LimeSurvey Manual

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General

Main Chapters:

• Installation - LimeSurvey CE
• Getting started
• Administering LimeSurvey
• Surveys - introduction
• Surveys - management
• Not categorized and advanced features
• General FAQ
• How to design a good survey (guide)
• Workarounds
• License
• Version change log
• Plugins - advanced

LimeSurvey allows users to quickly create intuitive, powerful, online question and answer surveys that can work for tens to thousands of participants without much effort. The survey software itself is self-guiding for the respondents who are participating. This manual is thus focused on how to install the application, administer the installation, and support survey creators, administrators and report generation users alike.

There has been a big ramp-up in development within the last few years leading to many new features and changes. Make sure to upgrade to the latest version to make use of the capabilities highlighted here.

Look to the far right for the main chapters of the manual. Otherwise, scroll down further to see the complete table of contents here and go directly to the topic you are interested in.

Still having trouble finding what you want? Don't forget the general search box (upper right corner of the wiki), our General FAQ and Workarounds list. If you are looking for community help, join our discussion forums and check the IRC channel.

Remember that LimeSurvey is an open source, free software application. See something missing or incorrect? Then help us fix it. This documentation is a Wiki that can be edited by you or anyone else. Or donate to help support the core development group trying to make a difference.

Manual - table of contents

• LimeSurvey PRO vs LimeSurvey CE
  • What do I need?
• How to design a good survey (guide)
  • Quick start guide - LimeSurvey 2.50+
  • Quick start guide - LimeSurvey 3.0+

• Installation - LimeSurvey CE
  • Optional settings
  • Upgrading from a previous version
    • ComfortUpdate
  • Installation using a command line interface (CLI)
  • Transferring an installation
  • Installation FAQ
    • Installation security hints
    • Localization
• Getting started
  • First login - your user preferences
• Administering LimeSurvey
  • Settings tab
    • Home page settings
    • Global settings
    • Plugin manager
    • Menu configuration ^{(New in 3.0 )}
    • Menu entries configuration ^{(New in 3.0 )}
  • Users tab
    • Manage users
    • Manage user groups
    • Central Participant Database (CPDB)
  • Advanced tab
    • Theme editor (LimeSurvey 2.x)
      • New Template System in LS3.x
      • Themes
    • Label sets
    • Check data integrity
    • Backup entire database
    • ComfortUpdate

• Surveys - introduction
  • Create a survey
    • Import a survey
    • Copy a survey
  • Survey settings
    • Overview
    • General settings
    • Text elements
    • Data policy settings
    • Theme options
    • Presentation
    • Participant settings (was Participant tokens)
    • Notifications & data
    • Publication & access
  • Survey menu
    • List questions
    • List question groups
    • Reorder questions and question groups
    • Survey participants (was Tokens)
      • Email bounce tracking system
    • Quotas
    • Assessments
    • Survey permissions
    • Email templates
      • Email placeholders
    • Panel integration
    • Resources
    • Plugin menu
  • Survey structure
  • Question groups - introduction
    • Question group toolbar options
    • Preview question group
    • Change group order
  • Questions - introduction
    • Question types
      • Question type - Array
      • Question type - Array by column
      • Question type - Array dual scale
      • Question type - Array (5 point choice)
      • Question type - Array (10 point choice)
      • Question type - Array (Increase-Same-Decrease)
      • Question type - Array (Numbers)
      • Question type - Array (Texts)
      • Question type - Array (Yes-No-Uncertain)
      • Question type - Date
      • Question type - Equation
      • Question type - File upload
      • Question type - Gender
      • Question type - Language switch
      • Question type - Numerical input
      • Question type - Multiple numerical input
      • Question type - Ranking
      • Question type - Text display
      • Question type - Yes-No
      • Question type - Multiple choice
      • Question type - Multiple choice with comments
      • Question type - 5 point choice
      • Question type - List (Dropdown)
      • Question type - List (Radio)
      • Question type - List with comment
      • Question type - Short free text
        • Set up maps and store location
      • Question type - Long free text
      • Question type - Huge free text
      • Question type - Multiple short text
    • Change question order
    • Question toolbar options
      • Preview function
      • Edit question
      • Check question logic
      • Delete question
      • Export question
      • Copy question
      • Setting conditions
      • Adding answers or subquestions
      • Default answers
  • ExpressionScript Engine - Quick start guide
    • ExpressionScript - presentation
    • ExpressionScript How-tos
    • ExpressionScript examples
    • ExpressionScript Engine roadmap
    • ExpressionScript for developers
    • ExpressionScript sample surveys
      • Expression Manager - old page with full documentation
  • Show logic file
• Survey toolbar options
  • Testing a survey
  • Activating a survey
  • Running a survey safely
    • Changing an active survey
  • Closing a survey
  • Iterate survey
  • Tools
    • Delete survey
    • Quick-translation
    • Reset conditions
    • Survey logic file
    • Regenerate question codes
  • Display/Export survey
    • QueXML PDF Export
    • Tab Separated Value survey structure
  • Survey participants
  • Responses (survey results)
    • Responses & statistics
      • Response summary
      • Responses
      • Data entry
      • Statistics
        • Statistics - expert mode
        • Statistics - simple mode
      • Timing statistics
      • Export responses
      • Import responses
        • Problems & solutions
      • View saved but not submitted responses
      • Iterate survey
      • Batch deletion
    • Data entry
    • Partial (saved) responses
• Multilingual survey
• Not categorized and advanced features
  • SGQA identifier
  • Using regular expressions
  • URL fields
  • RemoteControl 2 API
  • Data encryption
• General FAQ
• Troubleshooting
• Workarounds
  • Workarounds: Question design, layout and templating
  • Workarounds: Manipulating a survey at runtime using Javascript
  • Workarounds: Survey behaviour
  • Workarounds: Further solutions provided by LimeSurvey users
• License
• Version change log
• Plugins - advanced
  • Available third party plugins

LimeSurvey development

• Version guide - A short guide on version numbering
• Development overview - General pages about LimeSurvey development
• LimeSurvey 2.x development documentation
• New Template System in LS3.x - Quick overview of the novelties of the LimeSurvey 3 template system

Translating LimeSurvey

If you want to add new translations or correct a translation please follow these instructions:

• How to translate LimeSurvey
• LimeSurvey manual translation - summary

Semester of Code participation

• Semester of Code 2014

Google Summer of Code / Code-In participation

• Project ideas for GSoC 2015
• Project Ideas for GSoC 2013
• LimeSurvey Google Code-in 2012
• LimeSurvey Google Code-in 2011
• LimeSurvey GSoC 2011/GSoC getting started
• LimeSurvey GSoC 2010
• LimeSurvey GSoC 2009