Action commands

Action commands let you automate responses based on what respondents have already told you—or based on system variables and conditions you specify. Think of them as your survey’s autopilot: they work behind the scenes to capture data without asking respondents to lift a finger. These questions are typically hidden from view in live surveys.

You’ll know a question has an Action Command attached when you see a yellow scroll symbol next to it in the flowchart (Survey Editor (Legacy)), or an amber bolt icon on its card (Survey Editor (Beta)).

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Available action commands

Action Commands work with Single, Multi, Verbatim, Verbatims, and Grid question types. The commands available to you depend on which question type you’re working with—here’s the full lineup:

Command	Description
COMBINE	Combines the answers of two or more identical questions into a single question
CONCATENATE	Concatenates the answers from two or more questions into a single string
DATEDIFF	Calculates the amount of time lapsed between two date questions
DATEPART	Enables the automatic capture of specific information based on a date variable
GET	Inserts the value of another single response or verbatim variable into a new question
MATHS	Handles basic mathematical operations within a question
QUERY	Queries an external database using SQL-style syntax
QUERYAPI	Connects to and queries an external API to insert a response
QUERYDS	Queries a datastore in the same subaccount as the survey
RANDOM	Enters a value at random based on specified minimum and maximum values
RECODE	Enters values based on specified rules
SET	Enters specified values into the question, without conditions
TRANSLATE	Translates a variable value into a specified language

In Survey Editor (Beta), the Command Type list only shows the commands that work on the selected question type:

Question type	Commands offered in Survey Editor (Beta)
Single, Verbatim, Verbatims	DATEDIFF, DATEPART, MATHS, QUERY, QUERYAPI, QUERYDS, GET, RANDOM, RECODE, SET, COMBINE, CONCATENATE, TRANSLATE
Multi	RECODE, SET, COMBINE
Grid	COMBINE, RECODE

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Set up action command

Ready to add an Action Command? Here’s how:

Survey Editor (Legacy)

1. Add a Single, Multi, Verbatim, or Verbatims question to your survey flowchart
2. Open the question’s menu
3. Select Action Command
4. In the Action Command dialogue box, select your Command Type
5. Enter the action command syntax in the box. Remember to preface all question references with an @ symbol (e.g., @Q1). If you need multiple commands, place each one on a separate line with a comma at the end.
6. Click OK

Survey Editor (Beta)

1. Add a Single, Multi, Verbatim, Verbatims or Grid question to your survey flowchart
2. Click the more icon (⋮) on the question’s card and select Action Command
3. In Command Type, select the command
4. Set up the command:
   • Builder tab: fill in the fields. The builder writes the syntax for you, and shows a preview. DATEDIFF, DATEPART, GET, RANDOM, SET, TRANSLATE, COMBINE, CONCATENATE, MATHS and RECODE have a builder.
   • Syntax tab: type the command, as shown in the syntax examples on this page. Click Copy to copy it, or Revert to undo your changes.
5. Check any notes shown in the dialog. Red notes are errors that stop you saving. Many notes have a button that fixes the problem for you.
6. Click OK, then save the survey

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Check action command

To test your action command, preview the survey and verify it’s working as intended. Once you’re satisfied, check the Hide property so respondents won’t see the question.

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Remove action command

To remove an Action Command:

Survey Editor (Legacy)

1. Open the question’s menu
2. Select Action Command
3. Delete the action command syntax
4. Click OK

The scroll symbol should no longer appear next to the object in the flowchart.

Survey Editor (Beta)

1. Click the more icon (⋮) on the question’s card and select Action Command
2. Click Remove
3. Click Remove again to confirm
4. Save the survey

The bolt icon should no longer appear on the question’s card.

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COMBINE

The COMBINE Action Command merges answers from two or more identical questions into a single question. Here’s a real-world example: imagine you’ve created two versions of the same question—one optimized for mobile, another for desktop. You can filter each by browser type, then use COMBINE to bring those answers together in a third (unfiltered) question.

