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Questions

3.1 Question List

The question list is accessible via the menu Questions > List Questions. It displays all questions in the survey in a table with the following columns:

Column Description
Drag handle Grip icon to reorder questions by drag & drop
Actions Icons for editing, previewing, deleting, duplicating, and viewing map results
# Question order number within the survey
Id Question identifier (e.g., P1, P2). Mandatory questions are marked with a red asterisk (*)
Label The question text. Truncated if too long
Variable Name The SPSS variable name assigned to the question
Question type The type of question (radio, check, matrix, etc.)

Available actions per question:

  • Edit (pencil icon): Opens the question configuration form.
  • Preview (eye icon): Opens a modal preview showing how the question will appear to respondents.
  • Delete (X icon): Deletes the question after confirmation. Disabled when the survey is locked for editing.
  • Duplicate (layers icon): Creates a copy of the question with the same configuration. Disabled when the survey is locked for editing. For matrix parent questions, duplicates the entire matrix group (parent and all children).
  • View Map (image icon): Only available for map-type and geolocation questions. Displays collected coordinates on a map.

Color coding:

The question list uses color coding to help identify question groups: - Bold blue: Matrix parent questions (the first question that defines the matrix columns) - Light blue: Matrix child questions (sub-questions that belong to a matrix group) - Bold brown: Choice parent questions (the generator question for discrete choice experiments) - Light brown: Choice child questions (the individual cards generated from the parent)

Additional features:

  • Drag & drop reordering: Questions can be reordered by dragging them using the grip icon on the left side of each row. Simply click and hold the grip icon, then drag the question to its new position. The order is saved automatically. Matrix and choice child questions move together with their parent and cannot be reordered independently. Drag & drop is disabled when the survey is locked for editing.
  • Generate Variable Names with AI (wand icon in the Variable Name column header): Uses Google Gemini AI to automatically generate meaningful variable names for all questions in the survey. Useful for SPSS data export.
  • Unlinked questions filter: When working with a tree structure, you can filter to show only questions that are not linked to any step. These questions should typically be deleted or assigned to a step.
  • Sticky headers: The column headers remain visible as you scroll through long question lists.

3.1.1 Copy and Paste Questions Between Surveys

The Copy Pregs and Paste Pregs options in the Questions menu allow you to copy one or more questions from one survey and paste them into another survey (or the same one). This is useful when you want to reuse question configurations across different surveys without recreating them manually.

How to use:

  1. Select the source survey (the survey containing the questions you want to copy).
  2. Go to Questions > Copy Pregs.
  3. In the text field, enter the question IDs separated by commas (e.g., P1,P2,P3).
  4. Click Send. A confirmation message will appear: "Copy has been executed properly."
  5. Now select the target survey (the survey where you want to paste the questions). This can be a different survey or the same one.
  6. Go to Questions > Paste Pregs.
  7. The questions will be created in the target survey with new IDs automatically assigned.

What is copied:

  • The complete question configuration: question text, type, all response options, type-specific settings (matrix columns, choice attributes and products, date ranges, etc.), validations, and multimedia content.
  • For choice questions, this includes the full design configuration: attributes, levels, images, and all choice-specific options.

What is NOT copied:

  • Respondent answers (only the question structure is copied, not collected data).
  • The original question ID (a new ID is assigned in the target survey).

Important notes:

  • The copied questions are stored temporarily in your session. If you log out or your session expires before pasting, the copied questions will be lost.
  • After pasting, questions are automatically renumbered to fit the target survey's sequence.

3.2 Adding a New Question

This section explains how to add new questions to your survey and provides detailed instructions for question types that require additional guidance.

To add new questions, first select the survey you want to work with. Then click the menu option Questions::New Question. Below is an explanation of the different sections highlighted in red:

  • Number 1 - New Question -- This displays the form shown on the right. Here you can select any question type, and an example of its visualization will appear below.
  • Number 2 - Select the type of question you want to add to the survey and click "Send" to proceed to the data entry form. To preview different question types, use buttons 3 and 4. The slider presents an example of each available question type. The title of the displayed question appears at the top of the slider.
  • Numbers 3 and 4 -- Use these buttons to browse examples of the different question types available on the platform. The question title appears at the top of each example.

Once you select the question type and click "Send," a template form similar to the following will appear:

  • Number 1: Question identifier
  • Number 2: Type of question to add or modify
  • Number 3: Question configuration (varies depending on the question type)
  • Number 4: Question tag
  • Number 5: Answer configuration for question types that include answer options
  • Number 6: Button to save the question

The following subsections provide additional information for question types that are more complex to configure.

Mandatory vs. Optional Questions:

By default, all questions are mandatory (obligatoria). This means the respondent must answer the question before proceeding to the next step. To make a question optional, uncheck the Mandatory checkbox in the question configuration form (visible in the question editing page under the question settings area).

When a respondent attempts to skip a mandatory question, an error message is displayed next to the question, and the respondent cannot proceed until a valid answer is provided. Optional questions allow the respondent to advance without providing an answer.

In the question list, mandatory questions are indicated with a red asterisk (*) next to the question identifier.

Randomize Responses:

When enabled, the answer options are shuffled randomly each time the question is displayed to a respondent. This helps eliminate order bias in responses, which is important in research surveys where the position of an option can influence the respondent's choice.

Currently supported for: - One Option (radio) questions - Several Possibilities (checkbox) questions - Ranking (ordering) questions

For other question types, please contact the administrator.

3.3 Preconfigured Lists

This question type allows users to select an item from a predefined list. The currently configured lists are:

  • Communities of Spain
  • Provinces of Spain
  • Can be filtered by Spanish community
  • Towns of Spain
  • Can be filtered by Spanish community

In addition to the built-in lists, you can upload custom lists to the tool. First, upload the list through the menu's list functionality, then select it in the question configuration. You can also set the visualization type to either dropdown or autocomplete mode.

