Dynamic choice options in Multiple choice question type in survey | XM Community
Skip to main content
Question

Dynamic choice options in Multiple choice question type in survey

  • October 27, 2025
  • 5 replies
  • 41 views
N
Level 4 ●●●●
Forum|alt.badge.img+4

Hi,

I have a requirement of a survey in which a multiple choice question needs to be created. It is for customer manager to login. Based on login, the corresponding customer account names need to appear as choice options for the question. It allows only single choice. The account names are placed in an embedded field with pipe separator. Below code does it visually by manipulating the DOM element. But how to add it as choice in survey response :

 

Refine this code to add the selected value to set the selected choice of the question Qualtrics.SurveyEngine.addOnload(function () {
  var qid = this.getQuestionInfo().QuestionID;
  var custString = "${e://Field/GP_AGP-Name}";
  if (!custString) return;

  var customers = custString.split("|").map(c => c.trim()).filter(c => c);
  var $qContainer = jQuery("#" + qid);
  var $ul = $qContainer.find("ul.ChoiceStructure");

  // Remove placeholder choices
  $ul.empty();

  // Build new Qualtrics-style choices
  customers.forEach((cust, i) => {
    var inputId = "QR~" + qid + "~" + (i + 1);
    var labelId = qid + "-" + (i + 1) + "-label";

    // <li class="Selection">
    var $li = jQuery("<li>", { class: "Selection" });

    // <span class="LabelWrapper">
    var $span = jQuery("<span>", { class: "LabelWrapper" });

    // <input>
    var $input = jQuery("<input>", {
      type: "radio",
      name: "QR~" + qid,
      id: inputId,
      value: cust,
      class: "InputElement QWatchTimer"
    });

    // <span class="q-radio"> (for Qualtrics circle)
    var $decor = jQuery("<span>", { class: "q-radio" });

    // <label>
    var $label = jQuery("<label>", {
      for: inputId,
      id: labelId,
      class: "SingleAnswer ChoiceTextPositionLeft",
      text: cust
    });

    $span.append($input).append($decor).append($label);
    $li.append($span);
    $ul.append($li);
  });

  // 🪄 Force Qualtrics to apply its custom styling logic again
  if (typeof Qualtrics !== "undefined" && Qualtrics.SurveyEngine) {
    Qualtrics.SurveyEngine.Page.autoRadio();
  }

  // 🧩 Fallback: manually toggle q-checked for visual feedback
  jQuery("#" + qid + " input[type=radio]").on("change", function () {
    jQuery("#" + qid + " .q-radio").removeClass("q-checked");
    jQuery(this).siblings(".q-radio").addClass("q-checked");
  });
});

 

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

Neha Tank

5 replies

TomG
Level 8 ●●●●●●●●
Forum|alt.badge.img+27
  • TomG
  • Level 8 ●●●●●●●●
  • 6082 replies
  • October 27, 2025

​@Neha Tank,

You can’t dynamically add a choice and have it show up in response data.  You’ll need to change your approach. You could do the following:

  1. Instead of removing the existing choices, dynamically change the choice text to your account names
  2. Save the account names to embedded data fields to record which choice maps to each account name (e.g., choice1 = Account Name 1)
N
Level 4 ●●●●
Forum|alt.badge.img+4
  • Neha Tank
  • Author
  • Level 4 ●●●●
  • 102 replies
  • October 29, 2025

​@TomG , thanks for the response.

I cannot dynamically change as the number of choices vary depending on the customer manager. It depends on number of accounts that a customer Manager handles. ChatGPT suggested that if I use AddChoice instead of just manipulating DOM elements, it can be stored as dynamic choice. So was trying to do that.

Ya, the option of embedded fields is what I have thought of as a back up plan.

Any idea how Addchoice code can be written ?

TomG
Level 8 ●●●●●●●●
Forum|alt.badge.img+27
  • TomG
  • Level 8 ●●●●●●●●
  • 6082 replies
  • October 29, 2025

​@TomG , thanks for the response.

I cannot dynamically change as the number of choices vary depending on the customer manager. It depends on number of accounts that a customer Manager handles. ChatGPT suggested that if I use AddChoice instead of just manipulating DOM elements, it can be stored as dynamic choice. So was trying to do that.

Ya, the option of embedded fields is what I have thought of as a back up plan.

Any idea how Addchoice code can be written ?

You can’t always believe what ChatGPT says.  There is no such thing as AddChoice. There is an update question API (not JS), but it can’t be used to modify a survey for an in-process response.

There are a number of ways you could go:

  1. Using my original suggestion, you can set up the question so it has the maximum number of choices, then hide the extra choices.
  2. You could set up the question so it has all the possible accounts as choices, then hide the ones that don’t apply. This would make the data cleaner since there would be one choice per account that doesn’t change.
  3. You could make it a text entry question, have the JS ‘create’ the choices like you did in your JS, then save the selected choice to the text entry box.
N
Level 4 ●●●●
Forum|alt.badge.img+4
  • Neha Tank
  • Author
  • Level 4 ●●●●
  • 102 replies
  • October 30, 2025

​@TomG , Let me explore any of these options and let you know if it worked for me. Thanks for your guidance.

Regards,

Neha Tank

N
Level 4 ●●●●
Forum|alt.badge.img+4
  • Neha Tank
  • Author
  • Level 4 ●●●●
  • 102 replies
  • November 6, 2025

​@TomG , Below are observations I had trying to implement your ideas:

 

  1. Using my original suggestion, you can set up the question so it has the maximum number of choices, then hide the extra choices.
  2. You could set up the question so it has all the possible accounts as choices, then hide the ones that don’t apply. This would make the data cleaner since there would be one choice per account that doesn’t change.
  3. You could make it a text entry question, have the JS ‘create’ the choices like you did in your JS, then save the selected choice to the text entry box.

In both option 1 and 2, the maximum number of options allowed in multiple choice question is 1000. Since in my case it is the question for customer we have way more customer count than 1000. 

To implement option 3, I need to have all mapped customers to the manager in a comma separated value in embedded field in directory list so that it is captured directly via panel in survey flow. Here the challenge is the maximum size of an embedded field is 4000 characters. And length of every customer value (ID and name) is 50. So I cannot risk having all stored in one embedded field.

Then I was thinking what if I store them as multiple records in my directory list as below:

In survey flow if i use search contacts API, it returns only 1 record. Is there any way I can have all records obtained and then I store it in comma separated value in survey flow itself ?

Thanks in advance.

 

Regards,

Neha Tank


Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement