Community Surveys User Guide
Welcome to Community Surveys 7.0 — a comprehensive survey and form builder for Joomla. This guide covers everything you need to create, manage, and analyze surveys.
Quick Start
New to Community Surveys? Start here:
- Quick Get Started Guide - Create your first survey in minutes
- Installing and Configuring - Initial setup
Component Configuration
Accessing Options
Go to Components → Community Surveys and click the Options button in the toolbar.
Permission Settings
Community Surveys uses Joomla's ACL (Access Control List) for granular permissions:
| Permission | Description |
|---|---|
| Configure | Edit component options |
| Access Administration | Access the backend component |
| Create | Create new surveys |
| Delete | Delete surveys |
| Edit | Edit any survey |
| Edit State | Publish/unpublish surveys |
| Edit Own | Edit own surveys only |
| WYSIWYG Editor Access | Use rich text editors for descriptions |
| Auto Approve Surveys | Auto-publish surveys created from frontend |
| Respond to Surveys | Take surveys |
| View Results | View consolidated reports |
These permissions can be set per-category. Category permissions override component permissions when set.
Integration Settings
Configure third-party integrations:
- Google Sheets - Sync responses to spreadsheets
- Webhooks - Send data to external services
See Survey Integrations for detailed setup.
Categories
Surveys must belong to a category. Go to Components → Community Surveys → Categories to manage them.
Categories support:
- Hierarchical organization (parent/child)
- Per-category permissions
- SEO-friendly aliases
Creating Surveys
Backend vs Frontend
- Backend: Components → Community Surveys → Surveys → New
- Frontend: Access your surveys menu → Create Survey
Survey Settings
Basic Information
| Field | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Survey name (shown to respondents) | Yes |
| Alias | URL-friendly identifier | Auto-generated |
| Category | Organization category | Yes |
| Introduction | Welcome message on first page | No |
| End Message | Thank you message after completion | No |
| Custom Header | Text shown on every page | No |
Scheduling & Limits
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Start Date | When the survey opens for responses |
| Close Date | When the survey stops accepting responses |
| Maximum Responses | Limit total responses (blank = unlimited) |
Survey Behavior
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Anonymous Survey | Don't capture user identity; show confidentiality notice |
| Survey Type | Public (listed on home page) or Private (invitation only) |
| Public Report | Allow respondents to view aggregate results |
| Redirect URL | Custom URL after completion (overrides end message) |
| Display Template | Show/hide site template (full-screen mode) |
Question Types
Community Surveys 7.0 includes 25+ question types organized into categories:
Choice Questions
| Type | Description | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Radio Button | Single selection from options | Yes/No, satisfaction ratings |
| Checkbox | Multiple selections allowed | "Select all that apply" |
| Dropdown | Single selection in compact format | Long option lists, countries |
| Image Choice | Select from images (single) | Product preferences, visual selection |
| Multiple Image Choice | Select multiple images | Gallery selections |
| SQL Query | Options from database query | Dynamic data-driven choices |
Scale Questions
| Type | Description | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Slider | Drag slider to select value | Ratings, percentages |
| Net Promoter Score (NPS) | 0-10 scale with promoter/detractor analysis | Customer loyalty measurement |
| Likert Scale | Agreement/satisfaction scales | Opinion surveys |
| Ranking | Drag to order items by preference | Priority ranking |
| Multi-Rating | Rate multiple items on same scale | Product feature ratings |
Grid Questions
| Type | Description | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Grid (Radio) | Matrix with single selection per row | Satisfaction across categories |
| Grid (Checkbox) | Matrix with multiple selections per row | Multi-attribute selection |
| Matching | Connect items from two lists | Knowledge tests, associations |
Text Questions
| Type | Description | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Single Line Text | Short text input | Names, brief answers |
| Multi-line Text | Paragraph input | Comments, detailed feedback |
| Rich Text | Formatted text with editor | Structured responses |
| Password | Masked input | Sensitive data |
| Multiple Input | Multiple text fields | Multi-part answers |
Special Questions
| Type | Description | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Name | First/Last name fields | Contact information |
| Email with validation | Contact, notifications | |
| Date/Time | Date and/or time picker | Scheduling, birthdates |
| Address | Full address fields | Shipping, location data |
| Location | Map-based location picker | Geographic data |
| File Upload | Upload documents/images | Attachments, photos |
| Signature | Digital signature pad | Agreements, consent |
| Hidden Field | Invisible field for tracking | URL parameters, tracking codes |
Layout Elements
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Page Header | Section title/description (not a question) |
Adding Questions
Question Editor
- Navigate to your survey's Edit Questions page
- Use the floating Toolbar on the left to add questions
- Click or drag question types to the main area
- Configure question settings and save
Common Question Settings
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Question Title | The question text shown to respondents |
| Description | Additional help text or instructions |
| Mandatory | Require an answer to continue |
| Custom Choice | Allow "Other" write-in option |
Question-Specific Settings
Different question types have additional settings:
Choice Questions:
- Add/remove/reorder options
- Set default selection
- Enable "Other" option
- Add images to options
Slider:
- Minimum/Maximum values
- Step increment
- Custom labels for scale points
- Multiple rows (multi-slider)
Date/Time:
- Date only, time only, or both
- Format options
- Min/max date restrictions
File Upload:
- Allowed file types
- Maximum file size
- Multiple file upload
Multi-Page Surveys
- Click New Page to add pages
- Switch between pages using page numbers
- Reorder questions within pages using drag handles
- Delete empty pages with Remove Page
Save your questions before switching pages to avoid losing changes.
