How To Use Text Highlighting Rendering Option

Overview

SurveyToGo supports a Text Highlighting rendering mode for Multi-Selection questions.

When this rendering type is used, the question displays a custom block of text instead of a traditional answer list. Respondents can then select or highlight specific words or phrases within the text.

This feature is particularly useful for studies that measure reactions to content, such as identifying words, phrases, or concepts that evoke a specific response from the respondent.

Common use cases include:

• Highlighting words that attract attention.

• Identifying positive or negative reactions to text.

• Testing advertising or marketing messages.

• Measuring emotional responses to written content.

• Conducting text-based qualitative research.

The selected words or phrases are captured as the respondent's answers, allowing the results to be analyzed in the same way as a standard Multi-Selection question.

 

Configuring the Text Highlighting Question Type

To use the Text Highlighting rendering mode, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Create a Multi-Selection Question

Add a Multi-Selection question to the survey.

In the question text, enter both:

• • The question prompt.

  • The text that respondents will review and highlight.

Separate these two sections using the special separator:

Example

Which words stand out to you in the following text?

@@_@@

This product is innovative, reliable, affordable, and easy to use.

• • Everything before the separator is displayed as the question text.
  • Everything after the separator becomes the text available for highlighting.

Step 2: Set the Rendering Mode

Open the question settings and change the rendering mode to Text Highlighting.

Image Reference: Text Highlighting rendering mode selected for the Multi-Selection question.

Step 3: Generate the Answers

After entering the text, click Convert Text to Answers.

SurveyToGo automatically extracts the words from the text and creates them as answer options for the question.

Once the conversion is complete, the generated words will appear in the Answers tab.

Important Note

Leave the Num Of Columns field empty.

Do not enter any value in this field when using the Text Highlighting rendering mode.

Additional Options

Underline Visible Answers

When enabled, all selectable words are displayed with an underline.

If some answers have been hidden through answer filtering or answer properties, only the visible and selectable words will be underlined.

Highlight Hidden Answers

When enabled, answers marked as hidden in the Advanced Answer Properties are displayed with a gray highlight.

This allows respondents to see which words exist in the text but are not available for selection.

This option is useful when certain words should remain visible while being excluded from respondent selection.