How we calculate responses

Wondering how your responses add up?

A response counts toward your account whenever a participant takes one of your surveys. One person taking one survey is one response, however many questions the survey has or they answer. If a participant fills out all of a 3 question survey, that's 1 response. If they stop after the first question, that's still 1 response.

Each question they answer is tracked separately as an answer. Your dashboard shows answers so you can see how much data each question collects. Answers don't count toward your plan limit.

Previews of your own surveys from the Zigpoll dashboard and synthetic (AI) research never count as responses.

Changed on September 1, 2026. Before that date, plan limits counted every answered question: a 3 question survey completed by one person used 3 of your monthly allowance. Since September 1, 2026, limits count one response per person taking a survey. The plan limit numbers were re-based to match (see Subscription Plans). Support replies and emails from before that date that describe per-question counting no longer apply.

Responses, Answers, and Write-Ins

You'll see three counters on your dashboard and in the API:

• Responses — one participant taking your survey. This is the number your plan limit applies to.

• Answers — one question answered by one participant. A single response can produce many answers, one for each question they answer.

• Write-Ins — free-text answers (short answers, long answers, write-in answers). They're a subset of your answers, tracked separately so you can see how much qualitative feedback you're collecting.

A 3 question survey completed by 10 participants would show 10 responses and 30 answers.

Synthetic research has its own separate monthly quota per plan, measured in synthetic answers. It never counts toward your response limit.

When a repeat visit counts again

By default, each participant can take a survey only once. Returning to a survey you already started continues the same response instead of starting a new one.

To let people take a survey more than once:

1. Open the survey and go to Settings → General → Behavior.

2. In the Answering card, turn on Allow resubmissions.

With it on, the survey restarts from the first question every time it loads. Each load that gets at least one answer is a new response. This suits contact-us style forms, but it can use up your allowance much faster.