CSV Export

CSV (Comma-Separated Values) export allows you to download your form responses as a spreadsheet file. This is useful for data analysis, reporting, and sharing results with your team.

How to Export Responses

1. 1

   Open your form

   Go to your Dashboard and open the form you want to export data from.

2. 2

   Go to Analytics tab

   Click the Analytics tab in the left sidebar.

3. 3

   Click 'View all responses'

   Find and click the "View all responses" button to open the Response Explorer.

4. 4

   Click 'Export to CSV'

   Look for the "Export to CSV" button at the top of the response list.

5. 5

   Download the file

   Your browser will download a .csv file. The filename will include your form name and the current date.

What's Included in the Export

Each CSV file includes:

• Response ID: Unique identifier for each submission
• Submitted at: Timestamp when the form was submitted
• All questions: One column per question in your form
• Question labels: Column headers use your question text

Field Type Formatting

Different question types are formatted as follows in the CSV:

• Text fields: Plain text as entered by respondent
• Multiple Choice: The selected option text
• Yes/No: "Yes" or "No"
• Rating: The numeric value (e.g., "4" for 4 stars)
• Date: ISO date format (YYYY-MM-DD)
• Email/Website: Plain text URL or email address

Opening and Analyzing CSV Files

Microsoft Excel

• Double-click the downloaded CSV file
• Excel will open it automatically
• You can now sort, filter, and analyze your data

Google Sheets

1. 1

   Open Google Sheets

   Go to sheets.google.com

2. 2

   Import the CSV

   Click File → Import → Upload and select your CSV file.

3. 3

   Choose import settings

   Select "Comma" as the separator type and click Import data.

Other Tools

CSV files can be opened in virtually any data tool:

• Apple Numbers
• LibreOffice Calc
• Tableau
• Power BI
• R, Python, or any programming language

Analysis Tips

• Use pivot tables: Summarize multiple choice and rating data quickly
• Filter by date: Analyze responses from specific time periods
• Chart responses: Create visual charts to share with stakeholders
• Combine with other data: Import into your CRM or database for deeper analysis

Scheduling Regular Exports

SmarterForm doesn't currently support automatic scheduled exports. To maintain regular backups:

• Set a calendar reminder to export weekly or monthly
• Store exports in a cloud folder (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.)
• Name files with dates (e.g., feedback-2024-01-15.csv)

Troubleshooting

CSV File is Empty

Your form might not have any completed submissions yet. Check your Analytics to confirm you have at least one submission.

Special Characters Look Wrong

This is usually an encoding issue. When opening in Excel:

• Go to Data → From Text/CSV
• Select your CSV file
• Choose UTF-8 encoding
• Click Load

Missing Columns

If a question was added after some responses were submitted, earlier rows will have empty cells for that column. This is normal.