Survey Template: Design Your Email on the "Survey Start" Page

Introduction

Your survey email is often the first impression your contacts have of your brand during the feedback process. A well-designed email improves deliverability, response rates, and engagement. The Survey Start page lets you customize everything from your logo and subject line to the question text and button colors—ensuring your survey reflects your brand and voice.

This article walks you through best practices and setup instructions to create high-performing survey emails in AskNicely.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Video Tutorial

Accessing Your Survey Templates

1. Click the hammer & pencil icon on the left navigation bar

2. Choose the Survey Template you wish to edit

3. You’ll land on the Survey Start page where all email settings can be customized

Upload Your Logo

• Ideal logo size: 120x120 pixels

• Click “Change Logo” → Select File → Upload your image → Save

• Reload the page to preview the update

• Each template can have its own logo

  New templates default to your main account logo (bottom-left of the AskNicely dashboard)

"From Name" and "Sender Address" Fields

From Name: Use a real person’s first and last name—this builds trust and improves open rates.

⚠️ Avoid:

• Generic terms like “Customer Support”

• Multiple names

• Special characters
  These are more likely to be flagged by spam filters.

Sender Address: We strongly recommend using your company's domain and an appropriate prefix such as 'feedback' (e.g. '[e-mail]'). You can read more about configured domains on Sending Surveys From Your Email Domain.

Use dynamic sender address: This option only becomes available when an account has multiple email domains configured. When checked, surveys will check for a Location associated with each contact and if that location has 'sender address' associated with it. If a location-specific sender address is found then that will be used in place of the sender address configured in the template. This is primarily useful for multi-brand scenarios where you may wish to send the same survey content with relevant branding. 

Your Subject Line

This is your contact’s first touchpoint beyond the sender name. Follow these best practices:

• Personalize it with {firstname} (dynamic field)

• Keep it short, human, and conversational

• Avoid the word "survey" and any reference to time ("just a minute," etc.)

Examples:

• “Hey {firstname}, got a sec?”

• “Quick question about your recent experience”

Configuring the Question Field

• Keep it short and focused—don’t distract from the core rating ask

• Avoid long intros or explanations

• Use AskNicely’s default phrasing unless you have a specific tone or message

Markdown formatting is supported for light styling. View Markdown Help

Button Color

Maintain on-brand design by adjusting the numbered button colors:

• Click the “Button Color” field

• Choose from the palette or enter your brand’s hex color code

• Logo and button color can be set per template for multi-brand organizations

Score-Based Button Color

Set separate background colors for promoter, passive, and detractor survey ratings:

• Check the “Score-based button colors” box

• For each score category, choose from the palette or enter your brand’s hex color code

• Change will be reflected in the preview 
• Score-based button color is available for NPS, 5-Star, and CSAT

Progress Bar

Enable a progress bar on the survey to help improve completion rates by showing respondents their progress. 

Footer

• Add optional footer text for legal or branding notes

• Avoid links in this section—adding hyperlinks may trigger spam filters

Simplicity is key. Less is more when it comes to email formatting.

Advanced Settings

Using the "Options" Link

In editable sections like:

• Subject

• Question

• Request for Comment

• Thanks for Comment

…you’ll see a small “options” link.

Clicking this reveals:

• Dynamic fields from your Contact data (e.g. {company}, {location}, {firstname})

• Ability to add fallback values:

  Example: {company fallback independent contractor}

Choosing Your Metric

Your Leading Metric determines the structure and reporting of your surveys.

See: Choosing Your Metric for a full breakdown

Metric Options:

• NPS: Use industry-standard 0–10 rating with device-responsive layout for mobile optimization

• CSAT: Customize response labels (great for non-English surveys)

• FiveStar: Uses symbol-based ratings (not editable)

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: Can I have different logos or colors for different brands?
  A: Yes. Each template can have its own logo, colors, and messaging.

• Q: Why do some emails go to spam?
  A: Avoid:

  • Spammy subject lines

  • Link-heavy footers

  • Over-styled or long text blocks

• Q: What if my contact doesn’t have a value for a dynamic field?
  A: Use the fallback feature inside curly brackets to provide a default term.

• Q: Can I preview my email design?
  A: Yes, use the Preview tool in the Conversation Builder or send a test email from the Send page.

Next Steps & Related Articles

• Survey Templates: Customize with the Conversation Builder

• Choosing Your Survey Metric

Video Tutorial

Need Help?

Need a second opinion on your design? Reach out to your Customer Success Manager or click the question mark icon in the bottom-right corner of AskNicely.