Open-Ended Text

The Open-Ended Text question allows participants to type freely and express their thoughts in their own words. It is used to capture qualitative feedback—including suggestions, complaints, or emotional reflections—without restricting users to predefined options.

Zykrr automatically runs AI-based text analytics on multi-line responses to extract:

  • Key topics and themes
  • Sentiment (positive, negative, neutral)
  • Emotional tone and language cues

Purpose

Use this question type when:

  • You need honest, open-ended feedback
  • You want to understand context behind scores (NPS, CSAT)
  • You want users to describe their experience in their own voice
  • You’re capturing sensitive data like name, email, or location

Configuration Options

Feature Description
Placeholder Text Display guide text inside the box, e.g., “Type your answer here…"
Default Display Text Pre-fill the field with a sample or typical response
Hints Instructional text to clarify what to write
Input Type Choose between Single-line or Multi-line input
Character Limit Set minimum and maximum characters required or allowed
Validation Enforce input types: Email, Only Numbers, or Alphanumeric
Text Analytics Enabled for multi-line fields to extract themes, sentiment, and tone
Visibility Control Dynamically show or hide using logic based on metadata or earlier responses

How to Configure in Zykrr

  1. Enter your question text
    Example: “Please describe your experience with our support team.”

  2. Add placeholder and default text
    Use helpful language like “Share your honest thoughts…" or preload common feedback.

  3. Enable hints
    Provide instructions like “Focus on delivery and product quality."

  4. Select input format

    • Use Single-line for short inputs (e.g., email ID)
    • Use Multi-line for open comments and longer responses

  5. Set character limits

    • Minimum limit: Prevent submission unless a certain number of characters is typed
    • Maximum limit: Prevent overly long responses (e.g., 500 chars)

  6. Apply validations

    • Email: Forces valid email format
    • Numbers: Accepts digits only
    • Alphanumeric: Accepts letters and numbers only

Question Settings (Advanced)

Setting Function When to Use
Require an answer Forces participants to respond before continuing Use when feedback is mandatory (e.g., critical product comment)
PII question Flags the field as collecting personal information; data is masked in Zykrr Insights Use when capturing names, emails, IDs under privacy compliance
Hidden in Zykrr Insights escalation/response popup Excludes this field from being shown in escalation/response popups Use for behind-the-scenes data fields used only for analytics

Example

Question:
“Tell us what you liked or didn’t like about our delivery experience."

Settings:

  • Multi-line input
  • Min: 30, Max: 300 characters
  • Placeholder: “Your detailed feedback…”
  • Hint: “Mention speed, communication, and packaging.”
  • Text analytics enabled

Best Practices

  • Use after metric questions like NPS or CSAT to capture “why” behind scores
  • Keep placeholder and hints brief—guide, don’t bias
  • Enable character limits to ensure meaningful input without verbosity
  • Use “PII” flag wherever privacy-sensitive information is collected
  • Allow dynamic visibility when the open-end depends on prior responses

This is part of the Question Types Guide in Zykrr’s Documentation Hub.
Need help with text validation, analytics tagging, or privacy handling? Contact support@zykrr.com.

Updated on 19 Jan 2025