How to Use Open-Ended Survey Questions and 25 Examples

Open-ended survey questions allow respondents to freely express opinions, providing rich, qualitative data that reveal deeper insights into customer, employee, or student experiences. Unlike closed-ended questions, which limit responses to fixed options, open-ended questions encourage elaboration, helping researchers uncover motivations, emotions, and ideas. This article explores when to use open-ended vs. closed-ended questions, offers 25 creative examples across customer feedback, branding, employee, education, and patient surveys, and provides guidance on crafting effective questions, analyzing qualitative responses, and avoiding common mistakes. Thoughtful use of open-ended questions enhances understanding and strengthens engagement across audiences.

When you have questions and need answers, a survey is a surefire way to go! Crafting your survey questions correctly is key to getting a better response rate. However, it’s just as important to use the right type of survey question format—and to know how to cite a survey in different citation styles if you plan to share or publish your results.

Open-ended survey questions are especially valuable for gathering insights in research studies, as they allow you to collect detailed, qualitative data that deepens your understanding of customer, employee, or product experiences.

In this blog, we’ll take an in-depth look at open-ended survey questions (and their opposite, closed-ended questions), some of the best open-ended questions to ask, and more.

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What Is an Open-Ended Survey Question?

Open-ended questions give respondents free rein to express their opinions on any given topic. Because there are no predefined answers, researchers can gain a wealth of insight through qualitative data, i.e., non-numerical data. Often, they’ll receive surprising answers that they may not have even thought to include on a set of answers – so open-ended questions can be very eye-opening! Open-ended questions also encourage respondents to explain their reasoning, which often results in a more detailed response that provides deeper insights.

Here’s a simple example of an open-ended question:

How are you doing today? ____________________

What Is a Close-Ended Survey Question?

Closed-ended questions lock respondents into choosing from a set of predefined responses, also known as predetermined answers. This can sometimes limit responses to a one-word answer, which may not capture detailed feedback. There are many types of closed-ended survey questions, such as multiple-choice questions, ranking survey questions, drop-down surveys, and more. Because close-ended questions provide quantitative data, i.e. measurable data, researchers can easily analyze it to come up with conclusions.

Here’s a simple example of a closed-ended question:

How are you doing today?

❑ Good    ❑ Okay    ❑ Bad

Open vs Closed Questions: Pros & Cons

While open-ended questions generally provide rich responses, analyzing qualitative data to reach conclusions can be overwhelming due to the variations in individual responses. It’s also difficult to use open-ended questions as a gauge for the greater population, since each response is unique.

The key difference between open-ended and closed-ended questions lies in the depth of insights gathered. Unlike closed-ended questions, open-ended questions allow respondents to provide more detailed and personalized feedback, which can lead to more valuable and nuanced customer insights.

On the other hand, closed-ended questions are easy to analyze because they provide quantitative data. However, they can fall short in capturing the full range of customer opinions and nuanced feedback. Researchers need to have a solid understanding of their topic to include all potential responses, or they may collect inaccurate information. Say, for example, a survey asked, “Do you travel by plane or by car?” With only two options, the survey ignores those who travel by boat, bus, bike, or any other means of getting around.

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When to Use Open-Ended Survey Questions

Because there are certain advantages to open-ended questions, there are certain times when it’s best to use them! Open-ended questions are valuable in various contexts, such as data collection, feedback analysis, and customer experience strategies. By focusing on specific aspects of a topic when crafting your questions, you can elicit more meaningful and relevant responses. Here’s a look at the four best times to use open-ended questions with a few examples.

1. When surveying a small audience.

Open-ended questions provide unique responses that must be closely looked at to reach any sort of conclusion; if your survey consists of thousands of people, this can be an overwhelming task. Open-ended questions are best left for smaller survey groups, such as an employer with a small team, a classroom of 30 students, or a boutique store with a limited clientele.

2. When surveying experts.

This goes hand-in-hand with smaller audiences. When surveying experts, your audience is bound to be small since it’s a niche topic, making it ideal for open-ended questions. In addition, open-ended questions allow you to gain very specific insight from experts in a particular field. Open-ended questions are more like interview questions, and give the experts the freedom to respond with valuable information you probably could not have gathered with closed-ended questions. When used with knowledgeable respondents, open-ended questions often generate the best insights, providing valuable and actionable data.

3. When conducting preliminary research.

Prior to conducting a large-scale survey, researchers may reach out to a smaller group in order to formulate their questions and their predefined responses. An open-ended question survey to this smaller group can give researchers the information they need to create a well thought-out, closed-ended question survey intended for a large audience.

