How do I create my first survey?+
Sign up for a free account, then from My Surveys choose a template or start from a blank survey and add questions in the builder. Every change saves as you go. When it's ready, open the Collect tab to create a link you can share.
Can AI build the survey for me?+
Yes. Describe what you want to learn in plain English and Thisys drafts a complete survey — often after a short clarifying round for a sharper result. You review and edit everything before it goes live; the draft is a starting point, not the final word.
Is there help inside the product?+
Yes — Chat, in the top bar of every page once you have an account (Ctrl+K from anywhere, and a floating button on phones). Ask how to build a survey, read results, manage billing or anything else about Thisys, and it answers with the exact page as a button rather than directions to hunt through. It's free and never charged to your AI credits.
How do I translate my survey into another language?+
Open the survey, then its Languages tab. Type the language's NAME — "Tamil", "Spanish" — and pick it from the list: Thisys fills in the language code and the reading direction for you. Then either type the wording yourself or press "Fill with AI" for a complete first draft to review. The AI is asked to address respondents in the same register as the survey page's own buttons and messages in that language (in Spanish, the formal "usted") — check it as you review. Respondents choose their language from a menu at the top of the survey card, and anything you leave untranslated falls back to the original text. Multi-language is a Pro feature.
What question types can I use?+
Nineteen: multiple choice, image choice (picture cards respondents tap), checkbox, dropdown, rating scale (with per-step labels and an N/A option), Net Promoter Score, slider, single and multiple matrix grids, a matrix of dropdown menus, open text, multiple textboxes, numerical textboxes with fixed-sum rules, a structured demographic block, ranking, file upload, date and time, descriptive text blocks, and drawn signature. Net Promoter Score and slider each appear as a type of their own in the builder's question picker, and that is how we count them. All nineteen are on every plan, including Free.
Can I add skip logic to route respondents?+
Yes. Open the survey's Logic tab and press + Add rule. A rule reads one or more earlier answers (up to five, joined by all or any) and then shows or hides a later question, or sends the respondent to a later page or straight to the end. Rules are checked as each respondent moves through the survey, and skip logic is on every plan.
What happens if a respondent leaves partway through?+
Their progress is saved. On the same device they return to where they left off, and a personal invitation link carries on from any device. On an anonymous link the place is kept only while the tab stays open, unless you change that on the survey's Options tab. Unfinished submissions are kept and counted separately rather than discarded, so you can still see how far people got.
Can I match a survey to my brand?+
Choose from the 4 contrast-checked built-in themes (Light, Classic, Dark and System) on any plan, or build your own palette, type and buttons with the theme editor on Pro. Any plan can add a logo to a survey on its Options tab, under Survey logo; on Pro and above you can also collect fully white-labelled — your logo in place of "Powered by Thisys".
Can respondents change the colours they see?+
Yes, and it is on by default. Every web link carries a small palette icon at the top of the survey card: a respondent can switch between Light, Classic, Dark and your own theme, and the choice is remembered for that link on their device. It never changes what anyone else sees, and you can switch the control off for a link in its Settings if you would rather everyone saw one look. A survey on your own theme also follows a device in dark mode: a respondent whose phone or computer is set to dark sees a dark version of it, with your brand colour kept. Tick Always light, beside the theme in the link's Settings, to keep it light everywhere.
What collector types are available?+
Two kinds, both made on a survey's Collect tab: a web link (one public URL for social posts, QR codes, newsletters and embedding) and an email invitation (a personal link per contact, so you know who replied). Tick Anonymous responses on a web link and it saves no IP address or browser details with the responses; set it to Kiosk mode on the Options tab for one shared device. Each link tracks its responses separately.
Can I limit who responds, or close a survey automatically?+
Yes, on every plan including Free. On the survey's Collect tab, open a link's Settings: add an Access code so a publicly-shared link is answered privately, set Closes at to close the link on a date, or set a Response limit to cap it at a target number of responses. You can also close and reopen collection at any time without losing responses.
