Changing the error message for "forced responses" (especially the format of the error message) | XM Community
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Changing the error message for "forced responses" (especially the format of the error message)

  • 2 January 2020
  • 8 replies
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W
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Happy new year to everyone!

I have a bunch of questions where I want the participants to answer ("forced response" option enabled). As I want the error message to be a little more prominent (i.e., color red and bold), I would like to customize the error message that appears on default for "forced response"-questions. Unfortunately, I am only able to receive the standard error message:

!

I am only able to use the edited message if I use the "custom validation" option:

!

Is it somehow possible that the standard error message (picture one) can be edited that it looks like the custom validation message (picture two)?

I am a little too lazy to it via the custom validation option (>100 questions in my survey...).

Best regards
walli

8 replies

W
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Additional questions:

Is it also possible to edit the format of this standard error message:
!
dobra021
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@walli

This Qualtrics support page explains how to change the error messages. https://qualtrics.com/support/survey-platform/survey-module/survey-options/survey-experience/#AddingACustomErrorMessage
W
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Unfortunately, this only works for custom messages. I need to know how it works for standard error messages. For example when you say that at least one item must be chosen in a ranking question, it states something like "choose at least one" by default. But it can't change the color. It's always black and not very prominent.

dobra021
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This is the way to edit the standard error messages. Select the type of error from the drop down and then edit the message text. You can use style tags to make the font bold, italic, change the color, etc.

Below is an example of how to change the force response error message to be bold and have blue font.

``
<font color="blue"><strong>Please answer this question.</strong></font>
``
W
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But this is only possible for custom validations, or am I wrong? Where can I find the default error messages that are already part of qualtrics and how can I manipulate them?

For example, if if a question has the "Force response" option enabled, I will receive "Please answer this question." if I didn't choose something. Where exactly can I change this phrase?
dobra021
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To edit the messages:
Go to your Messages library.
Click New Message
Click on the Message Type drop down -> Survey Platform -> Validation Messages
Click Add Validation
Select the message type you want to change (e.g., "Require response")
Edit the message text in the box (this is also where you add style tags)

Click Add Validation if you want to change other messages as well.
Add a description at the top so you can find these messages easily in the survey options.

To apply the messages to the survey:
Go to Survey Options
Select "Use Custom Survey Validation Messages..." near the top
Navigate to the validation messages you created in the library drop down
Save
W
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@dobra021 like I said and as you describe, this is only possible for custom errors. I have to change the default messages that Qualtrics shows by default, e.g., if you have a force response in a Matrix-Question, and a participant has forgotten to answer one of the options, the error message that is shown is something like "Please answer this question." but I want it to be "Please make a choice for each item."
sobodda
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walli It is possible for normal Force Response errors. I just did it myself following the steps that dobra021 included above.
As they mentioned, you have to go to your Library and create the message(s) first, and then go to Survey Options and tell your survey to use custom validation messages instead of the default one. Here is an example of what it looks like to create those messages in the Library. You can see that I chose "Require response" for the Error - this is how I created a message that will display when someone doesn't answer a question. It works!
Screen Shot 2020-08-07 at 11.06.48 AM.png

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