4. When concluding a survey.

You may be conducting a large-scale survey full of closed-ended questions, but it’s still not a bad idea to leave one open-ended question at the end (such as a “comment box”) to let respondents have their say without a predefined answer. Adding a concluding open-ended question allows respondents to expand on their initial responses, providing deeper insights and allowing them to share thoughts that may not have been captured earlier. Even if you don’t intend to review or analyze the open-ended survey question, it ends the survey on a good note because respondents feel like they have a voice.

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When to Use Closed-Ended Survey Questions

Because there are certain advantages to closed-ended questions, there are certain times when it’s best to use them! Closed-ended questions limit responses to specific options, making them ideal for collecting quantifiable data. Understanding different question types, including both open-ended and closed-ended questions, is important for effective survey design. Here’s a look at the four best times to use closed-ended questions with a few examples.

1. When surveying busy individuals.

While most people are busy, there are some groups that are notoriously hard to reach due to their schedules, such as those in the medical field. By using closed-ended questions, you show you respect their time because it allows them to get through the survey quicker (you might even consider a microsurvey).

2. When respondents aren’t excited about your topic.

Some topics are bound to be uninteresting to people; therefore, they won’t spend much time with the survey, let alone fill out open-ended questions. If you know you’re sending a survey to a mostly disinterested audience, it’s best to go with closed-ended questions.

3. When you want quantitative data.

As mentioned earlier, closed-ended questions provide measurable, or quantifiable data that is easy to code and analyze. If you need statistics backed by data – and want them quickly – choose closed-ended questions.

4. When you want to categorize respondents.

Let’s say you’re a marketer and want to know who your brand’s typical customer is to develop a new campaign. If you use open-ended questions, you may not secure the data you seek. However, use closed-ended demographic survey questions (gender, age, race, income, etc.) followed by closed-ended questions about their thoughts on the brand. You’ll be able to easily categorize respondents to understand who the target audience is to focus marketing efforts on them.

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Crafting Effective Open-Ended Questions

Crafting a good open-ended question is both an art and a science. The goal is to encourage respondents to share meaningful answers in their own words, giving you deeper insights and more detail than you’d get from a closed-ended question. To do this, start your open-ended questions with words like “what,” “how,” or “why.” These prompts naturally encourage elaboration, creative thinking, and critical thinking, leading to thoughtful answers and detailed responses.

For example, instead of a closed-ended question like, “Did you find our service helpful?” (which might only get a single word answer), try an open-ended question such as, “What aspects of our service did you find most helpful?” This invites the respondent to provide more context and valuable information, helping you uncover insights you might otherwise miss.

When crafting open-ended questions, avoid leading questions that might bias the answer, and steer clear of questions so broad that they confuse the respondent. The best open-ended questions are clear, focused, and encourage respondents to share their unique perspectives. By using open-ended questions effectively, you’ll not only gather richer responses but also build stronger customer relationships and gain a deeper understanding of your audience.

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25 Best Examples of Open-Ended Survey Questions

So, what is an example of an open-ended survey question? Below, you’ll find open-ended question examples and open-ended questions examples that can help you understand how to use open-ended questions in your own surveys. Incorporating open-ended questions into different types of surveys allows you to gather richer, more detailed feedback and insights. Here are some thought-starters for a few of the types of surveys our clients use frequently!

Customer Feedback

It is expected that you’ll ask a customer to rate your product or service on a scale of some sort. But that only gives you a number. Open-ended questions are especially useful for gathering product feedback, as they allow you to collect detailed insights about customer experiences and perceptions. These questions can also be integrated into the sales process to better understand customer needs and preferences. Additionally, using follow-up questions helps you probe deeper into customer responses, uncovering more elaborate and actionable feedback. So, ask some of the basics, and then feel free to get creative with your questions!

1. What do you like most about this product?
2. Was anything disappointing about this product?
3. If someone asked you about our product, what would you say to them?
4. Which celebrities do you think would use this product?
5. If this product were an animal, what kind would it be?

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Branding

Similar to customer feedback, here you want to get into the consumer perception of your product or service. What do they really think about your brand? So again, get creative. Open-ended branding questions can spark a meaningful conversation about how customers perceive your brand, providing deeper insights.

6. Would you buy this brand? Why or why not?
7. What words would you use to describe this brand’s personality?
8. How do you think people would react if you used/wore this brand?
9. What kind of music does this brand listen to?
10. Which actors or actresses would play this brand in a movie?

Employee Feedback

Large companies may have difficulty using open-ended questions unless surveys are distributed to teams or departments. Then, they can be very effective (of course, it’s important to ensure anonymity, or else your responses may be pretty standard). Open-ended questions are especially useful for uncovering employee perceptions about their benefits and benefits package, ensuring that important topics are thoroughly answered and providing deeper insights into employee satisfaction.

