Manage Your Questions

Add, edit, reorder, and remove questions — plus how to make them count.

Before you begin

You need admin access to do this. About roles

Every survey in Ombea is built from Blocks — and each block is one question or screen. You manage them inside a Stream, so the first step is always the same: go to Streams in the sidebar, click the Stream you want to edit, and open the Blocks tab. Everything below happens from there.

You can have up to 100 blocks per Stream.

Tip:

Every great question starts with a goal. Think about what you want to improve — then ask about that. When your questions connect directly to your initiatives, every response becomes a clear next step.

Click + Add new block at the bottom of the block list.
Pick a block type (see reference table below).
Type your question in the Question field (max 100 characters).
Click Show more fields to add a description, image, or friendly name for reports.
Tick This question is required if it must be answered before continuing.
Set type-specific options (see below).
Hit Save.

Smiley: Choose 5 or 2 faces (permanent once saved). Pick an index — Insights Index (default), NPS, CSAT, CES, NAS, PAS, or VPS. See What Do the Scores Mean?.

NPS: Set a min label ("Not at all likely") and max label ("Extremely likely"). Both required.

Multiple Choice / Picture Choice: Add options (up to 100). Toggle Randomize order to prevent bias. Set max responses — 1 = single-select, higher = multi-select.

Block type reference

Type	Best for
Smiley	Quick satisfaction rating (5 or 2 faces). Produces a trackable score.
NPS	"How likely are you to recommend us?" — the 0–10 loyalty scale.
Multiple Choice	Pick one or more from a list. Up to 100 options.
Picture Choice	Multiple Choice with images per option.
Free Text	Open text box for written feedback.
Break	Info screen — no response collected. Welcome messages, dividers, or redirects.

Click the block — it expands.
Change the question text, answer options, description, images, or required toggle.
Hit Save.

You can change almost everything, including the block type. One exception: smiley count (5 or 2) is locked after the first save. Need the other? Delete and recreate.

Drag and drop. Grab a block, move it up or down, and save.

Best practice: Lead with a smiley or NPS question — it feels quick and gets people moving. Put free text last. Respondents who've already invested a few clicks are more likely to write something.

If you use branching: reordering can silently remove conditions. A block can only branch on a question that comes before it. Move the trigger below the branch and the condition disappears — no warning. Lock in your order before adding logic. See Add Branching Logic.

Click the trash icon on the block.

Permanent. The question and all its historical responses are deleted. No undo. To hide a question without losing data, use branching logic to skip it instead.

Every Stream has a mandatory exit block at the bottom. You can't delete it, but you can customize:

Title — swap out the default "Thank you!"
Message and image — add via Show more fields
Redirect URL (Link streams) — send respondents to a landing page after they finish

Tip: Use the exit block to close the loop. "Thanks — we review every response and use it to improve your experience." Respondents who feel heard are more likely to respond again.

If a Stream has been archived because its end date passed, you can bring it back by updating the date:

Go to Streams in the Insights portal.
Click the Archived tab.
Find the Stream you want to reactivate.
Click Edit Stream.
Go to Settings.
Find the Schedule this Stream section.
Change the End date to your preferred date.
Click Save.

Your Stream is live again — and responses start flowing back in.

A survey that gathers dust helps no one. One that drives change? It starts here — with the right questions.

Every question maps to something you can change:

You want to improve...	Ask this
Overall experience	Smiley: "How was your visit today?"
A specific touchpoint	Smiley: "How was the check-in process?"
What to prioritize	Multiple Choice: "What matters most to you?"
Root cause	Free Text: "What could we do better?"
Loyalty	NPS: "How likely are you to recommend us?"

The pattern: broad satisfaction first, then drill into specifics, then open the floor. Three questions is often enough.

One thing per question. "How was the food and service?" — split it.
Plain language. No jargon, no double negatives. Just ask.
Be specific. "How was your experience?" is vague. "How was the check-in process?" gives you something to fix.
Skip demographics unless you need them. Asking age and gender first can bias responses — or make people bounce. Put them last if you must.
Shorter wins. Every extra question costs you completions. Three great questions beat ten mediocre ones.

Your survey is only as good as the number of people who complete it.

Timing: Ask as close to the experience as possible. A tablet at the exit catches fresh reactions. An email 3 days later? Most people have moved on. Send within 24 hours — response rates drop 40% after 72 hours.

Email surveys: The subject line is everything.

Keep it under 50 characters, personal and specific
Real sender name — not "noreply@"
One button, nothing else — don't compete with your own CTA
"Takes 2 minutes" — specific beats vague
"Your feedback shapes what we do next" — give purpose
3–4 lines max before the button
Design for mobile — over half will open on their phone

See Survey Email Best Practice for the full guide with visual examples.

On-site: Place tablets where people naturally pause — after checkout, at the exit, in a waiting area. Eye level, easy to reach. Don't hide them in a corner.

Good to Know

Up to 100 blocks per Stream. Hitting the ceiling? Split into multiple Streams or use a Stream Mix.

No. Questions, options, order — change whatever you want. The URL stays the same. QR codes and shared links keep working.

Link and ExpressTab support all six. Widget supports five (no Picture Choice). ExpressPod supports a single block — either Smiley or Multiple Choice.

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