The source and target variables must be identical in terms of question type and answer codes (though the question format and text can differ). Also important: source questions must be mutually exclusive—meaning any single respondent should only have answered one of them.

COMBINE Action Commands can be applied to Single, Multi, Verbatim, Verbatims, and Grid questions.

Setting up a COMBINE action command

To set up a question to combine the answers to two or more questions:

1. Add a Grid Multi question to the survey flowchart, and enter the answers into the Quick Update Box. Alternatively, duplicate one of the source questions, making sure to edit question filters as required. The answer codes in all questions must match, but the answer labels do not need to be the same.
2. Open the question’s menu
3. Select Action Command
4. In the Action Command dialogue box, select COMBINE in Command Type
5. Enter the variables to be combined, prefaced with an @
6. Click OK

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CONCATENATE

The CONCATENATE Action Command joins answers from two or more questions into a single text string. Think of it as stitching together multiple responses into one cohesive piece of data.

CONCATENATE Action Commands can be applied to Single, Verbatim, and Verbatims questions.

Setting up a CONCATENATE action command

1. Add a question to your survey flowchart and enter the answers in the Quick Update Box (if applicable)
2. Open the question’s menu
3. Select Action Command
4. In the Action Command dialogue box, select CONCATENATE in Command Type
5. Enter the variables to be concatenated, prefaced with an @ and separated by | (pipe)
6. Click OK

Concatenate syntax

Target Variable	Concatenate	Explanation
Verbatim	@Q1|@Q2	Inserts a text string concatenating the answers to Q1 and Q2, with no space between each
Verbatim	@Q1 |@Q2	Inserts a text string concatenating the answers to Q1 and Q2, with a space between each

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DATEDIFF

The DATEDIFF Action Command calculates the time elapsed between two date questions. Whether you need to know how many days passed between a shop visit and the survey completion, or the hours between two events, this command does the math for you.

DATEDIFF Action Commands can be applied to Single, Verbatim, and Verbatims questions.

Setting up a DATEDIFF action command

1. Add a question to your survey flowchart and enter the answers in the Quick Update Box (if applicable)
2. Open the question’s menu
3. Select Action Command
4. In the Action Command dialogue box, select DATEDIFF in Command Type
5. Enter the Datepart (the unit of measurement), followed by the questions containing the beginning and end dates (prefaced with an @)
6. Click OK

Datediff syntax

DATEDIFF: {DATEPART},@STARTDATE,@ENDDATE

The result is the first date minus the second, so it’s negative when the first date is earlier. A date without a time counts from midnight.

Target Variable	Datediff	Explanation
Verbatim	DAY, @SurveyEntryStartDateTime, @ShopDate	Inserts the number of lapsed days between the ShopDate and the time at which the respondent completed the survey
Verbatim	HOUR, @SurveyEntryStartDateTime, @ShopDate	Inserts the number of lapsed hours between the ShopDate and the time at which the respondent completed the survey

Datediff datepart options

Datepart	Description
MILLISECOND	Number of milliseconds elapsed
SECOND	Number of seconds elapsed
MINUTE	Number of minutes elapsed
HOUR	Number of hours elapsed
DAY	Number of days elapsed
WEEK	Number of weeks elapsed
DAYOFYEAR	Gives the same result as DAY
MONTH	Number of months elapsed
QUARTER	Number of quarters elapsed. The result has the wrong sign, so use MONTH instead.
YEAR	Number of years elapsed

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DATEPART

The DATEPART Action Command automatically captures specific information from a date variable. The date might come directly from the survey (like a respondent’s date of birth) or from a system variable (like SurveyEntryStartDateTime, which records when the survey began).

DATEPART Action Commands can be applied to Single, Verbatim, and Verbatims questions.

