How to Create and Run Surveys

How to Create and Run Surveys

On AhaSlides, you can build a Survey, a multi-question form that your audience completes on a single page, with no slide-by-slide clicking. Run it as a standalone survey shared via a link, or drop it into your presentation as a slide and reveal it live.

There are two ways to launch the same survey:

  1. Standalone Survey: Share a link (or QR code) and collect responses at any time. No presenter is needed, so it's perfect for post-session feedback, sign-up forms, or research your respondents complete in their own time.
  2. A slide in your deck: Add the Survey as a slide in your presentation. The moment you present that slide, the survey is revealed live and participants complete it on their personal devices right there in the room.

Both options open exactly the same thing for your audience: the full survey on one page.

How to set up a survey

Step 1: Creating a Survey

Surveys live in their own section of your AhaSlides dashboard, separate from your presentations.
  1. Log in to AhaSlides and look at the left-hand menu of your dashboard.
  2. Click Surveys.
  3. Choose how you want to start: generate a Survey with AI, use a template or start from scratch.
AhaSlides Survey location

Step 2: Adding and Editing Questions

Once you're in the survey editor, build a survey with many questions as you need. You can mix different question types in the same survey:

  1. Multiple Choice: Participants pick from the answer options you provide.
  2. Rating Scale: Participants drag a slider between two labels you define (for example, from Not useful to Extremely useful).
  3. Open-ended: An open text box where participants type their answer in their own words.
  4. Matrix: A closed-ended survey question that asks respondents to evaluate multiple items using the same set of response choices.

Idea
Pro tip: Ask the AI assistant in the top right corner to generate a survey questionnaire for you.

build a free Survey with AI on AhaSlides

You can also enrich your survey with images to give respondents more context, and mark the question as required to make sure the respondents won't skip it.

Your changes are saved to the survey as a Draft until you publish it.

Step 3: Publishing and Sharing a Survey

While a survey is a Draft, it isn't collecting responses yet. When you're happy with your questions, publish it. Its status changes to Published and it's ready for respondents.

Method 1: Run it as a standalone Survey

To run it as a standalone survey:

  1. Open the survey's sharing options and copy the link, or use the QR code.
  2. Send the link to your respondents, or show the QR code on screen.
  3. Participants open it on any device — phone, tablet or computer — with no download or account needed.
Publish and share a Survey on AhaSlides

Responses are collected for as long as the survey stays open. When you've gathered everything you need, you can close the survey to stop accepting new responses (its status changes to Draft).

Method 2: Run a Survey inside your presentation

To gather feedback live, for instance, right at the end of a training session, while your audience is still in the room:

  1. Add the survey to your presentation as a slide.
Adding Survey as a new slide on AhaSlides presentation
  1. Link this slide to the Survey you have published.
Linking the published Survey to the presentation slide deck

  1. Present your deck as usual. Participants join your presentation with the usual join code or QR code.
  2. When you reach the survey slide, the survey is revealed on your participants' devices.
  3. Each participant scrolls through the questions, answers, and presses Submit.
How the Survey looks like on the AhaSlides' presenter screen and participant screen

Because the survey appears at the exact moment you present the slide, response rates are much higher than emailing a survey afterwards — your audience answers while the session is still fresh.

Checking your Survey Responses

You can check the results of your survey at any time:

  • The Responses column in your Surveys list shows how many submissions each survey has received.
  • Click 'View results' to see its responses in detail, question by question. 
Reviewing the Survey results on AhaSlides presenting app

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What's the difference between a Survey and a Poll slide?

A poll slide asks your audience one question at a time, with everyone answering together while you present, and the results displayed live on the big screen. A Survey is a multi-question form on one page, participants answer all the questions at their own speed and submit once. Use polls for in-the-moment reactions during a presentation; use a Survey when you want structured feedback across several questions.

2. Do participants need an account to answer a Survey?

No. Participants just open the link or scan the QR code and answer. It works in the browser of any device, with nothing to install.

3. Can responses be anonymous?

Yes, that's your choice. You can keep responses anonymous for more honest feedback, or collect respondent details (such as an email address question) when you need to follow up.

4. Why isn't my survey collecting responses?

Check the survey's status in your Surveys list. If it's still a Draft, it hasn't been published yet, participants can't see it until you publish.

5. Can I test my survey before sending it out?

Yes. Click Preview to see how it looks like on respondent devices and submit a test response. Remember to remove your test submission from the results before sharing the survey for real.

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