How do I analyse the results?+
Open Analyse and pick the survey. Its Responses tab is recomputed every time you open it — counts, percentages, distributions and averages, with bar charts (switchable to pie on choice and drop-down questions), NPS scoring and an individual-response view, all on every plan. From the Pro plan up its Drop-off & cross-tab tab compares choice, dropdown and rating questions against each other and shows where people stopped, and you can filter responses and save the filters.
Do I have to wait with the page open while a report is built?+
No. A Decision Report is queued and built away from the page — you can navigate off, close the tab, come back later, and it will be there. While it runs the page shows live progress, and a run can be cancelled until its summary is written: nothing is charged if it has not started, and only the AI call already under way if it has.
Can AI help me read open-text answers?+
Yes. Thisys can surface the recurring themes across hundreds of free-text answers, write a plain-English executive summary of a response set, and answer a direct question you put to the data. These runs are metered by AI credits, and a run your balance can't cover is refused before it starts.
What formats can I export — including SPSS, Word and PowerPoint?+
Open the survey in Analyse and choose its Export & download tab. Responses download as CSV, an Excel (.xlsx) workbook — either with unfinished responses included — or an SPSS .sav file with short variable names and question and value labels. The report comes as a PowerPoint deck, a Word document, a PDF summary, an R analyst bundle (data, codebook and a ready-to-run script), or structured JSON or XML. The questionnaire itself exports as HTML, a printable PDF, a Word document, Excel, CSV or XML. Exports respect whatever response filter you have active. Every survey's downloads are also gathered on Analyse ▸ Exports.
How does Thisys help me handle personal data responsibly?+
Set a per-survey retention window so old responses are purged automatically (new surveys default to 24 months), show a timestamped consent notice before the survey begins, and switch on anonymous collection — which keeps IP address, browser details and invitation identity out of the response, enforced at capture rather than hidden on read. Other records are separate (routine security logs on our servers keep IP addresses for up to 30 days, our network provider (Cloudflare) sees each request, and the app keeps an abuse-protection record of the IP address for 48 hours — none of it is attached to the response); the Privacy Policy explains.
What is the security scanner?+
A tool that finds personal data — Tax File Numbers, ABNs, Medicare and card numbers (checksum-validated; a number written as a tax file number is caught even when mistyped), emails, phone and BSB — either in files on your machine (scanned in your browser; contents never uploaded) or in the responses you've already collected, from PII scans. Findings are masked, and the scan history is hash-chained so tampering is detectable.
How do I delete my account?+
From your account's Delete account tab. For safety it's never one click: we email a confirmation link first, so nothing is erased by an open screen. Once you confirm, every survey, response and file is permanently removed. We'll ask why you're leaving — it genuinely shapes what we build.
How do I reset my password?+
Use the Forgot password link on the sign-in page — we'll email a reset link to your registered address, valid for one hour.
How do AI credits work?+
AI features are paid in credits: 40 in your first 30 days on Free and 10 a month after, 400 a month on Pro, 2,000 on Business, and a custom allowance on Enterprise. Every run is priced by real model cost, and one your balance can't cover is refused before it starts. You can buy top-up packs (from 1,000 up to 1,000,000 credits) on your account's Billing & credits tab; they get cheaper per credit the more you buy and can convert into extra response capacity.
Which AI provider does Thisys use?+
Anthropic Claude. It is the only AI provider Thisys sends your content to, and your content is never used to train it.
Can I connect Thisys to other tools?+
Yes. Send a signed webhook (HMAC-SHA256) to your endpoint the moment a response completes, or use the REST API with per-key access to list, create and retrieve surveys. You can also publish a read-only public results page or an always-current CSV link for people without an account.