Setting up a DATEPART action command

1. Add a question to your survey flowchart and enter the answers in the Quick Update Box (if applicable)
2. Open the question’s menu
3. Select Action Command
4. In the Action Command dialogue box, select DATEPART in Command Type
5. Enter the Datepart (the unit of measurement), followed by the question containing the date (prefaced with an @)
6. Click OK

Datepart syntax

Target Variable	Datepart	Explanation
Verbatim	MONTHNAME,@SurveyEntryStartDateTime	Inputs the name of the month from the survey start date

Datepart options

The following datepart options are available. Example results are based on @SurveyEntryStartDateTime = Dec 11 2021 1:28PM.

Command	Example Result	Explanation
AGE,@DOB	43	Respondent was 43 years of age at the time of the survey
WEEKDAY,@SurveyEntryStartDateTime	Saturday	Survey was started on a Saturday
DAY,@SurveyEntryStartDateTime	11	Survey was started on the 11th
MONTH,@SurveyEntryStartDateTime	12	Survey was started on the 12th month
MONTHNAME,@SurveyEntryStartDateTime	December	Survey was started in December
MONTHNAME_SHORT,@SurveyEntryStartDateTime	Dec	Survey was started in December
YEAR,@SurveyEntryStartDateTime	2021	Survey was started in 2021
YEAR_SHORT,@SurveyEntryStartDateTime	21	Survey was started in 2021
TIMEOFDAY,@SurveyEntryStartDateTime	afternoon	Survey was started after midday, and before 6pm
TIMEOFDAY_FULL,@SurveyEntryStartDateTime	afternoon	Returns the full time-of-day label
HOUR,@SurveyEntryStartDateTime	01	Survey was started after 1 o’clock (and before 2)
HOUR24,@SurveyEntryStartDateTime	13	Survey was started after 1pm (and before 2pm)

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GET

The GET Action Command pulls the value from another variable and inserts it into a new question. It’s perfect for capturing system data or referencing earlier responses.

GET Action Commands can be applied to Single, Verbatim, and Verbatims questions.

Setting up a GET action command

1. Add a question to your survey flowchart and enter the answers in the Quick Update Box (if applicable)
2. Open the question’s menu
3. Select Action Command
4. In the Action Command dialogue box, select GET in Command Type
5. Enter the variable to be inserted, prefaced with an @
6. Click OK

Get syntax

Target Variable	Get	Explanation
Verbatim	@CurrentDate	Inserts a time stamp into the question
Single	@LoopDriver1_CurrentAnswer	Inserts the code selected in the current loop iteration
Single	@LoopDriver1_Current	Inserts the loop iteration
Verbatim	@URL	Inserts the Survey URL into the question

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MATHS

The MATHS Action Command handles basic mathematical operations within a question. Keep in mind it’s limited to 2 variables max—if you need to calculate with more, the RECODE Action Command is your better option.

MATHS Action Commands can be applied to Single, Verbatim, and Verbatims questions.

Setting up a MATHS action command

To set up a Maths Action Command:

1. Add a question to the survey flowchart, and enter the answers into the Quick Update Box where appropriate
2. Open the question’s menu
3. Select Action Command
4. In the Action Command dialogue box, select MATHS in Command Type
5. Enter the desired command (see examples below)
6. Click OK

Maths syntax

MATHS: {OPERATION},{value},@VariableName

This stores the result of @VariableName OPERATION {value}. Either can be a number or a question. Include all three parts: without the question, nothing is stored.

Operation	What it does
ADD	Adds the value to the question’s answer. With a date, adds that many seconds.
SUBTRACT	Subtracts the value. With a date, subtracts that many seconds.
MULTIPLY	Multiplies by the value
DIVISION	Divides by the value
MODULUS	The remainder after dividing by the value

Any other operation is treated as ADD. If both parts are dates with times, the result is the number of seconds between them.