For preconfigured lists, the Excel file (xlsx) uploaded to the tool must follow this format:

code country
1 Spain
2 France

3.4 Matrix Question

An example of a matrix question is displayed below:

As shown, a matrix question consists of multiple sub-questions sharing the same answer options. To create matrix questions in the tool, follow these steps:

Step 1: Create a question with the "matrix" type. You will see a form similar to Figure 5. It is important to define the answers for this first question, as it serves as the parent of the matrix. In Section 1, select the answer type from the following options:

  • Select only one option. Do not use for new surveys; use the Multiple type instead.
  • Select multiple options. Do not use for new surveys; use the Multiple type instead.
  • Numeric value. Do not use for new surveys; use the Multiple type instead.
  • Multiple type. This is the recommended type. It allows you to select a different answer type for each column of the matrix.

Step 2: After creating the first question, add the remaining questions that belong to the matrix group. Go to Questions::New Question, select the matrix type, and then in the "Origin" field, select the first question (created in Step 1). You do NOT need to define answer options for these child questions.

3.4.1 Regular Expression Associated to Matrix Answer

For matrix questions with numeric columns, you can set a regular expression on the matrix answers of the parent question. When a regular expression is defined, the matrix answer will be validated as the user completes the survey. These regular expressions are configured in the answer definition of each column of the parent matrix question.

3.4.2 Auto-expanding Textarea

Matrix questions with text-type columns feature auto-expanding textareas that grow automatically as the respondent types, providing a better user experience for open-ended responses.

3.4.3 Randomize Matrix Sub-Questions

When enabled on the parent matrix question, the child questions (rows) of the matrix are shuffled randomly each time they are displayed to a respondent. The parent question always remains in the first position; only the child questions are randomized. This helps eliminate order bias in matrix responses.

To enable this, edit the parent matrix question and activate the Randomize matrix questions checkbox in the matrix configuration section.

3.4.4 Duplicate and Delete from Parent

Researchers can duplicate or delete an entire matrix group (parent question and all child questions) directly from the parent question, instead of managing each child question individually. This is available from the question actions menu on the parent matrix question.

3.5 Questions Matrix Based on Lists

In some cases, you may need a matrix whose sub-questions are dynamic. For example, imagine a survey where the user selects the territories where they have worked, and then a subsequent matrix asks for detailed information about each selected territory.

This functionality is used when the items composing the matrix come from a list. To configure this type of question:

  1. In the matrix configuration, enable the "Preconfigured answers" checkbox.
  2. In the list field, select the list containing the options.
  3. The visualization for this matrix is always a dropdown (autocomplete is not available in this case).

3.6 Multiple Discrete Choice

3.6.1 TickStat Model

To create a choice experiment question, go to Questions::New Question and select "Discrete Choice Experiment" from the list of question types. The following form will appear:

Section 1: Enter the names of the alternatives separated by commas. For example: "Treatment A, Treatment B, Status Quo"

Section 2: Configure the attributes using the following format in the text area:

  • Type-Attribute name-Values separated by comma

The available attribute types are:

  • DIS: Discrete attribute.
  • CONT: Continuous attribute. Values must be equidistant.
  • DESC: Section header attribute. This type acts as a visual separator within the choice card, displaying only the attribute name in the first column while leaving the alternative cells empty. It requires a single level with value 99. Format: DESC-Section name:99. This is useful for grouping related attributes under a common heading (e.g., "Uses of reclaimed water:" followed by individual use attributes).
  • CALC: Calculated attribute. Specify a source question to calculate the displayed value; the source must be a money-type question. For example: CALC-Attribute name-P10:0.80,1,1.20,1.30. These values will be multiplied by the source question's value before being presented to the user.
  • HIDE: The tool will hide this row when presenting the cards.

HTML in attribute names: You can use simple HTML tags and entities in attribute names to enhance their display. For example: - Use &#8226; or the character • to add bullet points (e.g., DIS-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&#8226;&nbsp;&nbsp;Agrícola:0,1) - Use <b> tags for bold text - Use &nbsp; for additional spacing and indentation

This is particularly useful for creating visual hierarchies when combining DESC section headers with indented sub-attributes.

Section 3: Use these buttons to load a sample design.

Section 4: Number of cards presented to the user. Cards are displayed one at a time; the tool selects them randomly while ensuring balanced presentation.

Section 5: Design generation method. Currently, only one method is available: Partial factorial design.

Restrictions for this question type:

  • Number of variables: Maximum 6
  • Number of levels or values:
  • Continuous variables: Maximum 6 equidistant values
  • Discrete variables: Maximum 3 values

3.6.2 Personal Model

Some research centres prefer to upload their own models. TickStat provides this option to enable quick distribution of questions based on custom models.

3.6.2.1 Four Options Model -- Images Associated to Values

A private model called "Personal design" allows users to upload up to 4 Excel files, each representing one of the 4 options. Each Excel file can contain up to seven attributes with no limit on the number of cards; each row defines a card configuration.

To upload the data, set the "Generation Method design" field to "Personal design" and provide the Excel files for each option.

Then configure the "Id.Response" text area with the appropriate format, and use the "Tag question" field to label the question.

After executing the model, the list of questions will display the configuration for each generated question.

For this model type, the researcher must upload images for each attribute value so that users can understand the model. Below are some notable configuration options:

  • Fixed card order: If disabled, cards are shuffled or randomized before presentation, so they do not always appear in the same order.

After configuring a choice experiment (regardless of the design method), the researcher needs to associate images/icons and display labels to each attribute level. This is done through the "Link picture to attribute values" button located in the Actions section of the choice question configuration.