Is Thisys free?+
There's a genuinely useful free plan: unlimited surveys and questions, all nineteen question types, skip logic and CSV, Excel and SPSS export, plus 1,000 answers a month and 40 AI credits in your first 30 days (then 10 a month). Paid plans raise the limits and add cross-tabulation, more collectors, white-labelling and saved filters. Pro costs US$19 a month and Business US$99 a month (US dollars, before tax; customers in Australia are billed in Australian dollars, with the A$ price and GST shown before they pay); Enterprise is priced per client. The Pricing page compares them line by line.
What happens when I reach my response limit?+
Collection doesn't stop the instant you hit the number. There's a grace band above the limit (10% on Free, up to 25% on Business) and we email you well before it matters, so a live campaign isn't cut off without warning. You can add response capacity with credits, or upgrade.
How does payment work?+
Paid plans are billed monthly through Stripe's hosted checkout, and you return straight to Thisys after paying. Card details never touch our servers. You can change plan on your account's Plans tab, and manage or cancel any time from the billing portal there.
Do you offer an Enterprise plan?+
Yes — a custom-priced Enterprise plan hosted on your own domain (for example thisys.yourco.com or yourco.thisys.com) with dedicated infrastructure, every capability unlocked, and dedicated support. You get your own admin panel with full administrative control of your instance — users, plans, content and settings. The servers themselves stay hosted and managed by us; if you need to run it on your own infrastructure, ask about BYOC / self-hosting. It's arranged by conversation rather than self-serve checkout; contact us and we'll set it up.
How do I set a quota?+
A quota closes a segment once it has enough responses — say 100 people aged 18–24. Open the survey's Collect tab, open a link's settings and press + Add quota: choose the answer that defines the segment and how many you need. When it fills, the next respondents in that segment are thanked and screened out, or only marked if you choose that, and everyone else carries on. Quotas are on the Business plan.
Can I show an earlier answer in a later question?+
Yes — that's piping. In the question editor press Insert an earlier answer and pick the question: each respondent sees their own answer in the text (a name they typed, an option they chose), with a word you choose for anyone who skipped it. Piping works in question text, page titles and descriptions, and the thank-you, screened-out and quota-full messages — each has the same Insert an earlier answer list.
Can I randomise the order of questions, options or pages?+
Yes. In a question's editor tick Randomise option order — you can keep the last option, such as "None of these", in place. On a page's ⋯ menu choose Randomise question order and pin any question that must stay put. On the Options tab, Page order can show a run of pages in random order. Each respondent keeps their own order if they go back or resume later.
Can I send reminders to people who haven't responded?+
Yes, on an email invitation link (Pro plan and above). On the survey's Collect tab, tick Remind people who haven't responded under the invitation, then choose how many days to wait (1 to 14) and the most reminders each person gets (up to 3). A reminder can have its own subject and message, or repeat the invitation's. Reminders go only to people whose invitation was delivered, and stop the moment someone responds or unsubscribes. A web link has no addresses to remind, so share it again yourself.
How do certificates work?+
Make the survey a scored quiz — mark the correct answers and set a pass mark — then open it in Assess and go to Certificates. Choose the question that holds each person's name and tick Issue a certificate as soon as someone passes: a passing respondent gets a link to their certificate on their result screen, and every certificate carries a code that proves it is genuine.
How do I get an API key?+
On the Business plan, open your account's API & integrations tab and create a key. A key can list, create and read surveys, and read and send in their responses. The Developer reference lists every endpoint, the webhook payloads and how to verify a delivery.
Can I embed a survey in my website?+
Yes. Any survey link can be shown inside another website, on every plan. From Pro up, the Collect tab's Embed code adds a ready-made snippet — a frame inside your page or a pop-up — and the frame sizes itself to the survey, so there is no inner scrollbar.
How do I delete a response?+
Open Analyse, pick the survey, open its Responses tab, switch to Individual, find the response and press Delete response. Its answers and any files it uploaded are removed, the deletion is recorded in Protect's audit trail, and any webhook subscribed to deletions is told. To remove only personal details and keep the rest, run a PII scan and use Remove personal data on the response.