Target Variable	Maths	Explanation
Single - numeric	Division,100,@Q3	Divides the response given to Q3 by 100
Single - numeric	SUBTRACT,5,@Q1	Subtracts 5 from the response given to Q1

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QUERY

The QUERY Action Command connects to and queries an external database using SQL-style syntax. Survey question codes can be referenced in the WHERE clause to filter results based on respondent answers.

QUERY Action Commands can be applied to Single, Verbatim, and Verbatims questions.

Need help with this?

QUERY requires backend database configuration. Please contact support for assistance with setting up QUERY Action Commands.

Query syntax

SELECT {RESULT} FROM {TABLE} WHERE FIELD=@FIELD

Parameter	Description
{RESULT}	The column or value to return from the database
{TABLE}	The table to query
FIELD=@FIELD	Filter condition — @FIELD is a survey question code whose value is used in the query

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QUERYAPI

The QUERYAPI Action Command calls an external GET API and inserts the response into the question. The URL can include survey field code values, letting you pass respondent answers as parameters.

QUERYAPI Action Commands can be applied to Single, Verbatim, and Verbatims questions.

QueryAPI syntax

QUERYAPI: {URL}

Parameter	Description
{URL}	A full URL to a GET API endpoint. Can include survey field code values (e.g., https://api.example.com/lookup?id=@StoreCode)

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QUERYDS

The QUERYDS Action Command queries a datastore within the same subaccount as the survey and returns the first row that matches the filter criteria. It’s useful for looking up reference data — such as store details, location information, or any other data held in a datastore — based on a respondent’s answer.

QUERYDS Action Commands can be applied to Single, Verbatim, and Verbatims questions.

QueryDS syntax

QUERYDS: {DataStoreGUID},{ColumnName},{Filter}

Parameter	Description
{DataStoreGUID}	The GUID of the target datastore. Must be in the same subaccount as the survey.
{ColumnName}	The name of the column in the datastore to return
{Filter}	A filter expression to identify the row to return. Reference survey question codes with @. The first matching row is returned.

QueryDS examples

Target Variable	QUERYDS	Explanation
Verbatim	abc123-guid,StoreName,storeid=@storeid	Looks up the StoreName column in the datastore where storeid matches the respondent’s @storeid answer
Verbatim	abc123-guid,Region,postcode=@Q1	Returns the Region value from the datastore where postcode matches the answer to Q1

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RANDOM

The RANDOM Action Command generates a random value within the minimum and maximum range you specify. Perfect for randomization tasks or when you need to assign random values.

RANDOM Action Commands can be applied to Single, Verbatim, and Verbatims questions.

Setting up a RANDOM action command

To set up a Random Action Command:

1. Add a question to the survey flowchart, and enter the answers into the Quick Update Box where appropriate
2. Open the question’s menu
3. Select Action Command
4. In the Action Command dialogue box, select RANDOM in Command Type
5. Enter the minimum and maximum values
6. Click OK

Random syntax

RANDOM: {MIN},{MAX}

Parameter	Description
{MIN}	Minimum value (can be a literal number or a survey variable prefaced with @)
{MAX}	Maximum value (can be a literal number or a survey variable prefaced with @)

RANDOM stores a whole number from MIN to MAX, including MIN and MAX.

No result type

RANDOM takes two arguments only. If you add a third (such as Float, Int or Char), RANDOM stores nothing.

Target Variable	Random	Explanation
Single	1,5	Randomly selects one integer answer code between 1 and 5
Single - numeric	7500,12500	Randomly selects an integer between 7500 and 12500

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RECODE

The RECODE Action Command automatically enters values based on rules you specify. These rules can reference a previous survey question, a global survey variable, or be unconditional—you’ve got flexibility here.

RECODE Action Commands can be applied to Single, Multi, Verbatim, Verbatims, and Grid questions.