Clicking this button opens a management screen that displays all attributes and their levels in a table format. For each attribute, the researcher can:

Attribute level (rows): - Original value: The level label as defined in the experimental design (read-only). - Updated value: An editable text field to customize the label displayed to respondents. If left empty, the original value is shown. This is useful when the design uses coded values (e.g., "1", "2", "3") and the researcher wants to display descriptive labels (e.g., "Low", "Medium", "High"). - Level image/icon: Upload an image or icon that represents this specific level. This image is displayed in the choice card cells. Click the edit button to upload a new image, or the delete button to remove the current one.

Attribute header (top row per attribute): - Attribute description: A help text for the attribute, displayed when the researcher uses the attribute info feature. - Attribute help image: An optional image associated with the attribute itself (not a specific level). This can be used to provide visual context about what the attribute represents.

Save button: After making changes to labels, click Save to persist all updated values. Image uploads are saved immediately when uploaded.

Hiding level labels (icon-only display):

If you want a choice card cell to display only the icon without any text label underneath, set the updated value for that level to xx. When the system encounters xx as the level value, it suppresses the text label and shows only the image. This is useful when the icons are self-explanatory and adding text would clutter the card, especially on mobile devices.

Important notes: - Image files must use filenames containing only letters (without accents), numbers, dots, hyphens, and underscores. - Images are stored in the survey's image directory and referenced by filename in the XML configuration. - The images uploaded here are the ones displayed in the choice cards when respondents view the survey. Each cell in the card shows the icon corresponding to the attribute level assigned to that alternative.

3.6.5 Best Worst Choice (Dichotomous Choice)

This is a choice format where the user is presented with a single scenario and must answer Yes or No. Additionally, the user can indicate which level among the presented values is the best and which is the worst.

For the configuration, set the attribute value to $valoR in the same field where you would normally configure the image for the attribute.

Additionally, enable the "Choice dicotomico" checkbox.

3.6.6 Best Worst Choice

In this choice format, the user must select the best option and the worst option. The application validates that the user does not select the same option for both best and worst.

In the configuration, enable the "Display best and worst choice" option.

For this choice type, there is an additional option that presents the best and worst selection while giving the user a button to indicate they do not want any of the presented scenarios. To enable this, configure the parent question's alternatives with the HIDE prefix as follows:

Tratamiento A, Tratamiento B, Tratamiento C, HIDESQ

This hides the column associated with the Status Quo.

3.6.7 Choice Card Display and Interaction

Several improvements have been made to the discrete choice experiment card display:

3.6.7.1 Column Selection

Clicking any cell in a column selects the corresponding radio button. The selected column is highlighted with a colored border matching the survey theme.

3.6.7.2 Hover Effect

Hovering over a column highlights all cells in that column with a subtle background color.

3.6.7.3 Image Zoom

Double-clicking an image in a choice card opens a lightbox with the full-size image. Click outside the image or press the X to close.

3.6.7.4 Scroll Indicator

After selecting an option, if the "Next" button is not visible on screen, a floating arrow indicator appears to guide the user to scroll down.

3.6.7.5 Mobile Optimization

On mobile devices (screen width ≤ 768px), the choice card display is optimized for touch interaction:

  • Radio buttons are hidden: The radio button row at the bottom of the card is hidden to save screen space. Respondents select their preferred option by tapping anywhere on the column.
  • Tap instruction overlay: The first time a respondent sees a choice card on mobile, a brief instruction overlay ("Tap a column to select") is displayed over the card. It disappears after the first selection and is not shown again on subsequent cards.
  • Column highlight: The selected column is highlighted with a colored border matching the survey theme, providing clear visual feedback of the selection. This optimization applies only to the standard discrete choice card. Best-Worst and Dichotomous choice cards retain the radio button row on mobile.

3.6.8 Configuration Options Reference

The following options are available when configuring a discrete choice experiment parent question:

Card Display: - Fixed card order: When enabled (default), cards are presented in a fixed order. When disabled, cards are shuffled randomly before presentation. - Display Attribute Values: Shows or hides the attribute value text below images in choice card cells. - Display Images/Attributes Inline: When enabled, displays attribute images inline within the card cells instead of in a separate info column. - Aggregated Levels: Groups and aggregates attribute levels for a more compact card display. When enabled, the attribute name column is hidden. - Hide Status Quo Cell Values: When a Status Quo alternative is configured, hides the attribute values in the Status Quo column, showing only the header and the selection radio button.

Best-Worst Options: - Display Best and Worst Choice: Enables best-worst selection mode where respondents choose both the best and worst options from the card. - Best Worst Choice Rating (Last Election One Button): In best-worst mode, adds a third button allowing respondents to indicate "none of the above." - Choice Dicotomico (Dichotomous Choice): Enables a Yes/No choice format with best/worst level selection capability.

Labels and Text: - Characteristics Header Tag: Label displayed above the attributes column (default: "Caracteristicas del programa"). - Best Selection Label: Prompt text shown asking the respondent to select their preferred option. - Worst Selection Label: Prompt text for the worst option selection in best-worst mode. - Card Header Text: Custom HTML text displayed at the top of each choice card. - Card Footer Text: Custom HTML text displayed at the bottom of each choice card. - Default Option Text: Text displayed in the Status Quo / "none of the above" column when using a partial factorial design where the Status Quo alternative has no attribute levels assigned (i.e., the alternative has empty values in the design). This text appears as a single cell spanning all attribute rows. If the Status Quo alternative has attribute levels with icons/values configured in the design, this text will not be shown — the icons and values from the design will be displayed instead. - More Information URL: URL to additional information, opened in a new tab.

