Checkbox Questions

Checkbox questions allow respondents to select multiple answers from a list of options. Use them when answers aren’t mutually exclusive.

When to Use

Checkbox questions are ideal for:

  • “Select all that apply” - Multiple valid answers
  • Feature preferences - Which features do you use?
  • Interest surveys - What topics interest you?
  • Multi-select demographics - Languages spoken, devices owned

Adding a Checkbox Question

  1. Click Add Question in the survey editor
  2. Select Checkboxes
  3. Enter your question text
  4. Add answer options
  5. Configure selection limits (optional)

Configuration Options

Answer Options

Adding options:

  • Click Add Option for each choice
  • Bulk add by pasting a list
  • Import from previous questions

Managing options:

  • Drag to reorder
  • Duplicate similar options
  • Delete unwanted options

Selection Limits

Control how many options can be selected:

Minimum selections:

  • Require at least X selections
  • Useful for “pick your top 3”

Maximum selections:

  • Limit to X selections
  • Prevents selecting everything

Exact number:

  • Set both min and max to same value
  • “Select exactly 3 options"

"Other” Option

Allow custom responses:

  1. Toggle Add “Other” option
  2. Counts toward selection limits
  3. Text appears in results

”None of the Above”

Add exclusive option:

  1. Toggle Add “None” option
  2. When selected, deselects all others
  3. Customize label if needed

Randomization

Reduce order bias:

  • Randomize all options
  • Keep “None” at end
  • Anchor specific options

Required Response

When enabled:

  • At least one option must be selected
  • Or minimum selection must be met

Best Practices

Question Wording

Be explicit about multiple selection:

Good: "Which of the following do you use? (Select all that apply)"
Bad: "What do you use?"

Specify limits clearly:

Good: "Select your top 3 priorities"
Bad: "What are your priorities?"

Option Design

Do:

  • Make options comprehensive
  • Use parallel structure
  • Group related options
  • Keep list manageable (5-10 options)

Don’t:

  • Include overlapping options
  • Mix categories
  • Use vague options
  • Create exhausting lists

When to Use Checkboxes vs. Multiple Choice

ScenarioUse
One answer onlyMultiple Choice
Multiple answers possibleCheckboxes
”Select all that apply”Checkboxes
Ranked preferencesRanking question

Advanced Features

Selection Validation

Set up validation rules:

  1. Click Validation
  2. Set min/max selections
  3. Add custom error message

Example: “Please select between 1 and 5 options”

Skip Logic

Route based on selections:

  • If [option] is selected → go to [question]
  • If [option] is NOT selected → skip [section]
  • If [any/all] of [options] selected → show [page]

Display Logic

Show question conditionally:

Show this question if:
Q1 contains "Product A" OR "Product B"

Piping Selected Options

Reference selections in later questions:

You selected: {{Q1}}
Tell us more about why you chose these.

Scoring

For quizzes with multiple correct answers:

  1. Enable Quiz Mode
  2. Mark all correct options
  3. Set scoring method:
    • All correct required
    • Partial credit per correct answer
    • Deduct for incorrect selections

Analyzing Results

Viewing Results

Results show:

  • Count for each option
  • Percentage of respondents who selected
  • Total responses (not 100% - multiple selections)

Note: Percentages sum to more than 100% because respondents select multiple options.

Charts

Best chart types:

  • Horizontal bar chart (compare options)
  • Table with counts and percentages

Avoid: Pie charts (percentages don’t sum to 100%)

Metrics

  • Selection frequency - How often each option was chosen
  • Average selections - Mean number of options selected
  • Co-occurrence - Which options are selected together

Cross-Tabulation

Analyze patterns:

  • Which options are commonly selected together?
  • How do selections vary by segment?

Filtering

Filter results by checkbox selections:

  • Include if ANY selected option matches
  • Include if ALL selected options match
  • Exclude specific selections

Common Use Cases

Feature Usage

Which features do you use regularly? (Select all that apply)
☐ Dashboard
☐ Reports
☐ Email notifications
☐ API integration
☐ Mobile app
☐ None of these

Interest Survey

What topics would you like us to cover? (Select up to 5)
☐ Product updates
☐ Industry trends
☐ Best practices
☐ Case studies
☐ Technical tutorials
☐ Company news

Multi-Select Demographics

Which devices do you use to access our service?
☐ Desktop computer
☐ Laptop
☐ Tablet
☐ Smartphone
☐ Smart TV

Problem Identification

What challenges are you facing? (Select all that apply)
☐ Time constraints
☐ Budget limitations
☐ Lack of expertise
☐ Technical issues
☐ Team coordination
☐ Other: ________

Troubleshooting

Everyone Selects Everything

  • Add selection limit
  • Question may be too broad
  • Options may all seem equally important
  • Consider forced ranking instead

Low Engagement

  • Too many options (reduce list)
  • Options not relevant (refine choices)
  • Question unclear (improve wording)

Inconsistent Data

  • Some options overlap (make distinct)
  • Missing “None” option
  • Need “Other” for completeness

Analysis Confusion

  • Remember percentages exceed 100%
  • Use counts for clarity
  • Consider co-occurrence analysis

Related articles:

Was this article helpful?

Need more help?

Contact our support team for personalized assistance.

Contact Support →