line before the next question:

What is your name?

What suggestions do you have for improvement?

How satisfied are you with our service?
Very satisfied
Satisfied
Neutral
Dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied

What Gets Parsed

SurveyMethods will detect:

• Question text - The first line after a blank line
• Answer options - Lines following the question (before the next blank line)
• Question type - Based on whether options are present

After Parsing

Once your questions are parsed:

1. Review each question - Check that the text is correct
2. Adjust question types - Change if the auto-detection was incorrect:
   • Multiple Choice
   • Checkboxes
   • Comment Box
   • Single Textbox
3. Add missing options - Complete any partial option lists
4. Set required questions - Mark mandatory questions
5. Organize into pages - Group questions logically

Tips for Success

1. Clean your source text - Remove extra formatting, headers, or footnotes
2. Use blank lines between questions - This tells the parser where each question ends
3. Put options on separate lines - Each option should be on its own line directly below the question
4. Include all options - Make sure answer choices are complete
5. Review carefully - Always check the parsed results

Supported Question Types

The parser can create:

• Multiple Choice questions
• Checkboxes (multiple select)
• Dropdown menus
• Comment Box (open text)
• Single Textbox (short text)

For specialized question types like Matrix, NPS, or Star Rating, you can convert questions after parsing.

Next Steps

After creating your survey:

• Add skip logic
• Customize the theme
• Configure survey options
• Distribute your survey

---

Prefer AI assistance? Try Build with AI for intelligent survey generation.