Design and Generation: - Number of Cards: How many choice cards are presented to the respondent. Cards are selected randomly with balanced presentation. - Design Generation Method: The algorithm used to generate the experimental design (Partial Factorial, Personal Design, Vignetas, Continuous). - Generate New Model Questions: When enabled (default), regenerates all child questions when the parent is saved. Disable to preserve existing child questions. - Choice Set IDs: Comma-separated IDs mapping R engine-generated choice set identifiers to child questions. - Choice Report Group: Groups multiple choice questions into a single Excel tab when downloading the report. All choice questions with the same group number will have their results merged into one sheet. Leave empty to group all choice questions together by default. Use different numbers (e.g., 1, 2) to create separate tabs for choice questions with different configurations.

Status Quo: - Status Quo Position: Specifies which column represents the Status Quo option. - Dynamic Status Quo: When enabled, the Status Quo values are dynamically populated from another question's response.

Timing: - Minimum Time per Card (seconds): Enforces a minimum viewing time per card. If the respondent tries to advance before the minimum time elapses, a warning is displayed. Set to 0 to disable.

3.7 Simple Choice

If you want to measure willingness to pay for a product or service that already exists, this is the appropriate question type.

3.7.1 Personal Setting

This question allows the researcher to upload a customized vector of bids. The data can be uploaded through the "Upload vector of bids" button and must be in Excel format (xls or xlsx).

The expected format is shown in the following figure:

3.8 Multimedia

This question type supports uploading images or videos.

3.8.1 Video

In TickStat, videos can be linked to two video hosting providers: Vimeo and YouTube. Both use a CDN to ensure fast loading times.

3.8.1.1 YouTube

When setting the URL for a YouTube video, use the embed URL. You can obtain it by following these steps:

  • Click the "Share" button.
  • Select the "Embed" option from the available sharing methods.
  • You will see a code like <iframe width="xxx" height="xxx" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XXXX". Copy only the URL from the src attribute.

3.8.1.2 Vimeo

The same concept applies to Vimeo: copy the embed URL from the sharing options.

Vimeo videos have additional configuration options:

  • Activate progress bar: Shows a progress bar at the bottom of the video so the respondent can see how much of the video remains.
  • Activate full screen: Allows the respondent to expand the video to full screen.
  • Prevent fast forward: When enabled, the respondent can pause and rewind the video but cannot skip ahead beyond what they have already watched. This is useful when the researcher needs to ensure that the respondent watches the entire video content before proceeding. The respondent can still rewind to re-watch previous sections.

If the question is set as mandatory, the "Next" button will remain disabled until the video has finished playing.

3.8.2 Using This Question as Repository of Resources (Images, PDF, etc)

This question type can also serve as a resource repository where the researcher uploads files (images, PDFs, etc.) that can later be referenced from other questions in the survey.

3.9 One Possibility

This question type allows the user to select a single answer from a list of options using radio buttons.

Visualization modes:

Two visualization modes are available, configured in the question's configuration panel:

Option Description
Standard visualization Classic radio button list with text labels.
Image visualization Images displayed in a horizontal grid. The respondent clicks an image to select it (green highlight). Only one image can be selected at a time — clicking a different image deselects the previous one.

Show image labels:

When "Image visualization" is enabled, an additional option "Show image labels" becomes available. When enabled, the text from each answer's label field is displayed below the corresponding image as readable HTML text. This is particularly useful when images contain small or embedded text that becomes illegible at reduced sizes.

When a respondent selects an image, the label text below it is displayed in bold to reinforce the visual feedback of the selection.

To use this feature: 1. Enable "Image visualization" in the question configuration 2. Enable "Show image labels" 3. Enter the descriptive text for each answer in the answer label field 4. The images should ideally contain only the graphic (e.g., diagrams, icons), with the descriptive text placed in the label field

3.10 Several Possibilities

This question type allows the user to select multiple answers from a list of options, similar to checkboxes where more than one option can be selected.

Visualization modes:

Four visualization modes are available, configured in the question's configuration panel:

Option Description
Standard visualization Classic checkbox list with text labels.
Multi-state image display Images in a grid with 3 states that cycle on each click: unselected, green (state 1), blue (state 2). Useful when the researcher needs respondents to classify options into two categories.
1-state image with min/max Images in a grid with 2 states: unselected and green. Works as a visual checkbox — click to select, click again to deselect. The min/max selection limits from the configuration apply.
Informative display (no selection) Images are shown in a read-only grid with no click interaction. Used to display visual stimuli or instructions without requiring a response.

Show image labels:

When using any image visualization mode, an additional option "Show image labels" is available. When enabled, the text from each answer's label field is displayed below the corresponding image as readable HTML text. This is particularly useful when images contain small or embedded text that becomes illegible at reduced sizes.

When a respondent selects an image, the label text below it is displayed in bold to reinforce the visual feedback of the selection.

To use this feature: 1. Enable one of the image visualization modes in the question configuration 2. Enable "Show image labels" 3. Enter the descriptive text for each answer in the answer label field 4. The images should ideally contain only the graphic (e.g., diagrams, icons), with the descriptive text placed in the label field

3.11 Importance of Topics

This question type allows the user to rate the importance of different topics on a scale. The researcher defines a list of items (topics) and the respondent selects a point on the scale to indicate the level of importance.

Configuration options:

  • Number of options: The total number of points on the scale (default: 11). Must be an odd number so that a neutral midpoint exists. For example, 7 creates a scale of 3 (low) + 1 (neutral) + 3 (high). The scale is divided into three sections: low importance, neutral ("I don't know"), and high importance.
  • Minimum label: Text displayed below the low-importance end (e.g., "No importance").
  • Neutral label: Text displayed below the midpoint (e.g., "I don't know").
  • Maximum label: Text displayed below the high-importance end (e.g., "A lot of importance").
  • Attributes/Topics text: Introductory text displayed above the list of items.
  • Attributes/Topics list: The items the respondent is evaluating.

