Survey Response
A Salesforce object that stores an individual respondent's answers to a Salesforce Survey, including their responses to each question, submission timestamp, and any associated record like a case or contact.
Definition
A Salesforce object that stores an individual respondent's answers to a Salesforce Survey, including their responses to each question, submission timestamp, and any associated record like a case or contact.
In plain English
“A Survey Response is a Salesforce object that stores an individual respondent's answers to a Salesforce Survey. It includes their responses to each question, when they submitted, and any associated records like the contact or case that triggered the survey.”
Worked example
When a Glenmoor Insurance customer completes the post-claim Salesforce Survey, her answers are stored as a Survey Response record - one Survey Response per respondent, with the answers to each question, the submission timestamp, and a link back to the Case that triggered the survey. The customer-experience team filters Survey Responses by date, score, and free-text content to identify trends; a low-score response automatically creates a follow-up Task for the agent who handled the case. Survey Responses are the structured data captured by Salesforce Surveys; they make survey data analyzable rather than free-text-trapped.
Why Survey Response matters
A Survey Response is a Salesforce object that stores an individual respondent's answers to a Salesforce Survey, including their responses to each question, submission timestamp, and any associated records. Responses are CRM records that can be reported on, used in automation, and analyzed alongside other Salesforce data.
Survey responses as CRM records is what makes Salesforce Surveys powerful compared to standalone survey tools. Responses linked to contacts, accounts, and cases provide contextual feedback analysis. Mature feedback programs use survey response data in automation (triggering follow-up when responses indicate issues) and analytics (tracking satisfaction trends over time).
How to create Survey Response
Survey Responses are the records that capture an individual respondent's answers to a Salesforce Survey — one row per survey submission. They're typically created automatically when respondents submit (via the survey URL or embedded form); manual creation is rare and usually only for testing or admin override.
- Confirm Salesforce Surveys is enabled and a Survey is published
Setup → Survey Settings → Enable Surveys. Build a Survey via the Surveys tab; activate it.
- Distribute the Survey to respondents
Lightning Email Templates with merge fields (use {!SurveyInvitation.InvitationLink}), embedded in Email Alerts on Case close, or a public survey URL.
- Respondents submit the survey
On submit, Salesforce auto-creates a Survey Response record + per-question Survey Question Response records linked to it.
- Review Survey Responses tab
App Launcher → Survey Responses. Each row: Submission Date, Respondent (Lead / Contact / etc.), Survey, Status (Submitted).
- For analysis: build reports on Survey Response + Survey Question Response
The two-object join gives respondent-level + question-level analytics. Standard reports ship with Salesforce Surveys.
- For manual creation (rare): App Launcher → Survey Responses → New
Set Survey, Respondent, Submission Date. Add Survey Question Responses via the related list.
Required. Which survey this response belongs to.
Required.
Recommended (Contact / Lead / etc.) for analytics.
- Survey Responses are typically auto-created. Manually creating them only makes sense for backfilling external data or admin testing — for normal usage, distribute the survey and let respondents create the records.
- Salesforce Surveys (free tier) caps at 300 responses per month per org. Past that, additional submissions still record but you need Surveys+ for unlimited usage.
- Anonymous responses don't link to a Salesforce User / Lead / Contact. The Respondent field stays blank — analytics can only segment by Survey, not by demographics.
How organizations use Survey Response
Triggers automated follow-up workflows based on survey response data.
Reports on survey responses linked to accounts for satisfaction trending.
Uses survey response data in customer health scoring alongside other signals.
Trust & references
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Survey Response.
- Salesforce SurveysSalesforce Help
Test your knowledge
Q1. What is a Survey Response?
Q2. Why store responses as CRM records?
Q3. What can you do with response data?
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