Sending respondents to a customized web page if they save

You can set up a Snap WebHost survey that allows respondents to save their responses and continue later. They are sent to a default web page when they click [Save]. You can set up your own page (or use your site’s home page) and direct respondents to that instead.

If you have used a database link with a login, respondents can resume by clicking the link in their invitation (or reminder) or logging back into the survey. This means that you can send them to any page you like, (though you might want to remind them about the invitation link if you create a special page).

If respondents are not logged in (whether they click on a link or respond to an email invitation), their invitation will not take them to their own copy of the questionnaire. Snap WebHost can store their partially completed responses, and they can return to them if they know its URL. By default, Snap WebHost sends them to a resume page containing the URL, and a form that allows them to enter an email address that Snap WebHost will email the URL to. You can only change this page by providing Snap WebHost with a different version of it.

Background

You should only direct people to an external page if they have logged in. If they have not logged in, they will not be able to return to their saved responses from an external page.

If you are sending people to an external page, you can make the web page specific to a respondent by including one or more survey variables in it.

You can either:

  • Insert the response to a question as part of a website address
  • Use a derived variable containing multiple website addresses, and choose one dependent on the respondent’s answers to the survey
  • Pass the content of variables to an active web page, for example, to insert a respondent’s name in a message.

Summary of steps

This worksheet explains how to set up a URL that all respondents will go to when they click Save.

Step 1: Putting in the [Save] button
Step 2: Sending people to a fixed page if they click [Save]
Step 3: Publishing and testing the survey

It also provides information for advanced users on tailoring the resume page for non-logged in users

Step 1: Putting in the [Save] button

  1. In Questionnaire mode, click questionnaire properties icon to open the Questionnaire Properties dialog.
  2. Select Buttons icon in the left-hand panel to display the buttons properties.
  3. Select Save in the button list.
    Questionnaire properties - buttons
  4. Select the Use in survey box to add it to the web page.
  5. Change the Text message appropriately. (This text will be displayed if people place the mouse over the button.)You can choose a style for your buttons by clicking [Design]. This will open the Navigation Design dialog where you can change the button colors and design. Click [OK] when you have finished
  6. Click [OK] to save your changes.

Step 2: Sending people to a fixed page if they click [Save]

  1. In Questionnaire mode, click to open the Questionnaire Properties dialog.
  2. Select Replies in the left-hand pane.
    Questionnaire properties - replies
  3. Type the web address into the After Saving: Web Page box. You can include survey variables in your web address. (This is only appropriate if you have a logged in survey.)
  4. Click [OK] to save your changes.

When people click [Save] in the survey on Snap WebHost they will be taken directly to the link you have specified.

Step 3: Publishing and testing the survey

  1. Save the changes to your survey.
  2. Publish your survey by selecting File|Publish or [Ctrl][Shift][W].
  3. Upload your survey to Snap WebHost.
  4. Open the test link and check that [Save] link is working correctly.

Setting up a web page with a resume link for non-logged in respondents (advanced users)

If you wish to use a custom save page for unidentified respondents, you will need to create your own resume.html page. This must be done externally as it is not a feature of Snap. This can link to external resources (such as images and stylesheets) that are available on the internet, but you cannot upload any other files.

You tell Snap WebHost where to place the URL for the partly-completed questionnaire by including the keyword [[:ResumeUrl:]]. (Snap WebHost replaces this with the URL when the web page is displayed.)

If you wish to send an email containing the URL to respondents who enter their email address, you will also need to include a form and instructions to communicate with the Snap WebHost page surveyresume.asp.You will need to

include a form that passes information to the page:

<form action=”surveyresume.asp” method=”post”>

have the following fields in the form:

<input type=”text” id=”email” name=”email” >

<input type=”hidden” name=”surveykey” id=”surveykey”value=”[[:SurveyKey:]]” >

<input type=”hidden” name=”resumeurl” id=”resumeurl” value=”[[:ResumeUrl:]]”>

<input type=”hidden” id=”SnapSession” name=”SnapSession” value=”[[:SessionId:]]” >

include a Submit field

<input id=”submit” name=”submit” type=”submit” value=”Send” >

An example file (resume.html) is available to view along with html source code.

It includes:

  • Some simple style definitions (these can be replaced by a link to an external css somewhere on the internet) [optional]
  • A link to a graphic available on the internet [optional]
  • The [[:ResumeUrl:]] keyword as text and a link
  • A simple form to send the respondent’s email address to Snap WebHost [optional]

Note that Snap WebHost will replace the [[:ResumeUrl:]] keyword when the file is used.

You can produce this file using your preferred HTML editor.

To use a resume.html page you must:

  1. Create the resume.html page, including the [[:ResumeUrl:]] keyword.
  2. Put the [Save] button in your questionnaire
  3. Ensure that the After Saving: Web Page setting in the Replies section of Questionnaire properties is clear.
  4. Publish the survey for Snap WebHost.
  5. Add the resume.html file to the published zip file.
  6. Upload the zip file to Snap WebHost.
  7. Open the test link and check that the page appears correctly with the right link when you click [Save].

Conclusion

This worksheet has described how to direct respondents to a tailored web page when they click [Save] on a Snap WebHost questionnaire.

If you would like to know how Snap WebHost behaves in different circumstances, see the help topic for Partial responses settings.

If you would like some information on putting the contents of variables in the web address, this is covered in the worksheet: Dynamically changing the website address that respondents go to on survey completion.

If you would like to know how to set up Snap WebHost so partial responses are collected, see the help topic: Recovering partial responses.

If there is a topic you would like a worksheet on, email to snapideas@snapsurveys.com