Can I use my own domain?+
Yes, on Enterprise: your instance runs on your own domain (for example survey.yourco.com), provisioned and managed by us. Other plans share thisys.com addresses; any plan can put your logo on a survey, and Pro and above can show it in place of “Powered by Thisys”.
Is there a dark mode?+
Yes. The theme button in the top bar switches the app between Light, Classic, Dark and System (which follows your device). It changes what you see, not your surveys: what respondents see is set per survey, and they can switch palettes themselves.
Can I import a survey or its responses from another tool?+
Yes. Open Import — also offered on the Create survey page — and bring a questionnaire, its responses, or both, from CSV, Excel, PDF, Word or a web page table. Everything is read and shown to you first, every question and every consequence, before anything is created, and an import can be removed again in one step.
How do I turn on two-factor authentication?+
Open your account's Login & security tab and press Turn on two-factor authentication. Scan the QR code with an authenticator app (Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, 1Password, Authy), enter the six-digit code, and save the recovery codes it shows you — they get you in if you lose your phone. Two-factor is on every plan. The code guards sign-in with your email and password: signing in with Google or Microsoft, including “Continue with Google” with your account's own email address, does not ask for it and relies on the security of that account instead (an administrator account is asked for the code on every route). The tab says which routes apply to your account.
What if I lose my phone and my recovery codes?+
Sign-in asks for the code from your authenticator app or one of your recovery codes, and either will do. If you have neither, contact us from the email address on your account (the sign-in page gives our support address too), and we'll help you back in once we've checked the account is yours. Keep your recovery codes somewhere other than your phone.
Can my team work on surveys together?+
Yes, on the Business plan: a team workspace for up to 10 people with Owner, Admin, Member and Viewer roles — a Viewer reads and downloads the team’s results and changes nothing. Invite people from Team ▸ Members (Team ▸ Invites lists the invitations still waiting); team surveys are owned together, and Team activity shows who did what.
Do you support single sign-on (SSO)?+
You can sign in with Google or Microsoft on every plan, as well as with an email and password. SAML or OIDC single sign-on to your own identity provider is not built yet.
Does cross-tabulation test for statistical significance?+
Yes. On a survey's Drop-off & cross-tab tab (Pro and up), a cross-tab shows column percentages with a base (n) under each column, and each cell carries the letters of the columns it is significantly higher than — a two-proportion z-test at 95%. Columns with a base under 30 are marked and not tested, so a small group never reads as a finding.
Can I weight responses to match a population?+
Partly. On a survey's Drop-off & cross-tab tab (Pro and up) you can weight responses by one question: give each answer a multiplier, and the cross-tabs and segments use it, with a weight column added to the CSV and Excel exports. The Summary page and the AI report stay unweighted counts, percentages and means, and Thisys does not balance several variables at once (raking) or match a population for you. For that, download the responses as SPSS (.sav) or the R analyst bundle from the survey's Export & download tab and weight them there.
How do I send responses to another system with a webhook?+
On the Business plan, open the survey's Collect tab, go to Webhooks and press Add webhook: give your endpoint's https address, choose the events (a completed response, a flagged one, a withdrawal and more) and the format — signed JSON, or a Slack/Teams message. Send test checks it straight away. Each JSON delivery carries an HMAC-SHA256 signature, and the Developer reference has the payloads and the code to verify one. A webhook that fails 10 times in a row pauses itself; see each one's health under Act ▸ Integrations.
Can the same person answer my survey twice? How do I stop duplicate responses?+
Duplicate responses are blocked by default: a web link takes one completed response per browser, and a second visit from the same browser is turned away. To allow repeat answers, open the link's Settings on the Collect tab and tick "Allow multiple responses from the same browser"; you can limit it to once a day, once a week or once a month. On an open public link you can also tick "One response per internet connection", which turns away a second browser or device on a connection that has already answered — people sharing one connection, such as an office or a school, then answer only once between them. It is not offered on email invitations, and an anonymous link cannot use it because it saves no IP address. An email invitation is a personal link that takes one response from the person it went to. A browser check cannot tell two people on one shared computer apart, or stop someone who clears their cookies or changes network, so for a strict one-person-one-answer study, or a vote that must resist ballot stuffing, use email invitations.
