> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.zigpoll.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.zigpoll.com/subscription-plans/how-we-calculate-responses.md). # How we calculate responses Wondering how your responses add up? A response is counted towards your account whenever a participant takes one of your surveys. It doesn't matter how many questions the survey has or how many of them they answer: one person taking one survey is **one response**. So if you have a 3 question survey and a participant fills out the whole thing, you tally up 1 response. If they stop after the first question, that's still 1 response. Each question they answer is tracked separately as an **answer**. Answers are shown throughout your dashboard so you can see how much data each question is collecting, but they don't count toward your plan limit. Previews of your own surveys from the Zigpoll dashboard and synthetic (AI) research never count as responses. ### Responses, answers, and write-ins You'll see three different counters on your dashboard and in the API. Here's what each one means: * **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 content given back (short answers, long answers, dynamic "other" inputs). 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**. {% hint style="info" %} [Synthetic research](/synthetic-research.md) has its own separate monthly quota per plan, measured in synthetic answers. It never counts toward your response limit. {% endhint %} ### When a repeat visit counts again By default a survey can only be taken once per participant, so returning to a survey you already started continues the same response rather than starting a new one. If you turn on **Allow Resubmissions** in the survey's settings, every fresh start of the survey is a new response. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.zigpoll.com/subscription-plans/how-we-calculate-responses.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.