Visualization types:

Five visualization modes are available:

  • Default visualization (with arrows): Displays the scale as radio buttons divided into three groups (low, neutral, high) with arrow indicators between sections. The number of radio buttons adapts to the configured number of options.
  • Default visualization with reset: Same as the default but includes a "No me gusta ninguna" (None) button that allows the respondent to clear their selection.
  • Simple visualization: Displays all options in a single horizontal row with numbered labels (1, 2, 3...) below each radio button. Labels for minimum and maximum importance are shown at the ends.
  • Slider visualization: Displays a draggable slider instead of radio buttons. The respondent drags the handle to select a value on the scale. The slider handle displays the current numeric value and its color matches the survey theme.
  • NPS visualization (Net Promoter Score): Displays the standard 0-10 NPS scale as colored numbered buttons. When NPS is enabled, the scale is automatically locked to 0-10 and cannot be changed, ensuring standard NPS classification: Detractors (0-6, red), Passives (7-8, orange), Promoters (9-10, green). The default labels are set to "Nada probable" / "Muy probable" (customizable by the researcher). When a respondent clicks a button, a dynamic zone label appears below the scale showing which category they fall into (e.g., "DETRACTOR" in red). On mobile devices, the buttons are displayed vertically for better touch usability.

NPS Dashboard: In the question listing, NPS questions display a chart icon button that opens a dedicated NPS results page showing the calculated NPS Score (range -100 to +100), a color-coded breakdown bar (Detractors / Passives / Promoters with percentages), and individual zone cards with respondent counts.

NPS in Interactive Dashboard: NPS questions also appear as a dedicated widget in the Interactive Dashboard with the NPS score, a 3-segment clickable breakdown bar, and a legend. Clicking on any segment (Detractors, Passives, or Promoters) filters all other charts in the dashboard to show only the responses from that group, enabling cross-analysis (e.g., "What did the Detractors answer in question X?"). The NPS score formula is: % Promoters - % Detractors.

3.11.1 Grouped Importance Questions (Battery)

Multiple importance questions can be grouped together into a visual battery, similar to how matrix questions group child questions under a parent. This is useful when researchers want respondents to rate several related topics using the same scale, presented as a cohesive block rather than separate individual questions.

How to create a grouped importance battery:

  1. Create the parent question: Add an importance question that will serve as the group header. Configure its introduction text and topic list (attributes/characteristics) as usual. This parent defines the introductory context shown at the top of the group.
  2. Create child questions: Add additional importance questions for each item in the battery. In the configuration panel of each child question, use the "Select parent importance question" dropdown to select the parent question created in step 1.
  3. Configure each child independently: Each child question retains its own visualization type (default, slider, simple, NPS, etc.), scale labels, and configuration options. Only the introduction text and topic list fields are hidden for child questions, since these are inherited from the parent.

How it appears to respondents:

  • The parent question's introduction text and topic list are displayed as a sticky header at the top of the group.
  • All child questions are rendered below in sequence as a compact visual block, separated by thin lines.
  • Each child displays only its question label and scale (the header wrapper is omitted to avoid redundancy).
  • A single separator line marks the end of the entire group.

In the question list (admin panel):

  • Grouped importance questions use the same color coding as matrix questions: the parent appears in bold blue and children appear with a light blue background, making the group structure easy to identify.
  • Duplicating or deleting a parent question applies to the entire group (parent and all children).

3.12 Hide Answers Dynamically

In some cases, certain answers should only be available based on responses to previous questions. This functionality allows you to hide answers dynamically.

The configuration is applied to individual answer items of the question. Add a condition in the field associated with each answer to determine when it should be hidden.

Available Conditions

Condition Description Example
$encuesta.getPregunta("P1").getCodAnswerFromUser().equals("R1_1") Checks if the user selected a specific answer code in a single-option question Hide an answer if the user selected answer R1_1 in question P1
$encuesta.getPregunta("P17").isFieldFilled("R17_1") Checks if a text field associated with an answer has been filled Hide an answer if the user typed text in the "Other" field of P17
$encuesta.getPregunta("P1").getAnswerFromUser().equals("Si") Checks if the user's answer text matches a specific value Hide an answer if the user answered "Si" in P1
$encuesta.getPregunta("P1").isContestadaUser() Checks if the question has been answered at all Hide an answer if P1 has been answered
$encuesta.getPregunta("P1").getBolsaById("1").containsRespuesta("R1_4") Checks if a specific answer exists in a bag (for Segment - Drag and Drop questions). "1" is the first bag, "2" the second, etc. Hide an answer if R1_4 was placed in the first bag

All conditions can be negated by prefixing with !. For example: !$encuesta.getPregunta("P1").getCodAnswerFromUser().equals("R1_1") will hide the answer when R1_1 was not selected.

Supported Question Types

This functionality is currently available for:

  • One possibility (single option)
  • Segment - Drag and drop

If you need this functionality for other question types, please contact TickStat support. It is straightforward to implement for additional types.

3.13 Hide Questions Dynamically

In some cases, you may want to show or hide entire questions based on responses to previous questions. This is configured in the "Condicion Visualizacion Pregunta" field at the question level.