Setting up a RECODE action command

To set up a Recode:

1. Depending on the data structure required for the recoded variable (the target question), add a Single, Multi, Verbatim, or Verbatims question to the survey flowchart and enter the answers into the Quick Update Box where required

   Data Structure Required	Single	Multi	Verbatim	Verbatims
   Text/string?	-	-	Y	Y
   Numeric?	Y	-	-	Y
   Coded data?	Y	Y	-	-
   More than 1 possible answer?	-	Y	-	Y

2. Open the question’s menu

3. Select Action Command

4. In the Action Command dialogue box, select RECODE in Command Type

5. Enter the action command syntax in the box, using the syntax examples below as your guide. Remember to preface all question references with an @ symbol (e.g., @Q1). If you need multiple commands, place each one on a separate line with a comma at the end.

6. Click OK

RECODE syntax

Recode rules use Boolean logic. You’ll specify the clause as the value of the source question—when that’s true, it recodes to your specified value. You can also define what happens when the clause is false. If you don’t specify an “else” value, the recode will result in nulls for cases where the clause isn’t true. Separate multiple clauses with commas.

The syntax you need depends on two things:

1. The question type of the variable that the recode rules will be based on (the source question)
2. The data structure required for the recoded variable (the target question)

Simple recodes

Source Variable/s	Target Variable	Recode
Single (Q1)	Single	WHEN @Q1=1 THEN 4 END, WHEN @Q1=2 THEN 5 END,
Single (Q1)	Multi	WHEN @Q1=1 THEN 4|1 ELSE 4|0 END, WHEN @Q1=2 THEN 5|1 ELSE 5|0 END,
Multi (Q1)	Multi	WHEN @Q1_1=1 THEN 4|1 ELSE 4|0 END, WHEN @Q1_2=1 THEN 5|1 ELSE 5|0 END,
Single (Q1)	Verbatim	WHEN @Q1=1 THEN 'Male' END, WHEN @Q1=2 THEN 'Female' END,
Multi (Q1)	Verbatim	WHEN @Q1_5=1 THEN 'Fifth answer selected in Q1' END,
Single - numeric (Q1)	Single	WHEN @Q1<18 THEN 1 END, WHEN @Q1>=18 THEN 2 END,
Verbatim - text (Q1)	Single	WHEN @Q1='Male' THEN 1 END, WHEN @Q1='Female' THEN 2 END,
Single Response Grid (Q1)	Verbatim	WHEN @Q1_1<5 THEN 'Less than 5 in first grid item' END,
Single (Q1 & Q1RANDOM)	Single	WHEN @Q1=4 then @Q1RANDOM else @Q1 end,
Verbatims	Verbatims	WHEN @Q1_1 is not null THEN 1|@Q1_1 ELSE 1|'No answer' END, WHEN @Q1_2 is not null THEN 2|@Q1_2 ELSE 2|'No answer' END,

Multi condition recodes

Source Variable/s	Target Variable	Recode
Single (Q1), Single (Q2)	Single	WHEN @Q1 = 1 AND (@Q2=1 OR @Q2=2) THEN 8 END
Single (Q1), Multi (Q2)	Single	WHEN @Q1 = 1 AND (@Q2_1=1 OR @Q2_2=1) THEN 8 END

Recoding responses in a defined range

Source Variable/s	Target Variable	Recode
Single - numeric (AGE)	Single	WHEN @AGE>17 AND @AGE<25 THEN 2 END,
Single (NPS)	Single	WHEN @Q5<7 THEN -100 END, WHEN @Q5=7 OR @Q5=8 THEN 0 END, WHEN @Q5>=9 THEN 100 END,

Creating an image reference for display in another question

Source Variable/s	Target Variable	Recode
Single	Verbatim	WHEN @Animal=3 THEN 'tiger.png' END

Concatenating text

Source Variable/s	Target Variable	Recode
Single (Q1), Verbatim (ZooName)	Verbatim	WHEN @Q1=3 THEN 'Which animals did you see at ' + @ZooName + '?' END

