Surveys

Do This First

1. Set expectations up front. Tell users how long the survey will take, whether it has more than one page, and whether answers can be saved or changed.
2. Build accessible questions. Label every input, group related controls, identify required fields in text, and explain errors clearly.
3. Test completion paths. Try the survey with keyboard-only navigation, zoom, and a screen reader or another accessible form review before launch.

Labels and Grouping

• Use clear labels for text inputs and legends for radio-button or checkbox groups.
• Keep answer choices in a logical reading order that matches the visual layout.
• Use autocomplete tokens for common personal information fields when appropriate.

Errors and Progress

• Explain required fields with text, not just color or an asterisk.
• Write field-specific error messages that tell users how to fix the problem.
• Show progress indicators on longer surveys and warn before any time limit expires.

Participation Options

• Write in plain language and keep questions short and direct.
• Provide a printable, phone, or staff-assisted option when the audience may need it.
• Keep the same question wording and answer choices across formats where possible.

Common Problems to Catch

• Using placeholder text as the only label for a field.
• Auto-advancing focus or changing pages unexpectedly when a user makes a selection.
• Showing errors only with a red outline and no text explanation.
• Publishing a long multi-page survey without time estimates or progress feedback.