How to add a survey to a lesson depends on which course builder you are using. In the New Course Builder, surveys are added as a native content block. In the Classic Course Builder, survey is a native lesson type with built-in question types and reporting. Both builders also support embedding external survey tools such as Google Forms or SurveyMonkey.
In the New Course Builder, you can add a native survey directly within a lesson as a content block.
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From the content menu, select More.
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Select Survey.
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Click Build survey.
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Click Add question to start building.
There are five question types available in New Course Builder surveys:
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Pick the best option — the learner selects one option. Standard multiple-choice format.
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Select all that apply — the learner can select more than one option.
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Rating — the learner selects from a range of values displayed in a line. Values auto-fill to the left of the selection, similar to a star rating system.
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Opinion scale — the learner selects from a range of values with labels to clarify what the scale represents.
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Short answer — the learner writes their answer in a text box.
You can also embed an externally hosted survey — such as a Google Form or SurveyMonkey survey — as a content block if you prefer a third-party tool.
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From the content menu, select More.
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Select Survey or form.
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Copy the link to your survey.
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Paste the link into the Paste link field.
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Click Embed.
For full instructions on embedding external content, see: Using Embedded Content in the New Course Builder.
In the Classic Course Builder, survey is a native lesson type. You can build surveys directly in Thinkific using five question types, and review student responses via Quiz & Survey Export or Thinkific Analytics.
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From the Admin Dashboard, go to Products
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Select Courses
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Hover over your desired course and select Edit
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Click + Add lesson
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Select Survey.
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Add a Survey title for your lesson.
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Optionally enable or disable free preview, draft setting, prerequisite, or discussions.
For more, see: How to Enable Lesson Discussions.
There are five question types available in Classic Course Builder surveys:
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One answer — the student selects one option. Standard multiple-choice format.
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One or more answers — the student can select more than one option.
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Rating — the student selects from a range of values displayed in a line. Values auto-fill to the left of the selection, similar to a star rating system.
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Scale — the student selects from a range of values with left and right labels to clarify what the range covers.
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Free text — the student writes their answer in a text box.
Both question types ask students to select from a range of values that you define using the Add Choice option. The difference is visual and functional:
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Rating displays values in a line and auto-fills all values to the left of the student's selection, similar to a 5-star rating system.
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Scale displays the same range of values but adds left and right labels — and optionally a middle label — to clarify what the scale represents. The middle label appears when three or more choices are added.
Use Scale when the meaning of the range needs clarification. Use Rating when the direction is self-evident.
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Click Add Question.
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Select a Question Type from the dropdown menu.
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Optionally enable This question is optional.
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Enter your question in the Question field.
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Select Add Choice to add an answer option.
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Repeat step 5 until all choices are added.
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If Scale question type was selected, enter a Left, Middle, and Right label. The middle label appears when three or more choices have been added.
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Click Save.
Survey reporting in the Classic Course Builder is available in two ways:
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Quiz & Survey Export — export all survey response data. See: Quiz and Survey Export.
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Thinkific Analytics — view response data directly in Thinkific. The Survey Dashboard shows completion trends and individual responses in a centralized view. See: Thinkific Analytics: Engagement Dashboards.
For surveys embedded in the New Course Builder, reporting is handled within whichever external tool you are using.
If the native survey lesson type doesn't meet your needs, you can embed a more robust external survey tool — such as Google Forms or SurveyMonkey — into a Multimedia lesson. These tools offer more question types, more robust reporting, and API access to survey results. Some also support emailing students their responses after completion.
For more, see: How to Add Multimedia Content to a Lesson.
If you need multiple choice questions with one or more correct answers, see: How to Add a Quiz to a Lesson.
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Surveys can only be completed once per student.
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Once a student submits a response, they cannot review or change their answers.
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Students cannot review the completed survey after submitting.
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Site Admins and Course Admins can review survey responses via Quiz and Survey Export.