General survey settings
About general survey settings
The general settings concern the survey as a whole. These include the survey title (visible in the browser tab, to search engines, and when sharing on social networks), the survey language, and the option of whether respondents can interrupt completion and resume it later.
To edit the general settings, switch to the "Survey Settings" view. The "General" tab is selected there by default. In this area you can adjust the following settings:
Allow interrupting and resuming completion
When the "Resume Data Collection" setting is enabled, respondents who do not complete the questionnaire in a single session can resume answering it at a later time — right at the point where they last left off.
If this setting is disabled, completion starts over from the beginning each time the link is reopened — regardless of previous progress.
QUESTIONSTAR recognizes returning respondents using two mechanisms: (I) individualized links and (II) cookies. You'll find more information about this in the help article "Recognizing returning respondents".
Change the default survey language
By default, the survey takes on the language of your user interface. All service messages — e.g. error messages, notices shown when an inactive or closed survey is opened, password prompts, etc. — are displayed to respondents in this language.
In the general survey settings, you can adjust the default language if needed.
Change the survey title and description
When you share the link to your survey on social networks (e.g. Facebook, XING, X, etc.), the platform automatically generates a preview with an image, title, and description of the linked content.
This information is drawn from the so-called metadata stored in the HTML code of the survey page.
For the preview on social networks, a screenshot of the title page of your survey is generated automatically and used as the preview image.
The title and description that appear in the preview can be adjusted in the general survey settings.
The title entered here also appears in the browser tab heading.
Note:
The title and description in the general settings serve solely as metadata for the preview on social networks and in the browser tab. You set the **title visible to your respondents** directly in the layout template under "Style Survey".
Prevent search engines from including this survey in the search index
If you do not want your survey to be publicly findable via search engines such as Google or Bing, enable this setting.
It ensures that so-called meta tags for blocking search engines are inserted into the HTML code of your survey page. These explicitly instruct search engines not to include the survey in the search index.
This prevents your survey from appearing in Google search results or other search services — even if the link to the survey has been shared publicly.
Note:
This setting increases visibility control, but does not replace any access restriction. If you also want to restrict access, use, for example, a password or distribute the survey only via personalized links.
Save GPS location
When this option is enabled, QUESTIONSTAR saves the current GPS location of respondents during survey completion (if available).
Later, you can visualize the collected locations on a geographic map with location markers — e.g. to analyze regional distributions or to display survey hotspots.
This function is especially useful in the following situations:
- When interviewers with tablets (e.g. iPads) conduct surveys on site
- For event or trade fair surveys, to capture participant locations
- For location-based satisfaction surveys, e.g. in stores or in public spaces
- For mobile service appointments, to capture feedback directly at the point of service
Note:
For location capture to work, respondents must actively consent to the storage. When the survey starts, the browser displays a corresponding request to share location. In addition, the device used must be GPS-capable — e.g. a smartphone or tablet with the location function enabled.
Record audio
When this option is enabled, audio is recorded via the device's microphone during survey completion.
This function can be especially useful in certain scenarios, for example:
- In voice-supported interviews or diary studies, where respondents give their answers verbally
- To capture spontaneous reactions to particular questions or visual stimuli
- In qualitative on-site surveys, such as in market research or in the UX field
- To document pronunciation or language skills in language courses or test environments
Note:
Respondents must explicitly consent to the audio recording. When the survey starts, the browser automatically asks for permission to access the microphone.
Without this consent, no recording is started.