Add and Edit Rating Questions in Engagement Questionnaires

Collect scaled feedback from residents by adding rating questions to your engagement questionnaires. Rating questions allow respondents to evaluate services, policies, or experiences using visual rating scales with buttons or stars, providing quantifiable satisfaction and opinion data that's easy to analyze and compare.

Quick Steps

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

In-Depth Guide

Adding a New Rating 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 Rating Question From the Content sidebar on the right, locate "Rating" under the "NUMERIC" section. Drag the Rating 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 Rating element when the drop zone appears in your preferred location.

Configure Question Settings Once you drop the Rating element into your questionnaire, the configuration modal automatically opens. Enter your question text in the main question field. Write clear questions that work well with rating scales. For example, "How satisfied are you with the city's snow removal services?" or "Rate the quality of your local parks and recreation facilities."

Add Support Text (Optional) Use the Support Text field to provide additional context, instructions, or clarification about what respondents should consider when rating. This text appears below the main question and can explain rating criteria, timeframes, or specific aspects to evaluate.

Configure Rating Style Choose between two visual presentation options:

• Button: Displays the rating scale as clickable numbered buttons
• Star: Shows the rating as interactive star icons that respondents can click

Set Rating Scale Use the Scale dropdown to select the number of rating points available to respondents. Common options include 5-point scales (1-5) or other ranges that suit your feedback needs. The scale determines how many buttons or stars will be displayed.

Include Rating Labels (Optional) Toggle the Include Rating Labels setting to add descriptive text to the rating scale endpoints. When enabled, labels help clarify what the lowest and highest ratings represent (e.g., "Very Dissatisfied" to "Very Satisfied").

Mark as Required (Optional) Toggle the Required Question setting to make the rating 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 rating question within the questionnaire.

Editing Existing Rating Questions

Locate and Select the Question In the Questionnaire Builder, find the rating 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 or support text as needed. Ensure your question clearly communicates what aspect should be rated. 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 Rating Settings Modify the rating style (button vs. star), scale range, or label settings based on how you want respondents to interact with the rating. Consider how these changes might affect the user experience and data consistency.

Reorder Questions Reposition rating 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 rating question, use the delete option in the question's toolbar. The question will be removed immediately without a confirmation prompt.

Question Design Best Practices

Choose Appropriate Rating Styles Use star ratings for satisfaction, quality, or recommendation questions where the star metaphor is intuitive. Use button ratings for agreement scales, frequency ratings, or other contexts where numbered scales are more appropriate.

Select Meaningful Scale Ranges 5-point scales work well for most satisfaction and agreement ratings. Consider whether your specific context benefits from more granular scales (7-point) or simpler choices (3-point).

Use Rating Labels Strategically Include rating labels when the scale endpoints need clarification or when the meaning of ratings might be ambiguous. Clear labels improve response consistency and data interpretation.

Frame Questions Clearly Ensure your question text specifies exactly what should be rated and any relevant timeframe or context. Vague questions lead to inconsistent rating interpretations.

Consider Questionnaire Flow Rating questions work well for evaluating multiple related items or following up on specific topics introduced earlier in the questionnaire. Group related ratings together when appropriate.

Methodology

Rating Scale Processing Rating responses are captured as numerical values corresponding to the selected rating level. The system maintains consistency between different rating styles (button vs. star) for equivalent scale values.

Visual Presentation Button ratings display as numbered clickable elements, while star ratings show as interactive star icons. Both styles capture the same underlying numerical data while providing different user experiences.

Label Integration When rating labels are enabled, descriptive text appears at the scale endpoints to provide context for the rating range. Labels help ensure consistent interpretation across respondents.

Scale Validation The system ensures that only valid scale values within the configured range can be selected. Invalid or out-of-range ratings are prevented through interface constraints.

Language Support Rating questions support multi-language engagement questionnaires when configured. Question text, support text, and rating labels are translated, while numerical scale values remain consistent across 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

Rating Style Considerations

• Star ratings may be less intuitive for non-satisfaction contexts (agreement scales, frequency ratings)
• Button ratings provide clearer numerical context but may be less visually engaging
• Mobile devices may handle star and button interactions differently

Rating Label Behavior

• Labels appear only at scale endpoints, not for intermediate values
• Label meaning should align with the scale direction and range

Response Pattern Considerations

• Rating questions may be susceptible to response bias (central tendency, extreme responses)
• Multiple consecutive rating questions may create survey fatigue
• Neutral midpoints in odd-numbered scales may attract undecided responses

Questionnaire Flow Considerations

• Rating scales should maintain consistent direction (high to low) throughout questionnaires
• Mixed rating styles within a single questionnaire may confuse respondents
• Context from previous questions may influence rating responses