Custom Survey Language
This guide explains custom languages for SurveyMars international surveys. When you need a language not yet formally offered by SurveyMars, you can add it to the current survey, upload translations, and configure response page prompt text. Custom languages and related settings apply only to your account and that survey.
Overview
Some researchers need niche languages that cannot all be shipped by SurveyMars . International multilingual surveys therefore support custom languages: choose a language from the provided list (languages not yet formally offered), upload a translation file that matches your survey structure, and configure response page prompt text.
Use cases
- Your audience uses a language not yet formally offered by SurveyMars and you need to launch quickly.
- You want to publish a multilingual survey without waiting for official language rollout.
- You need translated response page UI copy (buttons, validation messages, etc.) in addition to question text.
Feature access
1. Open your survey Multilingual Questionnaire settings.
2. Below the multilingual area, find the Custom Language button.
3. Helper text reads: Custom Language (You can only customize languages not offered by SurveyMars.)
4. Use this only for languages not yet offered by SurveyMars. For built-in languages, enable them directly in the language list—do not add them again via Custom Language.
Add a custom language
1. Click Custom Language to open the custom language selection dialog.
2. Select the language from the dropdown. You cannot type an arbitrary language name—selection from the list is required.
3. Languages already supported by SurveyMars do not appear in the dropdown. Only languages available for custom add are listed.
4. Add one language per dialog. To add more, save and open Custom Language again to add in batches.
5. After success, the multilingual table shows a new column with an icon distinguishing it from system languages.
Upload survey translation
1. In the multilingual table, find your custom language column and click Upload.
2. The upload dialog and subsequent steps match the flow for built-in languages.
3. The file must match your original survey format (questions, options, and structure).
4. After upload, SurveyMars generates a survey link for that custom language on this survey only (per user, per survey).
5. Analytics and reporting support translated analysis the same way as for officially supported languages.
6.If you need to edit the uploaded translated content, click the Edit button to access the multi-language questionnaire editing page.
Edit response page prompt text
The custom language column shows Upload response page prompt
1. Click Upload response page prompt to open the upload dialog.
2. Download the system-language response page prompt template and upload your custom-language version.
3. Examples below the fields explain what “prompt text” covers (response UI strings, not question bodies).
4. Downloads include response page prompt text only—no code or technical fields.
5. Download and upload are each available in Word and Excel.
6. Your upload must have the same line count as the template, line by line. Mismatches use the same validation as other multilingual document uploads.
7.If you need to update the prompts for custom languages, click the button to edit the prompts on the answer page and make the changes.
- Left: default system prompt text.
- Right: your custom language prompt text. Edit and Re-upload are available on the preview page. Survey translation uploads for custom languages also support preview.
Collect responses with your custom language
After you finish setting up a custom language—adding the language, uploading the survey translation, and optionally uploading response page prompt text—you can start collecting responses in that language.
1. Open your survey distribution or multilingual settings and locate the survey link for the custom language you configured.
2. Click Copy link (or the equivalent copy action) and share the link with respondents by email, messaging apps, or your own channels.
3. Respondents who open this link will take the survey in your custom language.
4. After responses are submitted, open individual response details (response-by-response view). Each response collected through the custom-language link will display the custom language name you set, so you can tell which language version the respondent used.
Important notes
1. Uploaded custom response page prompt text applies only to your account and the current survey.
2. The custom language and its translation apply only to your account and the current survey.
3. Prompt text download and upload each support Word and Excel.
4. Translation files must match the original survey format; links are generated per user, per survey, per custom language; analytics match officially supported languages.
5. Select the language from the dropdown only—built-in languages are excluded from the list.
6. If on-screen labels differ from this article, follow in-product wording.
FAQs
Q: Why can't I type a language name?
A: Custom languages must be chosen from the system list. Languages SurveyMars already offers are not in the dropdown—enable them from the main language list instead.
Q: How is a custom language different from a built-in language?
A: Built-in languages are officially supported and may include AI translation. Custom languages are selected from the list, upload-only, marked with an icon, and have no AI translation.
Q: Can I add multiple custom languages at once?
A: One per dialog. Save and open Custom Language again to add another.
Q: What is “response page prompt text”?
A: UI copy on the response experience—buttons, hints, validation—not survey questions or answer options. See examples in the dialog.
Q: Upload failed due to line count mismatch?
A: Re-download the latest template and keep the same line count and order. Rules match other multilingual document uploads.
Q: How do I collect responses in a custom language?
A: After setup is complete, copy the survey link for that custom language and share it with respondents. Responses submitted through that link are recorded under the custom language name in response details.
