Field Types (EX)
What's on This Page:
About Field Types
In your Dashboard Data, each field (question or metadata) needs to be assigned to one of seven field types. These field types define the data format of the field (eg., numeric or text) and consequently determine which widgets will be available for that field.
Whenever you create a new dashboard, the most recently updated fields have field types already set. While Qualtrics will try to choose the best field type based on the question’s format or data collected, you may need to change some of your fields so you can use different widgets.

List of Field Types
Number
- Numeric Value: A number field that has a very large or infinite set of values (e.g., any number between 0 and infinity).
- Number Set: Used to be called Number Range. A number field that has a finite set of values (e.g., the set of numbers from 0 to 5).
- Date: A date and time field (e.g., the date somebody completed their survey).
Text
- Text Set: Used to be called Single-Answer Text Set. A one-to-two-word text field that has a finite set of values (e.g., Dissatisfied to Satisfied).
- Multi-Answer Text Set: Can store multiple one-to-two-word text values in the same field (e.g., questions that ask respondents to “Select all that apply”).
- Text Value: Used to be called Short Text Entry. A one-to-two word open text field (e.g., customer name).
- Open Text: Used to be called Long Text Entry. A text entry field for long open blocks of text (e.g., comments).
Widget & Field Type Compatibility
The fields in certain widgets are only compatible with certain Field Types. See the table below.
Numeric Value | Number Set | Date | Text Value | Text Set | Multi-Answer Text Set | Open Text | |
Filters on Metrics* | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Average* | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Minimum/Maximum* | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Sum* | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Net Promoter Score* | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Correlation* | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Top/Bottom Box* | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Simple Chart (X-Axis Dimension) | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Simple Chart (Data Series) | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Simple Table (Row Dimension) | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Simple Table (Columns) | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Numeric Value | Number Set | Date | Text Value | Text Set | Multi-Answer Text Set | Open Text | |
Pie Chart (Dimension) | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Record Grid (Columns) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Key Drivers (Outcome Metric) | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Key Drivers (Potential Drivers) | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Word Cloud (Fields) | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
Bubble Chart (Source 1 & Source 2) | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No |
Demographic Breakout Table (Items) | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Demographic Breakout Table (Breakouts) | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Heat Map (Items) | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Heat Map (Breakouts) | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Numeric Value | Number Set | Date | Text Value | Text Set | Multi-Answer Text Set | Open Text | |
Question List (Items) | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Comparison Widget (Items) | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Comparison Widget (Breakouts) | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Response Rates (Fields) | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Engagement Summary (Items) | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Response Ticker (Content) | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
Response Ticker (Primary Label) | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Response Ticker (Secondary Label) | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Response Ticker (Ticker Value) | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Focus Areas (Outcome Metric) | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Focus Areas (Key Drivers) | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Widgets with No Fields
The following widgets are not compatible with any Field Types because they do not require fields.
- Scorecard Widget (which uses categories instead of fields)
- Image Widget
- Rich Text Editor Widget
- Action Planning Editor Widget
- Action Item Summary Widget
- Participation Summary Widget