If you have an upgraded account you can fill the previous data for new embedded using Qualtrics feature. Just search it on Qualtrics help.

This link is just an example (https://www.qualtrics.com/support/survey-platform/data-and-analysis-module/data/add-new-fields/formula-variable-creation/).

Hi Rahul, 

Thank you for the response. However, I came here after searching already. I can’t find literature pertaining to populating embedded data for historical surveys in mass. I would be very surprised if this is not possible with Qualtircs, but I can’t find reference to it anywhere. 

Hi Kaizen_Wizard,

I’m afraid it’s not possible to edit/backfill embedded data in a user-friendly and effortless way (I was also as surprised as you are when I discovered this).

There are two ways you can get this done, one directly on the Qualtrics Platform and another outside of it:

1. Directly on Qualtrics Platform: Download all the survey responses you want to update and manually Update the embedded data you need. Then Delete those same responses within Qualtrics and Reupload their updated counterparts into Qualtrics. Keep in mind they will be reuploaded with a different response_id and recorded_date.
2. Through the Qualtrics API: There is a specific set of API calls available for this exact purpose. Here is the documentation: https://api.qualtrics.com/2ced5de7dc638-start-an-update-embedded-data-job . Documentation states that each job are limited in size to 250 thousand responseIds, so it’s more than suitable for executing mass backfills.

Source: My personal experience as I’m working on designing and setting up an API-based periodic process for updating embedded data based on external-to-Qualtrics data since we need to stop doing it by downloading-updating-deleting-reuploading method due to the significant risk of human error that comes along with it.

I agree with options and summary by @dduarte - the only other option we have had to add is to engage Qualtrics Support to do this on our behalf, my guess is they use the API’s to do this and we typically using their expertise to avoid errors on our end.

Thank you for the responses! It’s a bummer there isn’t an easier way to backfill on our own. It sounds like my best route is reaching out to support for further asstance.