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Installing & Configuring Community Surveys

This guide walks you through installing Community Surveys 7.0 and configuring it for your Joomla 5+ website. Follow these steps to get your survey system up and running.

System Requirements​

Before installing, ensure your server meets these requirements:

RequirementMinimumRecommended
Joomla5.0+Latest 5.x
PHP8.1+8.2+
MySQL5.7+ / MariaDB 10.3+8.0+ / MariaDB 10.6+
Memory128MB256MB+

Required PHP Extensions​

  • json — JSON processing
  • mbstring — Multibyte string handling
  • curl — API integrations (Google Sheets, Webhooks)
  • gd or imagick — Image processing (optional)

Installation​

Step 1: Download the Package​

  1. Log in to your Shondalai account
  2. Go to My Downloads
  3. Download the latest pkg_communitysurveys.zip

Step 2: Install via Extension Manager​

  1. Log in to your Joomla Administrator panel

  2. Navigate to System → Install → Extensions

  3. Drag and drop the package file, or click Upload Package File

  4. Wait for the installation to complete

  5. You'll see a success message confirming installation

Step 3: Verify Installation​

After installation, verify all components are installed:

  1. Go to System → Manage → Extensions
  2. Search for "Community Surveys"
  3. Confirm these extensions are installed and enabled:
ExtensionTypePurpose
Community SurveysComponentMain survey management
Surveys - SystemPluginCore system functionality
Surveys - ContentPluginEmbed surveys in articles
Surveys - UserPluginUser profile integration

Initial Configuration​

Access Component Options​

  1. Navigate to Components → Community Surveys
  2. Click Options in the toolbar

General Settings​

SettingDescriptionRecommended
Default CategoryCategory for new surveysCreate a category first
Surveys Per PageList pagination10-20
Date FormatDisplay formatMatch your site locale
Enable PointsUser points systemDisable unless needed
Default Survey LayoutDisplay templateDefault

Access Settings​

Configure how users access surveys:

SettingDescriptionOptions
Guest AccessAllow anonymous responsesYes/No
Show AuthorDisplay survey creatorYes/No
Show HitsDisplay response countYes/No
Show Response LinkAfter submission linkYes/No

Permissions Configuration​

Set up who can do what with surveys.

Access the Permissions Tab​

  1. Go to Components → Community Surveys → Options
  2. Click the Permissions tab

Permission Reference​

PermissionDescriptionTypical Setting
ConfigureEdit component optionsAdministrator only
Access AdministrationAccess backendManager+
CreateCreate new surveysRegistered+
DeleteDelete surveysManager+
EditEdit any surveyManager+
Edit StatePublish/unpublishManager+
Edit OwnEdit own surveysAuthor+
Respond to SurveysTake surveysPublic (for guest access)
View ResultsSee reportsRegistered+

Common Permission Scenarios​

Public Surveys (Anonymous Allowed)​

Public:
  ✅ Respond to Surveys: Allowed

Registered:
  ✅ Respond to Surveys: Allowed
  ✅ View Results: Allowed

Manager:
  ✅ All permissions: Allowed

Members-Only Surveys​

Public:
  ❌ Respond to Surveys: Denied

Registered:
  ✅ Respond to Surveys: Allowed
  ❌ Create: Denied

Manager:
  ✅ All permissions: Allowed

User-Generated Surveys​

Registered:
  ✅ Create: Allowed
  ✅ Edit Own: Allowed
  ✅ Respond to Surveys: Allowed
  ✅ View Results: Allowed (own only)

Manager:
  ✅ All permissions: Allowed

Email Configuration​

Configure email notifications for survey responses.

Notification Settings​

  1. Go to Options → Notifications tab
SettingDescription
Admin NotificationEmail admin on new response
Admin Email(s)Comma-separated email addresses
User ConfirmationEmail respondent after submission
Email TemplateHTML template for notifications

Email Template Variables​

Use these variables in email templates:

VariableDescription
{survey_title}Name of the survey
{response_id}Response ID number
{response_date}Submission date/time
{user_name}Respondent's name (if known)
{user_email}Respondent's email
{response_link}Link to view response

Integration Settings​

Community Surveys 7.0 includes powerful integrations.