11. What words would you use to describe this company?
12. If this company were a car, what kind would it be?
13. When people ask you about working here, what do you tell them?
14. If you were going to quit, what would be your reasons?
15. What are the reasons you come to work every day?
16. How do you feel about the benefits and benefits package offered by the company?
17. Do you feel your questions and concerns about benefits are being answered?

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Education

Most teacher surveys can easily incorporate open-ended questions as there are only so many educators per school. Using open-ended questions in education surveys aligns with best practices for gathering meaningful student feedback, as it encourages genuine curiosity and thoughtful preparation to improve the quality of responses. When surveying students – similar to employee feedback – a school-wide survey may include too many students to ask open-ended questions. However, if individual teachers survey classrooms, open-ended questions can be eye-openers.

Here are some school survey questions you could ask:

18. What could be done to improve the classroom experience?
19. How do you feel about your classmates?
20. Describe some of your biggest concerns?
21. What can this school do to better support you?
22. Would you come to school if you did not have to, and why (or why not)?

Patient Satisfaction

With people having more choice in their medical care than ever before, medical providers have become more and more focused on the patient and/or customer experience (CX). To improve the experience, they’re using surveys to gather feedback. While closed-ended questions may yield simple answers, open-ended questions can provide deeper insights into patient experiences. While this is probably not the time to get creative, some open-ended questions to consider include:

23. What was the best part of your experience with us?
24. List some things we could have done better?
25. How did you feel about the nursing staff?
26. What did you think about your doctor?
27. If you’re thinking about switching providers, why?

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Analyzing Open-Ended Responses

Analyzing open-ended responses is a different process from working with closed-ended questions. While closed-ended questions provide quick, quantifiable data, open-ended responses offer a wealth of detailed information, opinions, and context—but they require a more thoughtful approach to uncover deeper insights.

Start by reading through the responses to identify common themes, patterns, and sentiments. Coding and categorization can help you group similar answers, making it easier to spot trends and understand what matters most to your customers or target audience. For example, if many respondents mention “ease of use” in their answers, you know this is a key area of satisfaction.

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools can also be a game-changer for analyzing open-ended responses, especially when dealing with large volumes of data. AI can quickly scan responses for sentiment, emotions, and recurring topics, helping you gain a deeper understanding of your audience’s opinions and needs.

Always consider the context in which the open-ended question was asked, as well as your research objectives and the characteristics of your target audience. By taking a structured approach to analyzing open-ended responses, you’ll be able to extract meaningful insights and make more informed decisions for your business or organization.

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Avoiding Common Mistakes

When asking open-ended questions, it’s important to avoid common pitfalls that can limit the quality and usefulness of your responses. One frequent mistake is using leading questions, which can influence or bias the answer and reduce the authenticity of your open-ended responses. Another is asking questions that are too broad or vague, resulting in answers that lack detail or relevance.

It’s also a mistake to use closed-ended questions when you’re seeking more detail and context. For example, asking “Do you like our product?” (a closed-ended question) will only get you a yes or no, while “What do you like most about our product?” (an open-ended question) encourages a more meaningful answer.

To avoid these issues, use clear and concise language, steer clear of jargon, and make sure your questions are directly tied to your research objectives. Piloting your open-ended questions with a small group can help you identify any confusing or ineffective questions before launching your full survey. By avoiding these common mistakes, you’ll gather more meaningful insights and get the most out of your open-ended responses.

Cultural Context and Open-Ended Questions

Cultural context can have a significant impact on how people respond to open-ended questions. Communication styles, social norms, and values vary widely across cultures, and these differences can shape the way respondents interpret and answer your questions.

When asking open-ended questions, it’s important to consider the cultural background of your target audience. For example, in some cultures, people may be more reserved and less likely to share personal opinions, while in others, open expression is encouraged. Using culturally sensitive language and avoiding assumptions about your respondents’ backgrounds can help you gather more accurate and relevant open-ended responses.

If you’re surveying an international or diverse audience, consider working with local translators or cultural experts to ensure your questions are appropriate and meaningful in each context. By taking cultural context into account, you’ll increase the reliability and validity of your open-ended responses and gain insights that truly reflect the perspectives of your audience.

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Conclusion

For many surveys, it’s not just a matter of “open vs closed questions,” it’s a matter of using them effectively. Oftentimes, the best surveys include a mix of survey format questions to gather different data and to keep the survey-taker on their toes; for example, using a mix of closed-ended survey questions to gather measurable data and ending with open-ended survey questions to fill in the details. When you create your survey with SurveyLegend, all types of question formats are at your fingertips, in beautifully pre-designed templates. Get started creating your survey today!

To stay ahead of industry trends and evolving customer needs, be sure to include open-ended survey questions that allow respondents to share insights and ideas you might not have anticipated.

Do you use open-ended questions on your surveys? If so, what are some of your best open-ended questions? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!