Import and Export Surveys

To export your survey

1. On the Edit Survey page, select Advanced Options.
2. Select Export Survey or Export Survey to Word.
3. Select to Download or Save the file in the browser download box.
   
   Note: With Internet Explorer, you might need to click on the yellow bar at the top of the page to give it permission to download the file.

• .QSF – This would be a survey you had created and exported or that someone else had created and sent to you. The survey will import without any further formatting.
• .TXT – The text file option is appropriate in an automated system, where you have a back-end program that automatically generates .TXT surveys for you to import. Generally, if you are creating surveys yourself or bringing a survey in from another survey platform, it is quicker and easier to simply recreate it in Qualtrics.

To Prepare a .TXT file in Simple Format for Importing:

The text file option is appropriate in an automated system, where you have a back-end program that automatically generates .TXT surveys for you to import.

To create a survey in the Simple .TXT format,

1. Format questions.
   • A question begins with a number followed by a period (“.”). Choices are below the question text with a blank line between the question and the answer choices.
   • For matrix questions: Answers are after choices with a blank line between.
   • Make question multiple answer by using [[MultipleAnswer]] on the line just below the question text.
   • Insert a page break by entering [[PageBreak]].
2. Save as a .TXT file and import into Qualtrics.

The following is an example of Simple .TXT formatting:

1. This is a multiple choice question. Every question starts with a
number followed by a period. There should be a blank line between
the question text and the choices.

a
b
c
d

[[Block:My Block Name]]
2. This is a multiple choice- multiple answer question.
[[MultipleAnswer]]

a
b
c
d

[[PageBreak]]
3. This is a matrix question that has longer question text.
It is a matrix question because it has two groups of choices.

The question text is on two lines.

ma
mb
mc

m1
m2
m3

4. This is a matrix-multiple answer question.
[[MultipleAnswer]]

ma
mb
mc

m1
m2
m3

[[Block]]
5. What is your gender?

Male
Female

To Prepare a .TXT file in Advanced Format for Importing

The text file option is appropriate in an automated system, where you have a back-end program that automatically generates .TXT surveys for you to import. When using the Advanced .TXT format each part of the question must be explicitly defined using the [[]] tags. The tags begin with [[ and end with ]] with no spaces in-between the brackets.

Question Type Codes

• MC – Multiple Choice
  
  
  • SingleAnswer – single answer question
  • Vertical – vertical layout
  • Horizontal – horizontal layout
  • MultipleAnswer – single answer question
  • Vertical – vertical layout
  • Horizontal – horizontal layout
  • DropDown – drop down list
  • Select – select box
  • MultiSelect – multiple answer select box
• Matrix – Matrix Table
• SingleAnswer – single answer question
• MultipleAnswer – multiple answer question
• TextEntry or TE – Text Entry
• SingleLine – Single line question
• Essay – Essay box question
• ConstantSum or CS – Constant Sum
• RankOrder or RO – Rank Order
• Text or DB – Text/Graphic (Descriptive Block)

Other Tags

• [[AdvancedFormat]] – Specifies the file is an advanced formatted file.
• [[SimpleFormat]] – Specifies the file is a simple formatted file.
• [[ED:{field}:{value}]] – Adds embedded data to the flow with the given field. If value is specified then the field will be set to that value.
• [[Question:{question type code}:{question sub-type code}:{question sub-sub-type code}]] – Specifies a new question with a specific type, either MC, Matrix, TE, CS, RO, or DB. Optionally a question sub type code can be used.
• [[Choices]] – Specifies the choices for a multiple choice question or the statements for a matrix question (one per line after the tag).
• [[Answers]] – Specifies the choices for a matrix question (one per line after the tag).
• [[AdvancedChoices]] – Specifies we are using advanced choice formatting allowing for recode values and multiline choices.
• [[Choice:{recode value}]] – Specifies the start of a choice. An optional recode value can be used to set the recode value of the choice.
• [[AdvancedAnswers]] – Specifies we are using advanced answer formatting allowing for recode values and multiline answers.
• [[Answer:{recode value}]] – Specifies the start of an answer. An optional recode value can be used to set the recode value of the answer.
• [[MultipleAnswer]] – Specifies that the question should be a multiple answer question.
• [[ID:question ID]] – Specifies question ID and export tag.
• [[PageBreak]] – Specifies a page break.
• [[Block]] – Specifies a block should begin.
• [[Block:block name]] – Specifies a block should begin with a specific name.

The following is an example of Advanced .TXT formatting:

[[AdvancedFormat]]

[[ED:State]]
[[ED:Gender]]
[[ED:SawSurvey:1]]

[[Block:MC Block]]

[[Question:MC:Dropdown]]
drop down
[[Choices]]
a
b
c

[[Question:MC:Select]]
select
[[Choices]]
a
b
c

[[Question:MC:MultiSelect]]
multiselect
[[Choices]]
a
b
c

[[Question:MC:SingleAnswer:Horizontal]]
single answer horizontal
[[Choices]]
a
b
c

[[Question:MC:MultipleAnswer:Horizontal]]
multiple answer horizontal
[[Choices]]
a
b
c

[[Block]]

[[Question:MC]]
[[ID:q1]]
This is a multiple choice question. With one value recoded.

[[AdvancedChoices]]
[[Choice]]
a choice
with text on
multiple lines
[[Choice]]
b
[[Choice]]
c
[[Choice:99]]
N/A with recode 99

[[PageBreak]]

[[Question:Matrix]]
This question is a matrix question.

It has lots of question text on multiple lines and uses
advanced answers.

[[Choices]]
statement a
statement b
statement c
[[AdvancedAnswers]]
[[Answer]]
answer 1
[[Answer]]
answer 2
[[Answer]]
answer 3

[[PageBreak]]

[[Question:Matrix]]
This question is a matrix question and uses advanced choices and 
answers with recode values.

[[AdvancedChoices]]
[[Choice]]
a
[[Choice]]
b
[[Choice]]
c
[[Choice]]
d

[[AdvancedAnswers]]
[[Answer:10]]
answer 1 - recode 10
[[Answer:20]]
answer 2 - recode 20
[[Answer:30]]
answer 3 - recode 30