Survey Mode
Survey Mode presents your form one question at a time, creating a focused, conversational experience that guides respondents through each question sequentially. It is ideal for surveys, quizzes, and any form where you want full attention on each question.
What Survey Mode Is
When a form is set to Survey Mode, respondents see a single question centered on screen. After answering, they advance to the next question using a button, keyboard shortcut, or the Enter/Tab key. Each transition includes a smooth animation, and a progress bar shows how far through the form they are.
This contrasts with Open Canvas mode, where all questions are visible on the page at once in a traditional scrollable layout.
When to Use Survey Mode vs Open Canvas
| Criteria | Survey Mode | Open Canvas |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Surveys, quizzes, lead gen, feedback | Contact forms, registration, order forms |
| Number of questions | Any (especially 5+) | Usually fewer than 10 |
| Completion rate | Higher for long forms (less overwhelm) | Higher for short forms (fewer clicks) |
| Mobile experience | Excellent (no scrolling needed) | Good (standard scroll) |
| Conditional logic | Questions can be dynamically skipped | Fields show/hide in place |
| Respondent focus | Maximum (one thing at a time) | Form overview visible |
Features Specific to Survey Mode
Keyboard Navigation
Respondents can navigate entirely with the keyboard, making the experience fast and fluid:
- Enter: Advance to the next question (after answering the current one). For multiple choice, pressing Enter submits the selected option and moves forward.
- Tab: Move focus to the next interactive element on screen (answer options, buttons).
- Letter keys (A, B, C, D): For multiple choice questions, press the corresponding letter to select an option. This makes quiz-taking extremely fast.
- Up/Down arrows: Navigate between answer options without a mouse.
Keyboard shortcuts are shown as subtle hints next to each answer option (e.g., "Press A") so respondents discover them naturally.
Progress Bar
A thin progress bar appears at the top of the screen showing how far through the form the respondent is. It updates smoothly as they advance. The progress bar accounts for conditional logic: if questions are skipped, the bar adjusts to reflect the actual remaining questions.
You can customize the progress bar in the Design tab: choose between a thin top bar, a percentage indicator, or a step counter (e.g., "3 of 12"). You can also hide it entirely.
Smooth Transitions
Each question transition uses a subtle slide-and-fade animation. The current question slides out while the next one slides in, creating a sense of forward momentum. The transition duration is fast enough to feel responsive (200-300ms) without feeling jarring.
Focused Attention
With only one question visible, respondents give their full attention to each question. This leads to more thoughtful answers, reduces skipped questions, and creates a more engaging experience overall. The question text is displayed larger than in Open Canvas mode, and the answer area is centered on screen for optimal readability.
Converting Between Modes
You can switch between Survey Mode and Open Canvas at any time without losing your form content.
- Open the form editor and go to the Design tab.
- Under Layout, click the mode toggle to switch between Survey Mode and Open Canvas.
- Preview the form to verify the experience works for your use case.
All fields, logic rules, workflows, and settings are preserved when switching modes. The only thing that changes is how questions are presented to respondents.
Note: Question groups behave differently in each mode. In Survey Mode, a group shows all its fields on a single screen. In Open Canvas, groups appear as visually distinct sections within the scrollable form.
Design Considerations
- Background: In Survey Mode, the background is more prominent because there is less content on screen. Use a subtle gradient, solid color, or image that complements your form without distracting from the question.
- Font size: Question text renders larger in Survey Mode. Test your questions to ensure they do not overflow on smaller screens, especially for long question text.
- Button placement: The "Next" button appears below the answer area. On desktop, it is centered. On mobile, it is full-width for easy thumb access.
- Welcome screen: Consider adding a welcome screen (the first "question" with just a heading and description) to set context before the real questions begin.
Mobile Experience Differences
Survey Mode is particularly well-suited to mobile devices:
- No scrolling: Each question fits on a single screen, eliminating the need to scroll through a long form.
- Large touch targets: Answer options are rendered as full-width tappable buttons, making selection easy on small screens.
- Swipe navigation: Respondents can swipe left to go back and swipe right to go forward (in addition to using the buttons).
- Auto-advance: For single-selection questions (multiple choice, yes/no), the form automatically advances when an option is tapped, eliminating the need to tap a separate "Next" button.
- Keyboard optimization: When a text input field appears, the mobile keyboard opens automatically and the question scrolls to stay visible above the keyboard.
Tip: If your form is primarily distributed via social media or messaging apps (where most users are on mobile), Survey Mode will almost always deliver a better experience than Open Canvas.