Available Conditions

Condition Description Example
$encuesta.getPregunta("P17").getCodAnswerFromUser().equals("R17_1") Checks if the user selected a specific answer code in a single option question Show question only if user selected R17_1 in P17
$encuesta.getPregunta("P17").isOptionChecked("R17_1") Checks if a specific option is checked in a multiple option (checkbox) question Show question only if R17_1 was checked in P17
$encuesta.getPregunta("P17").isFieldFilled("R17_1") Checks if a text field associated with an answer has been filled Show question only if user typed text in R17_1 field
$encuesta.getPregunta("P1").getAnswerFromUser().equals("Si") Checks if the user's answer text matches a specific value Show question only if user answered "Si" in P1
$encuesta.getPregunta("P1").isContestadaUser() Checks if the question has been answered at all Show question only if P1 was answered
$encuesta.getGestorVisualizacion().getPropertySet().getBoolean("P1_1") Checks a property set by the uniform interval assignment in P1 Show question only if the user was assigned to group P1_1

Combining Conditions

You can combine multiple conditions using logical operators:

  • && for AND: both conditions must be true
  • || for OR: at least one condition must be true

Examples:

$encuesta.getPregunta("P1").getCodAnswerFromUser().equals("R1_1") && $encuesta.getPregunta("P2").isContestadaUser()
Show the question only if the user selected R1_1 in P1 and answered P2.

$encuesta.getPregunta("P1").getCodAnswerFromUser().equals("R1_1") || $encuesta.getPregunta("P1").getCodAnswerFromUser().equals("R1_2")
Show the question if the user selected R1_1 or R1_2 in P1.

This functionality works for all question types.

If you need additional conditions, please contact TickStat support.

3.14 AntiSpam

This functionality adds anti-spam protection to the survey, helping prevent automated bots from submitting responses.

3.15 Line of Input

This question type allows the user to enter a text or numeric value. The configuration includes:

  • Type of data: numeric, text, date, email
  • Minimum and maximum values for numeric fields
  • Regular expression for validation
  • Placeholder text

3.16 Introduction Through Google Docs

This functionality allows you to embed Google Docs documents in survey questions. It is useful for presenting complex formatted content to the user.

3.17 Description

This question type allows the researcher to add descriptive text to the survey without requiring a response from the user. It is used to provide information, instructions, or context between questions.

Some questions support inline links that open in a new tab. This is useful for providing additional information to the user.

3.19 Text Separator

This question type adds visual separation between sections of the survey. It can include text, HTML, tables, and images, serving as a section divider or introductory content block.

HTML Code Editor: The separator question uses a code editor with HTML syntax highlighting (colored tags, attributes, and values) instead of a plain text area. The editor provides: - Line numbers for easy reference - Auto-indentation when the question is loaded - A Format HTML button (indent icon, top-right corner) to re-indent the entire content at any time

Styling with survey-intro.css: All HTML content in separator questions should use the classes defined in survey-intro.css. Wrap the content in <div class="intro"> to activate these styles. Available classes include headings (.h2, .h3, .h4), tables, image galleries (.images), tags (.intro-tag with color variants), alerts, and more.

Font size when mixed with other questions: By default, paragraph text inside .intro renders at 19px, which is comfortable for reading long introductory texts. When the separator shares a step with other question types (radio, check, etc.), the paragraph text may appear smaller than the question titles (24px). To match the question title size, use <p class="inline"> instead of <p>:

  • <p class="inline">Short intro text</p> — 24px, matches question titles (use when mixed with other questions in the same step)
  • <p>Long reading text...</p> — 19px, comfortable for reading (use when the separator is alone in its own step)

3.19.1 Image Cache-Busting

When a separator question contains images, the system automatically appends a cache-busting token (?cb=HHmmss) to each image URL every time the question is saved. This ensures that when you update the image file on the server (keeping the same filename), respondents and the survey preview always load the latest version instead of a stale cached copy. No manual action is required — the token is applied transparently on save.

3.19.2 Request Geolocation

The text separator question can be used to request the user's geolocation. When the user reaches this question, the browser prompts for permission to access the device's location. If the user grants permission, the coordinates are stored.

3.19.3 Jump to Another Experiment

In some cases, you may need the survey respondent to complete an implicit response test on BitBrain before continuing the survey in TickStat.

This is implemented through the separator-type question. The required settings are listed below:

When the user reaches this question and the experiment section has been configured correctly, the TickStat platform redirects the user to the BitBrain platform. After the user completes the implicit response test, BitBrain redirects back to TickStat. The user is returned to the point where they left the survey and continues as normal.

3.20 Multiple Line of Input Add Style

This question type has the following visualization:

The labels (Line 1, Line 2, etc.) can be positioned on the left or right side; a configuration option controls this. The purpose of this question is to distribute a number across different options. For example, the user must distribute 10 units among the available options. The application will not allow the user to proceed unless the total of all entries equals 10.

This target value is configured in the question settings and can be either a fixed number or a reference to the value of another question in the survey.

There is also an option to allow the user to enter values in the different lines without requiring distribution of a specific number. In this case, the only validation is whether the question is marked as mandatory. If the question is optional and the user does not enter any values, the following screen is displayed:

3.22 Categorize Literal Items

This question type allows you to categorize a list of words into a number of categories. The respondent sees a pool of words that they must distribute among category bins. The configuration is similar to the Q Model but simpler: define the categories and the items to be distributed.

3.25 One Option - With Validation

This question type presents the user with a single-option question where validation rules can be applied. It is useful when the researcher needs to ensure that specific criteria are met before the user can proceed.

3.26 Variable Names - Gemini AI

3.26.1 Automatic Generation

The system can automatically generate meaningful variable names for questions using Google Gemini AI. This is useful for SPSS data export, where variable names are required.

3.26.2 Variable Names in Reports

When a question has a variableName configured, it appears in all report headers (Excel exports, SPSS data) instead of the truncated question identifier. This applies to all question types, including matrix, radio, checkbox, and text input questions.

3.27 Smiley Scale (Caritas)

This question type presents the respondent with a 5-point smiley face scale, ranging from very unhappy to very happy. It is commonly used for quick satisfaction or sentiment ratings.

The respondent sees five smiley face icons displayed in a horizontal row. They select one by clicking on it; the selected smiley is visually highlighted. The response is recorded as a numeric value from 1 (most negative/unhappy) to 5 (most positive/happy).