Can I pause or close a survey by hand, and reopen it later?+
Yes. On the survey's Collect tab, open the Actions menu on a link and choose Close collector: anyone who opens that link then sees your closed message instead of the survey. Choose Reopen collector on the same menu to start collecting again. Nothing is lost, because responses already collected stay where they are. There is no separate pause: a closed link is the pause. On a plan that keeps one link open per survey, close the other link first to reopen this one. To close a link on a date instead, set its Closes at time in the link's Settings.
Where do I find my invoices and receipts?+
Open your account's Billing & credits tab and press Manage billing. That opens Stripe's billing portal, where you can see your invoices and receipts, update your saved card and cancel a plan. The button appears once you have bought a plan or credits. Card details never touch our servers.
How do I cancel my subscription, and can I get a refund?+
You can cancel at any time: press Manage billing on your account's Billing & credits tab and cancel in Stripe's billing portal. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the period you have already paid for, so your plan stays active until then and you are not charged again. We do not give pro-rata refunds for the unused part of a period, except where the law requires one, including the consumer guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law. Credit and answer top-ups are one-off purchases: they are used up as you go and are not refundable once spent, except where the law requires a refund. If you think a charge was a mistake, contact us. The full wording is in the Terms of Service.
Do you charge GST, and what currency am I billed in?+
Prices on the Pricing page are in US dollars and exclude taxes. Applicable taxes, such as GST for customers in Australia, are calculated at checkout. Customers in Australia are billed in Australian dollars, and the A$ price and the GST are shown before you pay. At checkout you can also add a tax ID, such as an ABN.
Are my surveys and responses backed up?+
The database is backed up every night, and the last 14 days of those backups are kept on the server. An encrypted copy of each night's database backup is also kept for 30 days in separate storage in the same region, and our hosting provider (DigitalOcean) takes a backup of the whole server every day. Uploaded files, such as survey images, logos and files that respondents attach, are kept in DigitalOcean Spaces object storage and are not yet backed up separately from it; a separate backup of uploaded files is planned. When you delete your account, your data leaves backups within 30 days as they age out. The detail is on the Security page.
Where is my data stored, and in which region?+
Thisys runs on DigitalOcean infrastructure. The sub-processor table on the Security page names every provider that handles your data and where each one holds it. Some providers process limited data outside Australia: transactional email, payments, the optional Google and Microsoft sign-in, and the AI features are handled in the United States, and requests to the site pass through our network and security provider's global network on their way to our servers. The Privacy Policy explains where information leaves Australia and why. If you need a statement of location for a contract or a compliance review, contact us.
How reliable is Thisys, and is there an uptime guarantee?+
A watchdog restarts the application if it stops responding, and planned maintenance is announced ahead of time on the status page and in a banner across the site. The status page is a live check of the application and its database, made when you load it; it keeps no history of past checks and does not cover email delivery or the AI features. We do not state an uptime figure in the Terms, on the Pricing page or on the Security page. If you need an availability commitment for a contract, contact us.
Is there a mobile app?+
There is no app to download from the App Store or Google Play. Thisys runs in the web browser on phones and tablets as well as computers, so you can build surveys, share links and read results there, and respondents answer in their own browser on any device, with no app to install. To open Thisys like an app, use your browser's Add to Home Screen or Install app option.
How do I change my email address?+
On your account's Login & security tab, type the new address in Email address and press Save changes. To confirm it's you, enter your password, or a code from your authenticator app if your account has no password; if you sign in with Google or Microsoft, sign in again first. We email a link to the new address to confirm it, and tell your current address about the change.