VlookUp Questionnaire Association
VlookUp survey linking works like VLOOKUP in spreadsheet apps: while respondents answer your survey, based on what they enter in this question, SurveyMars looks up matching records in your designated linked survey (source data) and automatically pulls in additional fields to reduce duplicate entry.
Typical scenario: You have already collected name, email, department, and tenure in Employee Information Form; in the new survey, respondents only need to enter “name + email” as match keys, and the rest is pulled from the linked survey automatically.
Prerequisites
1. You already have a linked survey as the data source, with the questions and response data you want to reference.
2. On the edit page of the survey where you want lookup, add a question of type VlookUp (the UI may also show VlookUp).
How to set it up
1. After you add a VlookUp question, configure row labels in the “Content to be filled in by the respondent” table (e.g. “Name,” “Email”)—these are the match keywords respondents will enter. Click “+ Add a Row” to add rows; this question usually supports no more than two columns for matching. Goal: define which fields to search in the source survey.
2. Click “Set linked survey” to open the dialog. In the “Linked survey” dropdown, choose the survey to use as the data source. Goal: tell SurveyMars which survey to search.
3. In the “Link respondent inputs to survey questions” section, map each row under “Respondent input” (e.g. name, email) to a question in the linked survey used for matching. Note: every row must have a linked question selected; none can be left blank.
4. Under “Retrieve the following data from the linked survey,” select the questions to pull into the current survey after a successful match. Each row has a “Hide” toggle to control whether pulled-in content is visible to respondents.
“Cannot remove after data exists” means: once any response has pulled data through this question, the imported fields you added cannot be increased or decreased, so historical responses stay consistent with the field set.
5. Under “Other settings,” configure “When multiple matches are found” and “When no match is found.” For example: with multiple matches, let respondents pick one from a list, or use the latest record; with no match, show default text, jump to the linked survey’s registration flow, or block submission. Then click “OK” to save the question settings.
6. As needed, turn on “Answer hint,” “Required,” and other options, and continue refining the question via “Set Row Attributes,” “Display Logic,” “Skip logic,” and similar.
7. After you collect responses, open “Responses → View & Download Responses” to view details. There you will see answer text for questions imported from the linked source survey, so you can verify pulled-in values and analyze further.
Configuration reference
- Link respondent inputs to survey questions (match keys): Maps each row under “Respondent input” on the left to a question in the linked survey. The list of candidate questions filters out types that are not suitable for matching (e.g. page breaks and timers), so you can configure correctly.
- Where pulled-in data is stored: Questions imported from the linked survey appear as separate questions in the current survey (often toward the end; reports may show large question numbers or a linked block). Data is stored with the response for this Vlookup question.
Answering experience and results
Example: source survey Employee Information Form + Vlookup query survey Employee Promotion Application Survey:
After respondents enter your match keys (e.g. name, email) in Employee Promotion Application Survey, SurveyMars searches Employee Information Form. On a match, fields you selected are pulled into the current survey automatically; if nothing matches, behavior follows your “When no match is found” settings—for example, jump to the Employee Information Form registration link so respondents can complete missing information before continuing the application.
Sample links and screenshots
- Registration link for source survey Employee Information Form: View Employee Information Survey
- Link to Vlookup query survey Employee Promotion Application Survey: View Employee Promotion Application Survey
When filling out the survey, you can enter test for name and [email protected] for email.
When information is found in the source questionnaire: Display the answer text of questions imported from the linked source questionnaire.
When no information is found in the source questionnaire: Pop up a prompt message to guide respondents to jump to the linked questionnaire to complete registration.
Important notes
- After the survey already has responses, the linked survey, answer mapping, and fields under “Also fetch” usually cannot be changed, so historical data stays interpretable; a newly added Vlookup question can often still be configured before dependent data exists.
- If another survey uses this survey as a Vlookup data source, editing multiple-choice options in the source survey may be restricted; follow the on-screen prompts to unlink first or proceed as directed.
- Each survey may include only one Vlookup question.
- Mobile editing may not support editing or copying Vlookup questions yet; use a desktop browser for complex setup.
FAQ
Q: Why does saving tell me to choose match fields first?
A: In the “Set linked survey” dialog, under “Link respondent inputs to survey questions,” select a matching question in the linked survey for each “Respondent input” row, confirm “Linked survey” is selected, then click “OK” to save.
Q: Why can’t I change the linked survey or imported fields after responses exist?
A: To keep submitted responses, statistics, and response review consistent, SurveyMars locks key bindings after data exists; fields selected under “Also fetch” cannot be removed either. If you must change setup, consider a new survey or work with your admin on historical data.
Q: What happens when multiple records match?
A: Depends on “Other settings”: use the latest record, or let respondents pick one from a list before continuing.
Q: What happens when no record matches?
A: Follows your “When no match is found” settings—for example, default text, jump to the linked survey’s registration link, or block submitting the whole survey.
Q: Can I freely change options on the linked survey?
A: If another survey has Vlookup-bound to it, editing some question types may show restrictions; unlink first or edit in an allowed mode per the prompt.
