Response Export

Export data in multiple formats

Response Export

Export your survey responses for analysis. Download your data as a CSV file compatible with Excel, R, Python, SPSS, and other analysis tools.

Quick Start

Export your data in three steps:

  1. Navigate to responses - Go to your survey's Responses tab
  2. Apply filters - Optionally filter by status (complete, incomplete, screened out)
  3. Click Export - Download the CSV file

Export Format

CSV Export

All exports are in CSV (Comma-Separated Values) format:

Feature Description
Compatibility Excel, R, Python, SPSS, all tools
Encoding UTF-8 for international characters
Structure One row per response
Headers Question keys as column names

Best for: Universal compatibility, any analysis tool

Export Filters

Filter responses before exporting:

Filter Description
All Export all responses
Complete Only completed responses
Incomplete Only partial responses
Screened Out Only screened-out responses

Apply a filter on the Responses tab, then click Export to download the filtered dataset.

Exported Columns

Standard Fields

Every export includes these columns:

Column Description Example
ID Unique response identifier 12345
Panel Platform Research panel source Prolific
Panel Participant ID Participant ID from platform PROL123ABC
Language Survey language used en
Started Response start timestamp 2025-01-20 14:25:00
Completed Completion timestamp 2025-01-20 14:30:00
Duration (s) Time to complete in seconds 300
Screened Out Whether respondent was screened out Yes / No
Segments Applied segment tags segment1, segment2
Attention Passed Attention check result Yes / No / (empty)
Short Code FairMatch code (if enabled) AB12CD34

Question Columns

Each question in your survey becomes one or more columns:

Question Type Column Format Example Value
Single choice question_key selected_value
Multiple choice question_key value1, value2
Text question_key Free text response
Number question_key 42
Slider question_key 75
NPS question_key 8
Mood question_key 4
Dropdown question_key selected_value
Matrix question_key_row1, question_key_row2, ... column_value per row
File upload question_key URL1, URL2

Special Cases

Matrix questions: Each matrix row becomes a separate column with format question_key_row_value.

Checkbox with "Other": If a checkbox question has an "other" option, an additional question_key_other column contains the custom text.

File uploads: File questions export as comma-separated URLs to the uploaded files.

Real-World Examples

Example: Academic Research

Scenario: Export completed responses for analysis.

Filter: Complete
Download: survey-slug-responses.csv

Result:
- CSV with all completed responses
- Ready for import into SPSS, R, or Excel
- Question keys as column headers

Example: Quality Check

Scenario: Review incomplete responses to identify drop-off points.

Filter: Incomplete
Download: survey-slug-responses.csv

Analysis:
- See where respondents stopped
- Identify problematic questions
- Improve survey flow

Example: Panel Verification

Scenario: Match responses to panel platform submissions.

Filter: Complete
Download: survey-slug-responses.csv

Use columns:
- Panel Platform
- Panel Participant ID
- Duration (s)

Cross-reference with Prolific/MTurk submissions for payment approval.

Working with Exports

Opening in Excel

  1. Download the CSV file
  2. Open Excel
  3. File > Open > Select the CSV
  4. If prompted, choose UTF-8 encoding
  5. Data is ready to use

Opening in SPSS

  1. Download the CSV file
  2. Open SPSS
  3. File > Open > Data
  4. Select CSV file
  5. Follow the import wizard
  6. Set variable types as needed

Using in R

data <- read.csv("survey-slug-responses.csv", encoding = "UTF-8")

Using in Python

import pandas as pd
data = pd.read_csv("survey-slug-responses.csv")

API Export

For programmatic access to response data, use the API:

GET /api/v1/surveys/{id}/responses

Returns paginated JSON responses. See API Access for details.

Plan Availability

Feature Free Pro Business Enterprise
CSV export Yes Yes Yes Yes
Filter by status Yes Yes Yes Yes
All columns Yes Yes Yes Yes
Excel export - Yes Yes Yes
SPSS export - Yes Yes Yes
API access - - Read Full

Excel and SPSS exports require the export_excel and export_spss features respectively.

Troubleshooting

Issue: Export file is empty

Symptoms: Downloaded CSV has only headers, no data.

Solutions:

  • Check if filters are excluding all responses
  • Verify there are responses in your survey
  • Try "All" filter instead of a specific status

Issue: Special characters appear wrong

Symptoms: Non-English characters show as garbled text.

Solutions:

  • When opening in Excel, specify UTF-8 encoding
  • In Excel: Data > From Text/CSV > Select UTF-8
  • Use a text editor like VS Code to verify the file

Issue: Matrix data looks wrong

Symptoms: Matrix question data is confusing.

Solutions:

  • Each matrix row is a separate column
  • Column name format: question_key_row_value
  • Values are the selected column values

Issue: Multiple choice values in one cell

Symptoms: Checkbox values are comma-separated, hard to analyze.

Solutions:

  • This is expected behavior for multiple choice
  • Split in Excel: Data > Text to Columns
  • In R/Python, split the string into array

Best Practices

  • Export regularly - Create backups of your data
  • Use filters - Export only what you need
  • Check encoding - UTF-8 for international characters
  • Document your analysis - Note which filters were applied
  • Secure your data - Exports contain participant data
  • Verify the download - Open and check before deleting responses