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To use Qualtrics, you create a survey project from the Catalog, build questions in the Survey tab, preview the result, click Publish, send the survey from the Distributions tab, and review responses in Data & Analysis. The step most new users miss is that edits save automatically but do not go live until you publish them. This guide walks through each stage using the interface terms from Qualtrics’ own documentation, then adds the research-specific choices (anonymous link or personal links, which tool for which data) that generic tutorials skip.
What Qualtrics is
Qualtrics is a web-based survey and experience-management platform. Researchers use it to build online questionnaires, send them to participants and export the responses for analysis. Survey projects are created inside an XM category such as CoreXM, and the category cannot be changed once the project exists.
Who runs it and how you get access
Qualtrics is a commercial product run by Qualtrics. Many universities license it for their members and publish their own sign-in address, so the place to find the sign-in is your institution’s IT or research-computing page, not a generic Qualtrics home page. Check with your institution before building a project, because who owns the project and the data depends on whose account you use.
How to use Qualtrics: build, preview, publish, distribute
These steps follow Qualtrics’ documentation on creating a project, the Survey module and Distributions (checked 2026-10-29; see Sources).
1. Create a blank survey project
- Click the global navigation in the top-left, next to the XM logo, and select Catalog. You can also click Create project on the Projects page or Create a new project on the homepage.
- Choose CoreXM (or the XM category your licence offers).
- Under Projects from scratch, click Survey, then Get started.
- Enter a Name, choose Create a blank survey project and click Create project.
You land in the Survey tab. New projects are placed in the “Uncategorized” folder by default and can be moved later. Qualtrics states that surveys cannot be larger than 16MB; you can check the size by exporting the survey as a QSF file.
2. Add questions in the Survey tab
The Survey tab opens the Survey Builder, where you create questions, set the survey flow and configure settings. Every survey starts with one block, the “Default Question Block”, containing a default multiple-choice question. Click Add new question to add to a block, or hover over an existing question and click the plus sign to add one above or below it. The Survey module’s other headings are Block Basics, Survey Flow, Look and Feel, Survey Options and Tools.
3. Preview on computer and mobile
Use Preview to test the survey as respondents will see it, in both computer and mobile views. Do this before distributing anything, and test every branch of your flow, not only the first path.
4. Publish
Edits save automatically, but they are not live until you click Publish. Earlier published versions can be restored. Treat Publish as the release step: if you change a question after collecting responses, the respondents see the change only after you publish again, so decide with your protocol whether mid-study edits are acceptable. The guide to closing a survey on Qualtrics covers the end of the lifecycle.
5. Distribute from the Distributions tab
Qualtrics’ Distributions overview lists these methods:
- Email, sent through the Qualtrics mailer with personal links.
- Web, including the Anonymous Link and website feedback intercepts.
- Mobile, including SMS, the Offline App, QR codes and the Mobile App SDK.
- Online panels and social media distributions.
The Distribution Summary lets you monitor collection metrics. Qualtrics’ getting-started page notes that email, SMS and some other routes may need a contact list first, while a single anonymous link does not.
6. Review and export in Data & Analysis
The Data & Analysis tab is where you view, edit and export responses. The Results tab provides a dashboard, and the Reports tab produces PDF reports. An optional Workflows tab handles automated actions.
Where each tab fits
| Tab | What you do there |
|---|---|
| Survey | Create questions, set flow, configure settings, preview, publish |
| Workflows | Optional automated actions around the project |
| Distributions | Send by email, SMS or an anonymous link; monitor the Distribution Summary |
| Data & Analysis | View, edit and export responses |
| Results | Dashboard of results |
| Reports | PDF reports |
Choosing an anonymous link or personal links for research
The distribution method is a study-design decision, not just a convenience. An anonymous link needs no contact list, which suits a public call for participants. Email with personal links ties each invitation to a contact, which suits a known sample you need to track or remind. Which one your study may use is set by your ethics approval and consent process, so confirm it there before you send. For reporting an online survey study, the CHERRIES checklist for internet e-surveys lists what to describe about recruitment, administration and data handling.
Strengths and limits
- Strengths: one project covers building, distribution, response review and reporting; preview in computer and mobile views; restorable versions; several distribution routes including online panels.
- Limits: the 16MB survey size cap; the XM category cannot be changed after creation; changes do not reach respondents until published; for longitudinal event grids, 21 CFR Part 11 electronic consent signatures or EHR integration via FHIR, see REDCap in the table below.
Alternatives
| Tool | Notes |
|---|---|
| REDCap | Native longitudinal event grids, 21 CFR Part 11 electronic consent signatures and EHR integration via FHIR (CDIS) |
| SurveyMonkey | HIPAA compliance and a business associate agreement are available on the Enterprise tier only; publishes IRB-specific guidance |
| Google Forms | Many university IRB guidance documents caution against it for identifiable or sensitive human-subjects data; this is institution-specific guidance, not a universal rule |
For a full side-by-side, see the comparison of Qualtrics, REDCap, SurveyMonkey and Google Forms for academic research. If your survey collects health information, read HIPAA-compliant form builders before choosing a tool.
FAQ
Do I need to publish a Qualtrics survey before sending it?
Yes. Edits save automatically, but they are not live until you click Publish.
Can I test a survey before participants see it?
Yes. Use Preview to see the survey as respondents do, in computer and mobile views.
How do I send a survey without a contact list?
Use a single anonymous link from the Distributions tab. Email and SMS routes may need a contact list first.
Where do I find my responses?
In the Data & Analysis tab, where you can view, edit and export them.
Is there a size limit on a survey?
Qualtrics states that surveys cannot be larger than 16MB. Export the survey as a QSF file to check its size.
Where is the sign-in page?
Institutions that license Qualtrics provide their own sign-in address; look on your IT or research-computing pages.
Sources
- Qualtrics Support, Creating a Project, checked 2026-10-29.
- Qualtrics Support, Survey Module Overview, checked 2026-10-29.
- Qualtrics Support, Distributions Overview, checked 2026-10-29.
- Qualtrics University, Getting Started, checked 2026-10-29.