Configuration:

  • No answer options need to be defined. The five smiley faces are generated automatically.
  • The question only requires a label (the question text shown to the respondent).
  • Like other question types, it can be set as mandatory or optional.

To create a smiley scale question, go to Questions > New Question, select "Smiley Scale" from the question type dropdown, and enter the question text.

3.28 Date

This question type presents the respondent with a date picker calendar widget. The respondent can either type a date in dd/mm/yyyy format or select a date from the calendar popup.

Configuration:

  • Start Year: The earliest year available in the calendar's year selector. Default: current year minus 100.
  • End Year: The latest year available in the calendar's year selector. Default: current year plus 10.

These year range settings are useful for constraining input -- for example, when asking for a birth date, you might set the range from 1920 to the current year.

No answer options need to be defined. The date picker is generated automatically with a single input field and a calendar icon button.

3.29 Money (Currency Input)

This question type provides a specialized input field for monetary values. The respondent enters a numeric amount, and the configured currency symbol is displayed next to the input.

Configuration:

  • Currency: Select the currency type. Available options:
  • Euro (displayed as the euro symbol)
  • US Dollar (displayed as the dollar symbol)
  • British Pound (displayed as the pound symbol)
  • Has Decimal: When enabled (the default), a separate decimal input field is shown alongside the main amount field, allowing the respondent to enter cents or pence. When disabled, only the whole number field is shown.

No answer options need to be defined. The input field and currency symbol are generated automatically.

3.30 Ranking (Ordering)

This question type allows the respondent to rank a set of items by dragging and dropping them into their preferred order. It is useful for measuring preferences, priorities, or perceived importance.

The respondent sees a vertical list of items, each with a drag handle. Items can be reordered by dragging them up or down. The final order is recorded when the respondent proceeds to the next step.

Configuration:

  • Define the answer options (items) that the respondent will rank, just as you would for a radio or checkbox question.
  • Shuffle: When enabled, the order of items is randomized each time the question is presented to a new respondent. This prevents order bias in the results. When disabled (the default), items are presented in the order defined by the researcher.

3.31 Top N Ranking (Click-to-rank)

This question type allows the respondent to select and rank their top N options from a list by clicking them in order of preference. Unlike the full Ranking question (which requires ordering all items), the Top N Ranking only asks for a limited number of selections.

The respondent sees a list of options displayed as clickable cards. Clicking an option assigns it the next available position (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.). The position badge appears automatically on the card. To change a selection, the respondent can click the remove button on a selected option, which deselects it and automatically renumbers the remaining selections.

This question type is ideal when researchers want respondents to identify their top preferences without having to rank every single option in the list (e.g., "Select your top 3 preferred modes of transport from the following 7 options").

Configuration:

  • Number of positions to select (N): How many options the respondent must select and rank (e.g., 3 means "pick your top 3").
  • Shuffle: When enabled, the order of options is randomized for each respondent to prevent order bias.
  • Custom instruction text: An optional custom instruction message shown above the options. If left empty, a default instruction is displayed (e.g., "Click the options in order of preference. Select 3 options.").
  • Show selection summary: When enabled, a summary bar is shown below the options displaying the current selections (e.g., "Selected: 2/3 — 1st Bus, 2nd Bicycle").

Visual behavior:

  • The component automatically adapts its colors (borders, selection highlights, badges) to match the active survey theme (orange, blue, or green).
  • On mobile devices (screen width below 768px), the component adjusts padding, font sizes, and badge sizes for a comfortable touch experience.
  • If the respondent navigates back to a previously answered Top N Ranking question, their previous selections are fully restored in the correct order.
  • If a network or server error occurs when submitting, a user-friendly localized error message is displayed and the respondent can retry.

Data export:

In the Excel/CSV export, one column is created per option. The value in each column is the position number (1, 2, 3...) if the option was selected, or empty if it was not selected.

3.31bis Hierarchical Configurator

This question type drives a cascading single-select widget from a JSON tree the researcher defines. Each level shows the children of whatever the respondent picked at the previous level — for example "configure your car": Brand → Model → Color → free-text comment. The same widget serves any hierarchy: country/region/city, plant/family/variety, etc. Tree depth is unbounded — it is whatever the JSON contains.

The respondent sees one dropdown at a time; picking an option reveals the next level until reaching a leaf. Some leaves can be marked in the JSON to additionally ask for a free-text answer (e.g., "Tell us why you chose Red") — that input is shown right after the leaf is selected.

Configuration:

  • Instruction text (optional): a short message shown above the cascading widget.
  • Require respondents to reach a leaf: when enabled (default) the answer is only accepted once the respondent has navigated to a leaf node. Disable to accept partial answers (the user can stop at any depth).
  • Tree definition (JSON): the cascade is defined as a JSON object pasted in a textarea. Click Validate to check the structure — on success, the textarea is replaced by the canonical version with stable IDs assigned automatically, and a status line shows a summary (number of nodes, leaves, max depth). The canonical JSON is what gets saved when you click Save on the question.

JSON shape:

{
  "rootPrompt": "Configure your car",
  "tree": [
    { "label": "Ford",
      "children": [
        { "label": "Mustang",
          "children": [
            { "label": "Red", "freeInput": { "prompt": "Tell us why" } },
            { "label": "Black" }
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    { "label": "Toyota", "children": [ { "label": "Corolla" } ] }
  ]
}

Rules: - Each node needs a label (non-empty string). - A non-leaf node has a non-empty children array. - A leaf may carry "freeInput": true or "freeInput": { "prompt": "..." } to ask for a free-text answer at the bottom of the path. - IDs are optional; they get assigned automatically (slug of the label) when you click Validate, so subsequent label edits stay backwards-compatible with already-collected answers.

