Add and Edit Dropdown Questions in Engagement Questionnaires

Create space-efficient answer collection for residents by adding dropdown questions to your engagement questionnaires. Dropdown questions present multiple answer options in a compact format, making them ideal for longer option lists or questionnaires where screen space is limited.

Quick Steps

1. Navigate to Ask > Surveys > Build select your survey
   
   
2. Drag "Dropdown" from the Content sidebar under "SELECTS"
   
   
3. Drop the question into your desired position in the questionnaire
4. Configure question text, support text, and answer options in the modal that opens automatically
   
    
5. Click "Save" to apply changes and see the in-builder preview

In-Depth Guide

Adding a New Dropdown Question

Access the Questionnaire Builder Navigate to the Engage section and go to the Activities listing screen. Find your engagement questionnaire and select "Edit" to open the Questionnaire Builder interface.

Add the Dropdown Question From the Content sidebar on the right, locate "Dropdown" under the "SELECTS" section. Drag the Dropdown element and drop it into your questionnaire at the desired position.

The questionnaire builder will display a drop zone where you can position your new question. Release the Dropdown element when the drop zone appears in your preferred location.

Configure Question Settings Once you drop the Dropdown element into your questionnaire, the configuration modal automatically opens. Enter your question text in the main question field. Write clear, specific questions that work well with a dropdown format. For example, "What is your primary mode of transportation to work?" provides clear context for selecting from a list of transportation options.

Add Support Text (Optional) Use the Support Text field to provide additional context, instructions, or clarification to help respondents understand the question or response options. This text appears below the main question and can explain terms or provide helpful examples.

Create Answer Options In the "Options" section, enter your answer choices in the provided fields. Each option should be:

• Clear and distinct from other choices
• Organized logically (alphabetically, by frequency, or by logical grouping)
• Concise to ensure readability in the dropdown format

Use the "Add Option" button to include additional answer choices as needed. You can also use "Bulk Add" to enter multiple options quickly by typing them on separate lines.

Configure Advanced Settings Several toggle options allow you to customize the question behavior:

• Use Suggested: Enable to access pre-built option sets for common municipal topics
• Include "Other..." Option: Adds an open-text field allowing respondents to specify alternatives not listed
• Allow Multiple Selections: Converts the dropdown to allow multiple choice selection where respondents can select several answers
• Randomize Options: Presents answer choices in random order to each respondent to reduce order bias

Mark as Required (Optional) Toggle the Required Question setting to make the dropdown question mandatory for questionnaire submission. Required questions must be answered before respondents can proceed or submit their responses.

Save Your Configuration After configuring all settings, click "Save" to apply your changes. The modal will close and you'll see an in-builder preview of your dropdown question within the questionnaire.

Editing Existing Dropdown Questions

Locate and Select the Question In the Questionnaire Builder, find the dropdown question you want to modify. Click on the edit icon on the question block to open the configuration modal and access all editing options.

Modify Question Content Update the question text, support text, or answer options as needed. You can add, remove, or reorder options by using the provided controls. Click "Save" to apply your changes and close the configuration modal. Once saved, you'll see an in-builder preview of your updated question.

Adjust Response Settings Modify advanced settings like multiple selections, randomization, or the "Other" option based on how you want respondents to interact with the question. Consider how these changes might affect the user experience and data analysis.

Reorder Questions Reposition dropdown questions within your questionnaire flow using two methods:

• Drag-and-drop: Click and hold the question block, then drag it to a new position. The questionnaire will show drop zones indicating valid placement locations.
• Toolbar: Use the reordering options available in the question's toolbar for precise positioning.

Remove Questions To delete a dropdown question, use the delete option in the question's toolbar. The question will be removed immediately without a confirmation prompt.

Question Design Best Practices

Optimize for Dropdown Format Dropdown questions work best with 3-15 options. Too few options make the dropdown unnecessary, while too many can overwhelm respondents or become difficult to navigate on mobile devices.

Order Options Thoughtfully Consider the most logical order for your options. Alphabetical ordering works well for geographic locations, while frequency-based ordering (most common first) can improve user experience for demographic questions.

Keep Options Scannable Ensure option text is concise enough to be easily readable in a dropdown menu. Long option text may be truncated or cause usability issues on smaller screens.

Consider Questionnaire Flow Place dropdown questions strategically within your engagement questionnaire. They work well for demographic questions or when you need to collect specific categorical information without taking up excessive screen space.

Methodology

Response Collection Dropdown responses are recorded exactly as selected by respondents. When multiple selections are allowed, all chosen options are captured and can be analyzed individually or in combination.

Option Randomization When randomization is enabled, each respondent sees answer choices in a different random order within the dropdown menu. The original option text and meaning remain unchanged, only the presentation order varies.

Special Options Processing

• "Other" responses: Text entered in "Other" fields is collected separately and can be analyzed as open-ended feedback alongside the structured options

Language Support Dropdown questions support multi-language engagement questionnaires when configured. All question text, support text, and answer options are translated consistently across supported languages.

Edge Cases, Exceptions & Known Issues

Drag and Drop Functionality

• Questions must be dropped in valid drop zones within the questionnaire area
• Dropping questions outside the builder area will not add them to your questionnaire

Option Management

• Deleting answer options after responses have been collected may affect data integrity
• Very long option text may not display optimally in dropdown menus on mobile devices
• Empty or duplicate options will trigger validation errors when saving

Mobile Display Considerations

• Dropdown menus may behave differently across mobile browsers and devices
• Very long option lists may require scrolling within the dropdown, which can affect user experience
• Touch interaction patterns may vary between dropdown and other question types

Multiple Selections Behavior

• When multiple selections are enabled, the dropdown interface changes to accommodate checkbox-style selection
• Converting from single to multiple selection after data collection begins may confuse respondents who already completed the questionnaire

Randomization Considerations

• Randomization applies to answer options only; question text and support text remain static
• Some logical sequences (like age ranges or rating scales) should not be randomized as this affects response validity
• Randomization settings cannot be changed after significant data collection without potentially affecting response patterns

Questionnaire Flow Considerations

• Dropdown questions with many options may slow down questionnaire completion compared to radio button alternatives
• Users must actively click to see all available options, which may reduce option visibility compared to multiple choice questions

Data Export Limitations

• "Other" responses export as separate fields and may require additional processing for analysis
• Very long option text might be truncated in certain export formats