Recode based on count of answers

Source Variable/s	Target Variable	Recode
Multi (Q1)	Single	WHEN @Q1_Count>1 THEN 1 ELSE 2 END

Calculating a total in a Multi Numeric question

Source Variable/s	Target Variable	Recode
Verbatims - numeric (Q1)	Single - numeric	WHEN 1=1 THEN @Q1_total END
Verbatims - numeric (Q1)	Single - numeric	WHEN 1=1 THEN (Number(@Q1_1) + Number(@Q1_2) + Number(@Q1_3)) END,

Important when calculating totals

When calculating a total in a recode, use the JavaScript Number function in the Action Command, as shown above. If you skip the Number function, an answer of 0 will cause the responses to be concatenated instead of summed.

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SET

The SET Action Command enters specified values into a question without any conditions. It’s straightforward—you’re just setting a value, no logic required.

SET Action Commands can be applied to Single, Multi, Verbatim, and Verbatims questions.

Setting up a SET action command

To set up a Set Action Command:

1. Depending on the data structure required for the recoded variable (the target question), add a Single, Multi, Verbatim, or Verbatims question to the survey flowchart and enter the answers into the Quick Update Box where required

   Data Structure Required	Single	Multi	Verbatim	Verbatims
   Text/string?	-	-	Y	Y
   Numeric?	Y	-	-	Y
   Coded data?	Y	Y	-	-
   More than 1 possible answer?	-	Y	-	Y

2. Open the question’s menu

3. Select Action Command

4. In the Action Command dialogue box, select SET in Command Type

5. Enter the variables to be set, prefaced with an @

6. Click OK

Set syntax

Target Variable	Set	Explanation
Single - numeric	0.25	Inserts 0.25 into a numeric field
Single	3	Selects answer code 3
Multi	1,1,1	Selects the first three answer codes in a Multi question, based on sort order (if randomised, the first 3 codes in the randomised set will be selected). If there are more than three answers to the question, the remaining answers will contain null values.
Multi	1,1,1,0,0,0	Selects the first three answer codes in a Multi question, based on sort order (if randomised, the first 3 codes in the randomised set will be selected). The remaining three answers will be given a value of 0 to tag them as not selected.

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TRANSLATE

The TRANSLATE Action Command translates the value of a survey variable into a specified language, identified by a supported ISO language code.

TRANSLATE Action Commands can be applied to Single, Verbatim, and Verbatims questions.

Setting up a TRANSLATE action command

1. Add a question to your survey flowchart and enter the answers in the Quick Update Box (if applicable)
2. Open the question’s menu
3. Select Action Command
4. In the Action Command dialogue box, select TRANSLATE in Command Type
5. Enter the variable to translate (prefaced with @) and the target ISO language code, without quotes
6. Click OK

Translate syntax

TRANSLATE: @VariableName,LanguageCode[,isEVE,translatePrompts,useGoogleTranslate,openAIContext]

Parameter	Description
@VariableName	The survey variable whose value should be translated
LanguageCode	A supported ISO language code (e.g., en-au, fr, de). Don’t put it in quotes: a quoted code makes the translation fail.
isEVE	Optional. true if the variable holds an EVE conversation. Default false.
translatePrompts	Optional. For an EVE conversation, true also translates what EVE said. Default true.
useGoogleTranslate	Optional. true uses Google Translate (the default). false uses OpenAI.
openAIContext	Optional. When using OpenAI, a short description of what the text is about. It can’t contain a comma.

In Survey Editor (Beta), the TRANSLATE builder sets these with Variable, Language and More settings. A new command made in the builder uses OpenAI. TRANSLATE only runs on single-answer and text questions.

Translate examples

Target Variable	Translate	Explanation
Verbatim	@Q1,fr	Translates the value of Q1 into French
Verbatim	@OpenEnd,en-au	Translates the value of OpenEnd into Australian English