Build & publish a survey

This walkthrough strings together datasets, the Besigner's form elements, and publishing into one loop: model the responses → design the survey → publish → collect. By the end you have a live survey page whose submissions land in a typed dataset you can filter, sort, and export.

Plan availability

Forms and the inbox are available on every plan. Writing submissions into a dataset needs the data store, which unlocks on Starter and above.

1. Create the dataset

Datasets belong to your organization, so every site can share them. Open the organization Data page (or any site's Data page — both edit the same data).

1. Choose Add dataset. In the New dataset dialog give it a Name (say Survey responses) and an optional comma-separated starting list of Fields (satisfaction, visit, topics, comments). Create it.
2. Select your new dataset in the Dataset dropdown and open Schema. The Schema dialog lists each field with its display name, generated field id, and a type chip.
3. Use Add field / Edit to type the fields properly:
   • satisfaction → type Integer (the star rating submits a number).
   • visit → type Text (one radio choice).
   • topics → type Text (ticked checkboxes arrive joined with , ).
   • comments → type Text.
4. Save schema.

Each field's Display name is what you see in dialogs and table headers; the field id next to it (a slug generated once from the display name) is the stable key records store values under — the key {{item.fieldId}} bindings reference, and what a form field's Maps to schema field picker stores. Renaming the display name later never changes the id.

Model first

A clean schema now makes everything downstream typed: the record editor renders the right input per field, imports are validated, and quota-guarded writes reject junk. See the datasets deep-dive for the full type system.

2. Add a screen for the survey

1. Go to Screens and choose New screen.
2. Title it Survey and give it the slug survey — that becomes its public URL path (https://your-site/survey).
3. Open it in the Besigner.

3. Insert a Form from the element picker

With the screen open, add the form:

1. In the Elements panel choose Add Element (or right-click a node and pick Add element). The Choose element picker opens, grouped by category.
2. Expand the Forms group. It contains the Form container, the Form Field element, and a ready-made Contact Form preset.
3. Insert a Form. Then, with the Form selected, add one Form Field child per question (the picker's Form Field preset drops a field with sensible defaults).

4. Configure the fields

Select each Form Field and set its properties in the inspector:

Property	What it does
Field name	The key the value is stored under in submissions (and in the inbox copy).
Maps to schema field	Which of the dataset's schema fields this value is stored under. The dropdown lists the fields of the dataset chosen on the Form (see step 5) and stores the stable field id, so renaming the field later never breaks the mapping. Left on None, the value matches a dataset field by name instead.
Label	The visible input label ("How satisfied are you?").
Placeholder	An optional grey hint inside the empty input ("you@company.com"). It is not a label — it disappears as soon as someone types, so always keep Label set. Radio, checkbox, and rating fields ignore it; a dropdown shows it until a choice is made. Clear it to remove the hint.
Type	Text (default), Email, Multiline, Dropdown, Radio choice, Checkboxes, or Star rating.
Options	Choices for dropdown, radio, and checkbox fields — one per line or comma-separated. Ignored by other types.
Required?	Whether the field must be filled; a required checkbox group needs at least one box ticked.

Pick the dataset first

"Maps to schema field" lists the fields of whichever dataset the Form is pointed at — set the Form's Write to dataset (step 5) before mapping the fields, or the dropdown reads No dataset selected on the form.

For this survey:

1. satisfaction — Type Star rating, label "How satisfied are you?". The five stars submit a number (4).
2. visit — Type Radio choice, Options First time, Monthly, Weekly.
3. topics — Type Checkboxes, Options Products, Support, Pricing. Visitors can tick several; the submission joins them with , .
4. comments — Type Multiline for free-form feedback.

5. Point the form at the dataset

Select the Form container itself and fill its properties:

• Form name — identifies the form in your submissions inbox (Visitor survey).
• Write to dataset — pick Survey responses from the dropdown, which lists your organization's datasets by display name. The form stores the dataset's id, so renaming the dataset later never breaks the binding. Submissions append a record; the inbox always keeps its own copy either way.
• Submit label — the button text (defaults to Send).
• Success message — shown in place of the form after a successful submit.

Rename-safe by id

Both pickers bind by stable id: the Form stores the dataset's document id and each field's "Maps to schema field" stores the model field id. Rename the dataset or its fields freely — records keep landing. Unmapped values still match schema fields by name (field name = field id); values that match nothing are dropped from the record (the inbox copy still has everything). Forms built before the pickers keep working through their stored dataset name — shown as Write to dataset (legacy name) until you pick the dataset above and clear it.

6. Publish

Click Publish in the Besigner's top-right (it flips to Unpublish once live). If the screen has no URL path yet you're prompted to set one first. The survey is now served at /survey on your site's domain.

7. Watch responses arrive

Every submission does three things:

• appends a record to Survey responses — the Data page updates live;
• files an inbox copy under the form's name (see Forms & lead capture);
• fires the formSubmission automation event, so workflows and actions can react (send a thank-you alert, notify your team, write other datasets).

On the Data page, use Filter (satisfaction >= 4) and Sort (satisfaction desc) over the loaded records, and export everything with the CSV / JSON buttons.

Chart it

Bind a container's Repeat over dataset to Survey responses and reference {{item.satisfaction}} inside it to render responses back onto a (members-only?) results screen. The deep-dive covers repeatables.

Related

• Datasets & schema deep-dive
• Forms & lead capture
• Publish your first screen
• Workflows & actions