Conditional Logic (Rules)
Make surveys dynamic by showing/hiding questions or redirecting based on answers.
Rule Types
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Skip to Page | Jump to a specific page |
| Finish Survey | End the survey immediately |
| Show/Hide Question | Conditionally display questions |
Conditions
| Condition | Description |
|---|---|
| If answered | User provided any answer |
| If not answered | User skipped the question |
| If selected [option] | User chose specific answer |
| If not selected [option] | User didn't choose specific answer |
Setting Up Rules
- After adding questions, click Configure Rules
- Select the question to trigger the rule
- Choose the condition and action
- Add multiple rules as needed (first match wins)
See Conditional Rules Explained for advanced usage.
Sharing & Invitations
Public Surveys
Public surveys appear on your surveys listing page. Anyone with the link can respond.
Private Surveys
Private surveys require invitation. Options include:
Direct URL
Share the survey's unique URL via:
- Social media
- Website links
- QR codes
Unique URLs (Tracking)
Generate individual URLs for tracking:
- Go to Invite → Unique Survey URLs
- Enter the number of URLs to generate
- Copy and distribute individual URLs
- Track responses by URL
Email Invitations
Built-in email invitation system:
- Create Contact Groups
- Add Contacts (name + email)
- Compose your invitation message
- Use placeholders:
{NAME}- Contact's name{SURVEY_URL}- Unique response link{SITENAME}- Your site name
- Send invitations
See Inviting Users to Take the Survey for details.
Response Management
Viewing Responses
Go to Components → Community Surveys → Responses or click Responses on a survey.
Each response shows:
- Response ID
- Submission date/time
- Completion status
- User information (if not anonymous)
- IP address and location
- Browser information
Response Details
Click a response to view:
- All questions and answers
- Timestamps per page
- File upload downloads
- Signature images
Managing Responses
- Delete - Remove individual responses
- Export - Download to CSV/Excel
- Filter - By date, status, or custom criteria
Reports & Analytics
Dashboard
The survey dashboard shows:
- Response timeline graph
- Total responses
- Completion rate
- Geographic distribution
- Recent activity
Consolidated Report
Aggregate analysis of all responses:
Choice Questions
- Bar and pie charts
- Response counts and percentages
- "Other" response lists
Scale Questions
- Distribution charts
- Average, min, max values
- NPS score calculation (for NPS questions)
Grid Questions
- Cross-tabulation tables
- Row/column summaries
Text Questions
- Response word clouds
- Full text listings
Exporting Reports
| Format | Description |
|---|---|
| CSV | Spreadsheet-compatible data |
| Formatted report document | |
| Excel | Native Excel format |
Real-Time Sync
Connect surveys to external services:
- Google Sheets - Auto-sync each response
- Webhooks - Send to Zapier, Make, custom APIs
See Survey Integrations for setup.
Advanced Features
Survey Templates (Presets)
Save survey configurations as reusable templates:
- Create a survey with desired questions
- Save as preset from the survey options
- Create new surveys from the preset
Import/Export
Transfer surveys between sites:
- Export - Download survey as JSON
- Import - Upload JSON to create survey
Translations
Create multilingual surveys:
- Enable survey translation
- Add language versions
- Translate questions and options
See Translating Surveys.
Embedding Surveys
Display surveys in articles or modules:
Content Plugin:
{LOADSURVEY [id: 123]}
Module: Publish Survey Form module to any position.
See Display Surveys in Articles.
Email Notifications
Configure automatic emails for:
| Event | Description |
|---|---|
| Admin Notification | Alert when response received |
| User Confirmation | Send response summary to user |
| Invitation | Survey invitation emails |
| Reminder | Follow-up for incomplete responses |
See Survey Email Notifications.
Restricting Access
Control who can respond:
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Access Levels | Joomla user groups |
| One Response Per User | Prevent duplicate submissions |
| IP-Based Limiting | Restrict by IP address |
| Password Protection | Require password to access |
| Date/Time Windows | Schedule availability |
See Restricting Multiple Responses.
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
Survey not showing:
- Check published status
- Verify start/close dates
- Check access level settings
- Ensure category is published
Responses not saving:
- Check server error logs
- Verify database permissions
- Test with caching disabled
File uploads failing:
- Check upload directory permissions
- Verify allowed file types
- Check file size limits