Feature Spotlight: Dynamic Lookup Tables

In this Feature Spotlight we are focused on dynamic lookup tables. Dynamic lookup tables are an efficient way of categorizing and organizing data. Dynamic lookup tables can be used to segment data and allows for users to select one category before being shown the next. You have two main options when using a lookup table: a drop down box or a keyword search. Continue reading to learn more about dynamic lookup tables, see how to add them to your survey, and see how they look on mobile.

Add a dynamic lookup table to your survey first by clicking "Add a Question". Scroll down to the advanced question types, and under the Data/ Reference category, you will see Dynamic Lookup Tables. Dynamic lookup tables are an intuitive and efficient way of organizing data. For example, if you wanted to ask your survey respondents which college/ university they went to, the list could be thousands of lines long. Instead, you can segment the data by having the region, state, and then the university names listed.

After adding the question to your survey, you will see a page that looks like this. From here you can edit the instructions for the question as well as the list of answers. Enter the answer option for the primary text first, and the secondary answer option second, separated by a comma.

For example:
West,WA
West,OR
West,CA
Midwest,OH
Midwest,KY
Midwest,IN

This page simply shows how the dynamic lookup table will look in your survey. You will see the first drop down box with answer options, and after making a selection the next box will appear.

This shows how the second drop down box will appear in your survey.

Up until now we have been showing the drop down box for the dynamic lookup table. You also have the option to search by keyword. With this method, you can type a letter in the box to bring up options. Here we are showing that we typed a "W" in and brought up the answer options.

Lastly, we wanted to note that dynamic lookup tables are also supported on mobile. Add this question type to your survey online first, and then it can be easily used in the field via SurveyPocket or SurveySwipe. See the screenshots above to see what it looks like on mobile. We hope you have a better understanding of dynamic lookup tables now, and as always, feel free to reach out with any questions that you may have!