Understanding the Survey Lifecycle

Every survey goes through distinct phases from creation to completion. Understanding this lifecycle helps you plan effectively and get better results.

The Five Phases

Create → Design → Distribute → Collect → Analyze

Let’s explore each phase in detail.

---

Phase 1: Create

This is where your survey takes shape.

Key Activities

• Define your survey goals and objectives
• Choose a creation method (AI, template, scratch, etc.)
• Add and organize your questions
• Set up skip logic for dynamic surveys
• Configure survey settings

Tips for Success

• Start with goals - Know what decisions the data will inform
• Keep it focused - Shorter surveys get higher completion rates
• Use the right question types - Match questions to the data you need

Resources

• Creating Your First Survey
• Question Types Overview
• Skip Logic & Branching

---

Phase 2: Design

Make your survey look professional and on-brand.

Key Activities

• Apply or customize a theme
• Add your logo
• Choose colors that match your brand
• Configure the thank you page

Tips for Success

• Stay consistent - Use your brand colors and logo
• Keep it clean - Avoid distracting designs
• Mobile-first - Test how it looks on phones

Resources

• Customizing Survey Themes
• White Label Options

---

Phase 3: Distribute

Get your survey in front of respondents.

Distribution Methods

Method	Best For
Email	Known audiences, tracking responses
Web Link	Social media, websites, broad sharing
Embed	Your website or app
QR Code	Print materials, events

Tips for Success

• Personalize invitations - Personalized emails get better response rates
• Time it right - Avoid weekends and holidays for business surveys
• Send reminders - Follow up with non-responders

Resources

• Email Distribution
• Web Link Distribution
• Embedding Surveys

---

Phase 4: Collect

Monitor responses as they come in.

Key Activities

• Watch response rates in real-time
• Send reminder emails to non-responders
• Monitor for issues (drop-offs, confusion)
• Close survey when target is reached

Tips for Success

• Set response goals - Know how many responses you need
• Watch completion rates - High drop-off may indicate problems
• Use notifications - Get alerts for new responses

Resources

• Response Notifications
• Email Reminders

---

Phase 5: Analyze

Turn responses into insights and action.

Key Activities

• Review summary statistics
• Explore individual responses
• Filter and segment data
• Generate reports
• Export for further analysis

Tips for Success

• Look for patterns - What trends emerge in the data?
• Segment responses - Compare different groups
• Share findings - Create reports for stakeholders
• Take action - Use insights to make decisions

Resources

• Analyzing Survey Results
• Creating Reports
• Exporting Results
• AI Insights

---

Survey Status Throughout the Lifecycle

Your survey status reflects where it is in the lifecycle:

Status	Phase	Can Edit?	Collecting?
Draft	Create/Design	Yes	No
Open	Distribute/Collect	Limited	Yes
Closed	Analyze	No	No
Scheduled	Waiting	Yes	Soon

Editing Open Surveys

Be cautious when editing surveys that are already collecting responses:

• Safe changes: Fixing typos, updating thank you page
• Risky changes: Adding/removing questions, changing logic (may affect data consistency)

---

Planning Your Timeline

A typical survey timeline:

1. Create & Design: 1-3 days
2. Internal review: 1-2 days
3. Collection period: 1-2 weeks (varies)
4. Analysis & reporting: 2-3 days

Tip: Always build in buffer time. Surveys often take longer than expected, especially the collection phase.

---

Ready to start?

• Create your first survey
• Choose the right question types