Visual behavior:

  • One dropdown is rendered per visited level; deeper levels appear progressively as the respondent picks. Changing a higher-level pick wipes deeper picks and re-projects the cascade cleanly.
  • When the respondent navigates back to a previously answered configurator question, the path is fully restored — every dropdown shows the previously picked option, and the free input value (if any) is pre-filled.

Data export:

In the Excel/CSV export, the question contributes a fixed set of columns derived from the tree's max depth: - P{n}_level_1, P{n}_level_2, …, P{n}_level_{maxDepth} — the label picked at each level (empty if the respondent stopped earlier). - P{n}_freeInput — the free text typed at the leaf (empty if the leaf did not request it). - P{n}_path — the full path joined with " > " (e.g. "Ford > Mustang > Red") for analytic convenience.

3.32 Heat Map (Click-on-image)

This question type displays an image to the respondent and asks them to click on the areas that catch their attention or interest. Each click is recorded as a coordinate (X%, Y%) relative to the image, making the data fully responsive and independent of screen size.

This is commonly used in advertising research, packaging design evaluation, website usability studies, and any context where researchers want to understand which visual elements attract the most attention.

Configuration:

  • Maximum clicks per respondent: The number of clicks the respondent must place on the image (e.g., 5). The respondent must place exactly this number of clicks before they can proceed to the next step.
  • Upload Image: The image that will be displayed to the respondent. Supported formats: JPG, PNG. The image is stored in the survey's image directory and served responsively.

Respondent experience:

  • The image is displayed with a crosshair cursor. The respondent clicks on the areas of interest.
  • Each click places a numbered dot on the image with a red glow effect, showing the order in which areas were clicked (1, 2, 3...).
  • A counter below the image shows the current number of clicks out of the maximum allowed (e.g., "Clicks: 3 / 5").
  • Two buttons are available: Undo last (removes the most recent click) and Reset all (clears all clicks to start over).
  • When the maximum number of clicks is reached, the counter displays a "(max)" indicator. If the respondent tries to click again, the info bar flashes red for 2 seconds as a visual reminder.
  • On large screens, the image is limited to a maximum width of 800px to prevent small images from appearing pixelated. On smaller screens, it adapts to the viewport width.
  • All UI labels (Clicks, Undo last, Reset all, max) are fully localized in all 14 supported languages.

Zone Definition:

Researchers can define rectangular zones on the image to analyze click distribution by region. This is useful for comparing attention across different visual elements (e.g., product logo vs. price tag vs. brand name).

To define zones, click the Define Zones button in the question configuration panel. This opens a fullscreen editor with:

  • The image displayed at large size on the left, and a zone list sidebar on the right.
  • Click Draw Zone, then click and drag on the image to draw a rectangle. After releasing, a form appears in the sidebar asking for the zone name and color.
  • Each zone is assigned a letter prefix automatically (A, B, C...) based on its order in the list.
  • Zones can be edited (name and color) or deleted from the sidebar.
  • Click Save Zones to confirm, or Cancel to discard changes.
  • Press Esc to cancel drawing mode at any time.

A palette of 10 predefined colors is available. Zones can overlap — a click in the intersection of two zones is counted in both.

Zones can be defined or modified at any time, even after collecting responses. The zone-click association is computed dynamically when viewing results, so changes to zones are reflected immediately without affecting stored response data.

Viewing results:

In the question listing, heat map questions display a target icon button. Clicking it opens a dedicated results page with:

  • Stats bar: Total respondents, total clicks, average clicks per user, and max clicks allowed.
  • Heat Map mode: A canvas-based heat overlay on the image using a blue-to-red color gradient. Areas with more clicks appear in warmer colors (red/yellow), while less-clicked areas appear in cooler colors (blue/green). An intensity slider allows adjusting the overlay opacity.
  • Click Dots mode: Shows individual click points as red dots on the image, giving a raw view of all click positions.
  • Zones mode (only visible if zones are defined): Shows the zone rectangles overlaid on the image with their labels, plus all click dots. Below the image, a statistics table displays:
Column Description
Zone Zone letter and name (e.g., "A: Product Logo")
Clicks Number of clicks within the zone
% of Total Percentage of total clicks falling in this zone
Unique Users Number of distinct respondents who clicked in this zone, with percentage of total respondents
Distribution Visual bar proportional to the click count

An "Other areas" row shows clicks that fall outside all defined zones. Zones are sorted by click count (highest first). If zones overlap, a click in the intersection is counted in both zones, so percentages may sum to more than 100%.

  • A color legend bar (Low to High) is displayed below the image in Heat Map mode.

Data export:

The Excel report includes a dedicated "Heatmap Information" tab with the following columns:

Column Description
Number of survey The survey identifier
Id. Survey The respondent number
Id. Question The question identifier (e.g., P2)
Click number The sequential click number (1, 2, 3...)
X (%) The horizontal coordinate as a percentage (0-100)
Y (%) The vertical coordinate as a percentage (0-100)
Zone The zone(s) the click belongs to (e.g., "A: Product Logo"), or "Other areas" if outside all zones. If zones overlap, multiple zones are listed comma-separated. Empty if no zones are defined.

Each click generates one row, so a respondent with 5 clicks produces 5 rows in this tab.

Q Model

Q Model has its own dedicated page: see Q Model for the full documentation.

Implicit Association Test (IAT)

Implicit Association Test (IAT) has its own dedicated page: see Implicit Association Test (IAT) for the full documentation.

Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)

Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) has its own dedicated page: see Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for the full documentation.

Game Theory Experiments

Game Theory Experiments has its own dedicated page: see Game Theory Experiments for the full documentation.

Factorial vignette experiments

Factorial vignette experiments has its own dedicated page: see Factorial vignette experiments for the full documentation.