If you'd like your question to have a preselected answer option or default text automatically populated, follow these steps:
- Edit your question and click the Layout tab.
- In the Default Answer field, enter the exact reporting value of the answer you want selected by default or click Insert merge code to populate from questions on previous pages or email invite data. For open ended questions such as Textboxes, you can simply type in a default answer as well.
- Save Question and take a look!
- Respondents will still be able to change this preselected/predefined answer or default text, it's merely a suggestion.
- For grid type questions (Radio Button Grid, Checkbox Grid, etc.), the column headers contain the reporting value that would need to be entered in the Default Answer field.
Using Contact Data as Default Answer Text
Displaying contact data from Email Campaigns is an excellent use of the Default Answer tool. For example, you can display the current contact information in a Contact Form and ask the respondent to make any necessary changes.
Follow these steps to display contact information as the default answer.
- Add a Contact Form question to your survey.
- Click the pencil icon next to edit the first subquestion and go to the Layout tab.
- Scroll to the Default Answer field.
- Click Select a Merge Code.
- Select the contact data field you would like to display and click Insert.
For a complete list of fields available for storing data with email campaign contacts and their associated fields check out the merge code reference.
Preselect Multiple Answers
Certain question types allow for multiple answers (ex. Checkboxes and Checkbox Grids). These questions also support the ability to preselect multiple answers via the Default Answer field.
- In order to preselect multiple answers, edit your question and access the Layout tab.
- In the Default Answer field, input multiple answers separated by commas, no spaces. Save your question when you're finished.
Note that the provided default answers must match the reporting values of the associated answers exactly. For example, if your checkbox question has an answer option titled Live Chat with a reporting value of chat, you must use the reporting value in the default answer field in order for the answer to be selected by default.
How Does This Work for Grid Questions
If you set a default answer for a grid question, this will apply to all the rows in the grid. At this time there is not a way to specify a different default answer for each row in a grid.
Incompatible Question Types
This feature does not work with the following question types:
- Image Select (Select One and Multi-Select)
- Dropdown Menu Grid
- Star Rating Grid
- Ranking Grid
- Textbox Grid
- Textbox List
- Custom Table
— Mike.cordeiro on 01/22/2020
@Alyssa: Thank you so much for your question!
Regrettably, there is not an out of the box way to conditionally default answer questions with Logic.
This would require some custom scripting for this solution. We do have a Professional Services team that specializes in unique builds at an additional cost. Contact them for via the link below:
https://www.surveygizmo.com/professional-services/
I hope this helps!
Michael Cordeiro
Documentation
SurveyGizmo Customer Experience Team
— Alyssa on 01/22/2020
Is it possible to select a Default Answer based on logic? For example: "If Q1=A then select X" and "If Q1=B then select Y".
Thanks!
Admin
— Dave Domagalski on 10/21/2019
@Surveys: Thank you for your question!
What you are looking to do will likely require assistance from the SurveyGizmo Support team. Typically you could just change the answer by accessing the edit link, but this scenario is more complicated due to the question being hidden.
Please don't hesitate to reach out to our Support team for assistance:
https://help.surveygizmo.com/help/surveygizmo-support-hours
David
Technical Writer
SurveyGizmo Learning & Development
— Ben on 10/18/2019
How can I change the answer to a question that has been hidden by default on a partially completed survey, before sending the edit link back to the respondent?
Admin
— Dave Domagalski on 01/10/2019
@Justin: Great suggestion!
I have added the following section to the above article:
https://help.surveygizmo.com/help/preselect-answer-option#preselect-multiple-answers
Thank you for your feedback!
David
Technical Writer
SurveyGizmo Customer Experience
— Justin on 01/10/2019
Might be worth noting: if you want to pre-select multiple answers for Checkbox answers you have to list the Reporting Values with commas, but no spaces:
"Canada, Belgium," does not work
"Canada,Belgium," works
Admin
— Bri Hillmer on 12/10/2018
@Estrutura: We don't have a built-in feature for this but we have some pretty easy-to-use JavaScript documented to do just this!
You can find it here:
https://help.surveygizmo.com/help/making-a-read-only-field
I hope this helps!
Bri Hillmer
Documentation Coordinator
SurveyGizmo Customer Experience Team
— João on 12/09/2018
Hi, can I make a preselected answer only viewable (not editable) by the respondent?
Admin
— Bri Hillmer on 03/18/2016
@Zi: I just did a little testing and am seeing the same. I've added the Image Select question to the list of incompatible questions. As a workaround you can insert images in the answer options of a Radio Button or Checkbox question which allows for a default answer. Here is a tutorial with more info on how to use images as answer options:
http://help.surveygizmo.com/help/article/link/use-images-as-answer-options
Bri
Documentation Coordinator/Survey Sorceress
SurveyGizmo Customer Support
— Zi on 03/17/2016
Hi, I can't seem to use the preselect option for "image (select one)" or "image (select multiple)"; the Default Answer field cannot be found in the layout page. Is this a limitation or something that I did wrongly?
Admin
— Bri Hillmer on 12/03/2015
@Steve: Indeed it does! If you had options a,b,c,d,e you could enter this exactly and all checkboxes would be selected.
I hope this helps!
Bri
Documentation Coordinator/Survey Sorceress
SurveyGizmo Customer Support
— Steve on 12/03/2015
understand that it does not work for Grid questions but can this work for a Multi-Select (check box) question where all the answer options are pre-selected?
Admin
— Bri Hillmer on 05/11/2015
@Maria: Thanks for taking a look at our documentation and leaving a comment! At this time, grid questions only support the same default value for all rows. You propose a great solution, however; I'll be sure to make not of this for discussion for future improvements with our development team!
Bri
Documentation Coordinator/Survey Sorceress
SurveyGizmo Customer Support
— Maria on 05/11/2015
When I try to set multiple default answers by typing the answers separated by commas (on the layout tab) only the first answer gets checked.
Also, when using a checkbox grid can you set different default answers for different rows?