Google Sheets Integration​

Enable automatic export to Google Sheets:

  1. Go to Options → Integrations tab

  2. Enter your Google API Credentials:

    FieldDescription
    Client IDFrom Google Cloud Console
    Client SecretFrom Google Cloud Console

  3. For setup instructions, see Google Sheets Setup

Webhook Integration​

Connect to external services (Zapier, Make, custom APIs):

  1. Webhooks are configured per-survey
  2. Go to survey → Integrations tab
  3. Add webhook endpoint

For details, see Survey Integrations

User Profile Integration​

Integrate with community extensions:

ExtensionSetting
JomSocialEnable JomSocial avatars
EasySocialEnable EasySocial integration
Community BuilderEnable CB profile integration

Advanced Configuration​

Location/Map Questions​

Enable Google Maps for location-based questions:

  1. Go to Options → Maps tab (or General)

  2. Enter your Google Maps API Key

  3. Required APIs (enable in Google Cloud Console):

    • Maps JavaScript API
    • Geocoding API
    • Places API

See Map Location Questions for complete setup.

PDF Export Settings​

Configure PDF report generation:

SettingDescription
PDF LibraryTCPDF or DOMPDF
Paper SizeA4, Letter, etc.
Include LogoAdd company logo to exports
Header/FooterCustomize PDF headers

CAPTCHA Protection​

Protect surveys from spam:

  1. Go to Options → Security tab
  2. Enable CAPTCHA
  3. Select CAPTCHA type:
    • Joomla Default
    • Google reCAPTCHA
    • hCaptcha

Creating Categories​

Organize surveys with categories.

Add a Category​

  1. Go to Components → Community Surveys → Categories
  2. Click New
  3. Enter:
    • Title — Category name
    • Alias — URL-safe name (auto-generated)
    • Description — Optional description
    • Parent — For nested categories
  4. Click Save & Close

Category Permissions​

Override component permissions per category:

  1. Edit the category
  2. Click Permissions tab
  3. Set category-specific permissions

Creating Menu Items​

Set up frontend access to surveys.

Survey List Menu Item​

Display a list of available surveys:

  1. Go to Menus → [Your Menu] → Add New Menu Item
  2. Select Community Surveys → Surveys Home Layout
  3. Configure:
    • Title — "Surveys" or similar
    • Category — Filter by category (optional)
    • Access — Who can see this menu item

Single Survey Menu Item​

Link directly to a specific survey:

  1. Create new menu item
  2. Select Community Surveys → Single Survey
  3. Choose the survey from the list
  4. Set access level

My Surveys Menu Item​

Let users manage their own surveys:

  1. Create new menu item
  2. Select Community Surveys → My Surveys
  3. Set to Registered access level

Frontend Setup Checklist​

Ensure your frontend is properly configured:

  • Categories — At least one category created
  • Permissions — Appropriate access levels set
  • Menu Items — Survey access points created
  • Surveys Home — Required for redirect after submission
  • Guest Access — Enable if needed in permissions
  • Email — Test notification emails work

Troubleshooting Installation​

Extension Installation Fails​

IssueSolution
Package too largeIncrease PHP upload_max_filesize and post_max_size
Permission deniedCheck folder permissions (755 for directories)
TimeoutIncrease max_execution_time in PHP

Component Not Showing​

  1. Clear Joomla cache (System → Clear Cache)
  2. Verify component is published in Extensions Manager
  3. Check database tables exist (#__survey_*)

Database Errors​

If you see database errors after installation:

  1. Go to System → Manage → Database
  2. Select Community Surveys
  3. Click Update Structure if available

Updating Community Surveys​

Check for Updates​

  1. Go to System → Update → Extensions
  2. Click Find Updates
  3. If available, select and click Update

Manual Update​

  1. Download latest version from Shondalai
  2. Install over existing installation (same as new install)
  3. Database updates apply automatically
Before Updating

Always backup your site before major updates:

  • Full database backup
  • Export important surveys (see Import/Export)

Uninstallation​

If you need to remove Community Surveys:

  1. Go to System → Manage → Extensions
  2. Search for "Community Surveys"
  3. Select the main pkg_communitysurveys package
  4. Click Uninstall
Data Warning

Uninstalling removes all survey data including:

  • All surveys and questions
  • All responses
  • All categories
  • All settings

Export your data first if you need to preserve it.

Next Steps​

Now that Community Surveys is installed:

  1. Create Your First Survey
  2. Learn About Question Types
  3. Set Up Conditional Logic
  4. Configure Integrations
  5. Embed in Articles

Getting Help​