Written response questions (Surveys and Interaction tests)

This article applies to: UserTesting 

On this page:

• About Written responses
• How to set it up
• Written response limits
• Best practices

About Written responses

• Written response questions allow participants to provide detailed, open-ended feedback in text format.
• These questions are useful for gathering deeper insights into user experiences, opinions, and expectations.

How to set it up

1. Select the Create test button, and choose Interaction test or Survey.
   
   
2. Navigate to the Test builder tab.
3. Select the + Add button.
4. Choose Written response under Questions.
   
5. Type your question.
   

Optional: You can add logic to your written response question.

Written response limits

• Available for Interaction tests and Surveys.
• The minimum character limit is 25.
• Ensures higher-quality responses by reducing low-effort answers and discouraging speeding.
• Reduces noise on the results from low-quality answers, making analysis easier.
• This feature is not available for NPS (Net Promotor Score) questions where written responses are optional.

⚠ Tip: Limiting responses on too many questions can lead to participant fatigue and poor data quality. Use this feature only when necessary to encourage thoughtful feedback.

Best practices

• Use Written response questions to gather participants' initial impressions, understand their behavior, and gauge their comprehension of symbols and concepts.
• Examples include asking participants to describe a company's offerings based on its homepage or to explain the purpose of a specific button in an app.
• Be mindful of participant fatigue, especially for those on mobile devices. Use Written response questions sparingly and mix them with other question types.
• If applicable, request specific examples to support their response. 
• Specify the desired response length to set clear expectations and maintain consistency in data collection.

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