Messaging and Claims Testing Survey Template

This messaging and claims testing survey template asks people to explain a proposed message in their own words. Find unclear terms, unintended assumptions, and the evidence readers would want before accepting a claim.

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This messaging and claims testing survey template asks people to explain a proposed message in their own words. Find unclear terms, unintended assumptions, and the evidence readers would want before accepting a claim.

A message can sound clear to its writer while suggesting something different to a reader. This SurveyLegend questionnaire asks for an unprompted explanation before showing rating questions, so the first response is not shaped by a list of intended benefits.

When to use this survey

Use it before publishing new wording. Show one message with the context a reader would actually see, and record the meaning the team intends separately. If the underlying idea is still undefined, start with concept testing before evaluating the wording.

7 questions for your messaging and claims testing survey

Review this hypothetical message for a fictional scheduling service: “Keep team appointments in one shared calendar.” This example is for message feedback and is not a claim about an available product or SurveyLegend. All questions are optional. Answer based only on the message shown.

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A little feedback. A clearer picture.

Explore this 7-question example at your own pace. Every question is optional.

SurveyLegend demo Question 1 of 7

Messaging and Claims Testing Survey

01 In your own words, what does this message say the service would help someone do?

Share your answer, or skip this question.

02 How clear is the message to you?

Choose one answer, or skip this question.

03 How relevant is the stated benefit to a need you have?

Choose one answer, or skip this question.

04 How believable does the message seem based on what is shown?

Choose one answer, or skip this question.

05 Which word or phrase, if any, could be interpreted in more than one way?

Share your answer, or skip this question.

06 What evidence or explanation would you want before relying on this message?

Share your answer, or skip this question.

07 What does the message lead you to expect that it does not explicitly say?

Share your answer, or skip this question.

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Customize your messaging and claims testing survey

Replace the fictional message with the exact wording to be studied, including necessary qualifications. Keep the first interpretation question before ratings. Run survey testing to check that the questionnaire itself is clear. If comparing variants, control context and presentation rather than attributing every difference to a single word.

Printable messaging and claims testing survey

Print the exact message above the blank questionnaire, using the same emphasis and qualifications shown online. Do not let an interviewer explain the intended meaning before the first response. Record any additional explanation supplied afterward.

First page of the printable Messaging and Claims Testing Survey Template with questions and answer spaces
Download Messaging and Claims Testing Survey Template (PDF)

Create your messaging and claims testing survey with AI

Copy this prompt into an AI assistant to draft the questions. Review the draft, then build and customize the survey in SurveyLegend before sharing.

Copy the prompt into an AI assistant to draft the questions, then build your survey in SurveyLegend.

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How to use the answers

Compare the first response with the team’s separately documented intended meaning. Group open-ended data into accurate interpretations, ambiguities and extra assumptions. A message that sounds believable can still be false; verify the claim independently and keep any required review separate from audience feedback.

Heller and Areni’s 2004 laboratory study examined “the comprehension and acceptance of advertising claims”. It found that the effects of certain connecting words depended on recipients’ prior expectations. The advertising language study supports checking interpretation rather than assuming wording works the same way for every reader. It does not validate this original questionnaire or establish whether a tested claim is true.

Frequently asked questions

Does high believability prove a claim is true?

No. The survey measures a reader’s impression. Evidence supporting the claim must be checked separately.

Why ask for an explanation before ratings?

It gives readers a chance to describe their interpretation before later questions suggest particular aspects to consider.

Can the example message be used as SurveyLegend copy?

No. It describes a fictional scheduling service solely to demonstrate the questionnaire. Replace it with the specific message you want to study.