Survey Question Types
Short Answer Survey Questions
Collect specific, brief responses - names, titles, numbers, keywords
Short answer survey questions give respondents a single-line text field for brief, specific responses. Best for names, titles, company info, one-word or short-phrase answers - not for detailed opinions.
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What is a short answer survey question?
A short answer survey question (also called a short text or single-line text question) provides a compact input field for concise responses - typically a word, phrase, or short sentence. Unlike open ended (paragraph) questions, short answer questions expect a specific, brief response: a job title, a company name, a keyword, or a short opinion.
When to use
Use short answer questions when you need a specific piece of information that cannot be captured by a fixed list of options. Job title, company name, industry, the name of a competitor, or a one-sentence response. Avoid them for nuanced opinions - use long text (open ended) for those.
20 short answer survey question examples
Ready-to-use examples - copy, adapt, or use directly in your surveys.
What is your job title?
ICP segmentation
What company do you work for?
Account-level insight
What industry are you in?
Vertical segmentation
What city or country are you based in?
Geographic research
What is the name of the tool you used before [Product]?
Competitive research
What is your team or department called?
Org mapping
What word best describes your experience so far?
Sentiment snapshot
What is the one feature you use the most?
Feature prioritization
What word would you use to describe [Product] to a friend?
Brand perception
What was the name of the event or source that led you to [Product]?
Attribution
What is the main goal you are working toward this quarter?
Goal segmentation
If you had to give [Product] a nickname, what would it be?
Brand research
What is the most important metric you track in your role?
Role-based segmentation
In one word, what is the biggest problem [Product] solves for you?
Value proposition
What is the title of the person who approved this purchase?
B2B buyer mapping
What email address should we use to follow up?
Lead capture
What is the name of your primary use case for [Product]?
Segmentation
What is one word that describes your ideal survey tool?
Brand positioning
What project or campaign are you running this survey for?
Context capture
What tool are you using alongside [Product] most often?
Integration discovery
Best practices for short answer questions
Set a character limit - short answer fields work best with a max of 100–150 characters.
Use short answer when you need exact words (job title, company name) - not when you want detailed opinions.
Add placeholder text to signal the expected format: "e.g., Product Manager" or "e.g., Acme Corp".
Combine with a multiple choice question when the options might not cover all cases.
Short answer responses are harder to aggregate than closed questions - use them sparingly in large-scale surveys.
Use Short Answer questions in your next survey
Mapster supports all 13 question types. Build in-product surveys, link responses to real users, and segment results by plan, role, or cohort.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a short answer survey question?
A short answer survey question provides a single-line text field for brief, specific responses - typically a word, phrase, or short sentence. Unlike open ended (paragraph) questions, short answer questions expect concise, factual responses like job titles, company names, or one-sentence opinions.
What are examples of short answer survey questions?
Examples include: "What is your job title?", "What company do you work for?", "What tool did you use before this?", "What word best describes your experience?" - any question where you want a brief, specific answer rather than a paragraph.
What is the difference between short answer and open ended questions?
Short answer (short text) expects a brief, specific response - a word or short phrase - in a single-line field. Open ended (long text) invites a detailed, multi-sentence response in a paragraph field. Use short answer for facts; use open ended for opinions and explanations.
When should I use short answer instead of multiple choice?
Use short answer when you do not know all the possible responses in advance (like a job title or company name). Use multiple choice when you can list the options and want easier analysis. Short answer gives you more richness; multiple choice gives you cleaner data.
More survey question types
Multiple Choice
Multiple Choice Survey Questions
Multiple choice survey questions let respondents select all answers that apply. See 20 real examples, when to use them, and best practices for writing better choices.
Open Ended
Open Ended Survey Questions
Open ended survey questions let respondents answer in their own words. See 20 real examples, the best open ended question formats, and when to use them vs. closed questions.
Dichotomous
Dichotomous Survey Questions
Dichotomous survey questions offer exactly two answer options - typically Yes/No or True/False. See the definition, 20 real examples, and when to use them.
Single Choice
Single Choice Survey Questions
Single choice survey questions let respondents pick exactly one answer from a list. See 20 real examples, when to use radio buttons vs. checkboxes, and best practices.
Dropdown
Dropdown Survey Questions
Dropdown survey questions let respondents select one option from a collapsed list. See when to use dropdowns vs. radio buttons and 15 real examples.
Rating Scale
Rating Scale Survey Questions
Rating scale survey questions measure opinions on a numbered scale. See Likert scale examples, when to use 5-point vs. 10-point scales, and best practices for rating questions.
Build your survey with Short Answer questions
Mapster supports all 13 question types. Every response is linked to a real user - so you can segment by plan, role, and cohort.
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