Salesforce Marketing Cloud Data Views: _SurveyResponse

Posted on by admin

The _SurveyResponse data view in Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) allows you to analyze how subscribers respond to surveys sent through your Marketing Cloud account. This data view is useful for gathering feedback, improving campaign strategies, and understanding customer preferences.

This blog will walk you through the structure, key use cases, and SQL query examples for using the _SurveyResponse data view effectively.

What is the _SurveyResponse Data View?

The _SurveyResponse data view captures all responses submitted through surveys connected to email sends in SFMC. These records are stored for six months and help provide feedback-based insights for personalized marketing, journey optimization, and sentiment analysis.

Key Benefits of _SurveyResponse Data View

  • Customer Feedback: Collect and analyze survey data from email campaigns.
  • Personalization Opportunities: Use response data to tailor future messaging.
  • Segmentation: Build audiences based on preferences and responses.
  • Performance Monitoring: Evaluate how well content or campaigns resonate with recipients.

Fields in _SurveyResponse Data View & Their Uses

FieldTypeDescription & Use Case
AccountIDNumberYour SFMC account ID. Useful in multi-account environments.
OYBAccountIDNumberParent account ID (for enterprise accounts). Helps in cross-BU reporting.
JobIDNumberEmail send job ID. Can be joined with _Job, _Sent, etc.
ListIDNumberID of the list used in the email send.
BatchIDNumberBatch ID of the send. Useful for analyzing segmented sends.
SubscriberIDNumberInternal ID of the subscriber. Used for backend joins.
SubscriberKeyTextUnique identifier for the subscriber (email or external ID).
EventDateDateTimestamp of when the survey response occurred. Enables time-based trend analysis.
DomainTextDomain of the respondent’s email address. Useful for ISP-level analysis.
SurveyIDNumberID of the survey. Used to filter by specific survey.
SurveyNameTextName of the survey. Helps distinguish surveys in reports.
IsUniqueNumberIndicates whether this is the respondent’s first survey response.
QuestionIDNumberID of the survey question.
QuestionNameTextFriendly name of the survey question.
QuestionTextThe full text of the survey question.
AnswerIDNumberID of the selected answer.
AnswerNameTextFriendly name of the selected answer.
AnswerTextThe Boolean response to the survey (if applicable).
AnswerDataTextText content of the response. Use this for open-ended or choice-based questions.

When and Why to Use _SurveyResponse Data View?

When to Use?

  • To analyze customer feedback from survey forms.
  • To build audiences based on preferences or responses.
  • For journey personalization or branching logic based on answers.
  • When performing campaign sentiment analysis.

Why Use It?

  • Improve Campaign Relevance: Learn what subscribers care about.
  • Drive Better Engagement: Adapt content based on feedback.
  • Enhance Reporting: Visualize how responses vary by campaign, time, or audience.
  • Test & Learn: Run controlled experiments using survey responses.

10 Example Scenarios and Queries

1. Retrieve All Survey Responses in the Last 30 Days

SELECT SubscriberKey, SurveyName, Question, AnswerData, EventDate 
FROM _SurveyResponse 
WHERE EventDate >= DATEADD(day, -30, GETDATE())

Use Case: Understand recent engagement with surveys.

2. Count of Responses Per Survey

SELECT SurveyName, COUNT(*) AS TotalResponses 
FROM _SurveyResponse 
GROUP BY SurveyName

Use Case: Evaluate popularity of individual surveys.

3. Most Common Answers to a Specific Question

SELECT AnswerData, COUNT(*) AS Total 
FROM _SurveyResponse 
WHERE QuestionName = 'Satisfaction Level' 
GROUP BY AnswerData 
ORDER BY Total DESC

Use Case: Gauge customer sentiment on a specific topic.

4. Unique Survey Respondents

SELECT DISTINCT SubscriberKey 
FROM _SurveyResponse

Use Case: Build a list of participants.

5. Responses by Email Domain

SELECT Domain, COUNT(*) AS ResponseCount 
FROM _SurveyResponse 
GROUP BY Domain

Use Case: Understand engagement across email providers.

6. Survey Responses from a Specific Campaign (JobID)

SELECT SubscriberKey, SurveyName, AnswerData 
FROM _SurveyResponse 
WHERE JobID = 789456

Use Case: Track survey feedback tied to one campaign.

7. Open-Ended Answers for Analysis

SELECT Question, AnswerData 
FROM _SurveyResponse 
WHERE AnswerData IS NOT NULL 
AND LEN(AnswerData) > 10

Use Case: Collect qualitative insights.

8. Subscribers Who Provided a Specific Answer

SELECT SubscriberKey 
FROM _SurveyResponse 
WHERE AnswerName = 'Extremely Satisfied'

Use Case: Create loyalty audiences or reward programs.

9. Daily Survey Response Trends

SELECT CAST(EventDate AS DATE) AS ResponseDate, COUNT(*) AS Responses 
FROM _SurveyResponse 
GROUP BY CAST(EventDate AS DATE)

Use Case: Visualize daily survey participation.

10. Join with _Sent to Understand Who Responded

SELECT s.SubscriberKey, s.EventDate AS SentDate, r.EventDate AS ResponseDate 
FROM _Sent s 
JOIN _SurveyResponse r 
ON s.SubscriberKey = r.SubscriberKey 
WHERE r.EventDate >= DATEADD(day, -30, GETDATE())

Use Case: Attribute responses to sends.

Conclusion

The _SurveyResponse data view in Salesforce Marketing Cloud provides valuable insights into how your audience thinks and feels. By analyzing survey data, marketers can personalize experiences, improve messaging strategies, and track sentiment over time.

Pair _SurveyResponse with data views like _Sent, _Open, _Click, and _Job to create powerful feedback loops and data-driven campaigns.

Related Posts