---
title: "How to Use Survey Templates"
url: "https://terryberry.productfruits.help/en/article/how-to-use-survey-templates"
language: "en"
last_updated: "2026-09-16T14:20:18.949Z"
---

# How to Use Survey Templates

Launching your first survey should feel straightforward, not overwhelming. Treat it as a practice run: confirm participants can respond easily, and get familiar with how results are displayed.

Here are 7 easy steps to using survey templates like a pro:

### Step 1. Choose a Survey Template

**Find Templates**

-   Open the [left side menu](https://terryberry.productfruits.help/en/article/getting-started), then click **Survey Templates**.  
    **OR**
-   Navigate to [**\+ New Survey**](https://terryberry.productfruits.help/en/article/start-a-survey) in the top right corner of the main content area. Choose **Start from a template**.

![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/27361c38-bac2-4f28-84eb-c61dc00f0d59)

**Templates Page**

-   Choose between **Be Heard Templates**.
-   Each template shows:
    -   Name
    -   Number of Questions
    -   Tags (e.g., DrillDown, Baseline)
    -   Description of the survey focus.
    -   Actions: Preview or Use Template.

![Survey templates page.](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/3567d6bd-c3a3-4fd5-bd33-e08cbcd12f46)

**Template Preview**

-   Click **Preview** to see how the survey looks.
-   Toggle view across **Desktop**, **Tablet**, and **Mobile**.
-   Confirm question layout, scales, and instructions.

If satisfied, click **Use Template** to proceed.

**Naming the Survey**

-   A prompt appears asking you to confirm or rename the survey (default is the template name).
-   Enter the survey name and click **Continue**.

### Step 2. Question Builder

1.  **Reorder or add new questions (Left Panel)**: Once you’ve chosen a template (like eNPS and Retention), your survey will already include a set of questions. These can be reordered, edited, or expanded. 
2.  Add new questions by clicking **\+ New Question**. Select a type (e.g., single choice, multi-select, scale) and enter your options. 
3.  **Main Area:** Edit question text, select question type (e.g., scale, multiple choice), and make required at your discretion.
4.  **Translations:** Use the translations button if needed.

**Note**: all edits are autosaved.

[Embedded content](https://player.vimeo.com/video/1227319357)

### Step 3. Add Participants

1.  Go to the **Participants** tab.
2.  Use the **Filter** panel on the right to target groups. Filters include attributes such as manager, department, location, country, tenure, gender, and **Is Manager** (Yes/No), among others. Select the values you want, or use **Select** all within a filter.
3.  Participants appear as a **card grid** in the main area. Each card shows the employee's name, role, email, hire date, and org path.
4.  Add or remove individuals directly on their card using the + or − in the top corner. To add everyone matching your current filters, use **Add all**.
5.  Search for a specific person using the Search people bar above the grid.
6.  Click the **Participants** button to open a preview of your current selection, where you can review everyone added and **Remove** individuals or **Remove** **All** before finalizing.

**Note**: You can also add employees manually by name or sync your list from an HRIS integration.

[Embedded content](https://player.vimeo.com/video/1227326676)

### Step 4. Schedule Survey

1.  Go to the **Schedule** tab to decide when the survey will be sent out.
2.  **Specific Date and Time**: Choose start and end dates. 
3.  **Automatic by Event**: Trigger surveys based on individual events (e.g. 7 days after hire). This option is often used for New Hire or Exit surveys.

![Schedule tab](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/215f5520-6db8-49db-98b7-ba57defc8436)

**Tip**: The platform auto-generates reminders based on your schedule, so make sure your timeline allows enough time for reminders and responses.

### Step 5. Configure Communications

-   Open the **Communications** tab.

![Communications tab](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/515886f2-78d9-40b3-ae7f-36608cff2260)

-   Review default launch and reminder messages. The number and spacing of reminders adjust based on your survey timeline.
-   You can customize subject lines and message text by clicking Customize Communications. The system keeps standardized openings and closings intact, but the body of the message is editable. 
-   If needed, adjust reminder timings or reset to default.

### Step 6. Adjust Settings

Click the **Settings** tab.

![Settings tab](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/1f762deb-a871-4f83-ab2a-9b54754ab87d)

-   **Anonymous**
    -   No personally identifying information is stored or connected to responses.
    -   Reports cannot display groups smaller than the minimum threshold (default: 6 participants).
    -   A banner at the start of the survey confirms anonymity for participants.
-   **Attributed**
    -   Participant information is saved and linked with responses.
    -   Reports can show individual-level data.
    -   A banner at the start of the survey alerts participants that responses are not anonymous.
    -   **Auto-Scheduling Per Event:** To have a survey automatically launch for events (e.g., onboarding, exit), select **Attributed** in the **Settings** tab. This setting is required for event-based automation.
-   **Analytics**
-   Surveys can be categorized by applying **tags** that group them for reporting.
-   Common tags include:
    -   **Baseline** – First or foundational survey, used for comparison over time.
    -   **Pulse** – Short, frequent surveys to measure changes quickly.
    -   **eNPS** – Focused on employee Net Promoter Score.
    -   **DrillDown** – Targeted surveys exploring specific topics (e.g., Leadership, Equity, Empowerment).
    -   **Custom** – Organization-defined tags for unique needs.
-   Selected tags appear in the right-hand panel under “Selected Tags.”

### Step 7. Finalize and Send

![Send tab](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/1c49dd4e-6868-4062-a524-f212ca7883a1)

A. **Error Check**

-   Go to the **Send** tab. This tab summarizes everything you’ve set up. It displays your choices across the five previous tabs: number of questions, participants, schedule, communications, settings, and tags.
-   Red exclamation marks on tabs (e.g., **Participants, Schedule**) indicate **incomplete setup**. Once each section is completely filled, the indicator changes to a green check sign.
-   Fix errors flagged with a red exclamation mark.

B. **Send a Test Survey**

-   Click **Send Test Survey** to open the modal.
-   **Adding Users:**
    -   Click **Add Users** to bring up your organization’s user list.
    -   Use the search bar to quickly select specific users.
-   **Test Restrictions:**
    -   Test surveys are not live and will not collect participant data.
    -   They can only be sent to users within your organization (no external test recipients).

C. **Preview** 

-   Use **Preview** to see the survey across devices (web, tablet, mobile).

D. **Schedule Survey**

-   Once ready, click **Schedule Survey**. The survey will move from draft to scheduled, and you can still unschedule it before launch if needed.