Close a Qualtrics survey by changing its status from Active to Closed

To stop collecting responses in Qualtrics, you change the survey status from Active to Closed. This prevents new responses from being submitted while keeping all existing data intact. The process takes about 30 seconds and happens in your survey settings, not in the responses section.

Closing a survey is different from deleting it. A closed survey still exists in your account, you can still view and export the responses you collected, and you can reopen it later if needed. Deletion permanently removes the survey and all its data.

Key Takeaways

  • Open the survey you want to close, click the gear icon in the top right, and select Survey Options to find the Status dropdown.
  • Change the Status from Active to Closed, then click Save to explore the change when ready.
  • A closed survey stops accepting new responses but keeps all data you already collected.
  • You can reopen a closed survey by changing its status back to Active at any time.
  • If you want to prevent respondents from seeing the survey link at all, set the status to Closed rather than just pausing collection.

Finding the Survey Status Setting

Log into your Qualtrics account and navigate to the survey you want to close. You need to be in the survey itself, not just viewing it in your list of surveys. Click the survey name to open it.

In the top right corner of the survey editor, you will see a gear icon. Click it to open the menu. Select Survey Options from the dropdown that appears. This opens a panel on the right side of your screen with various settings.

Changing the Status to Closed

In the Survey Options panel, look for the Status dropdown. It currently shows Active. Click on it to see your options: Active, Closed, and Paused.

Select Closed. The survey will no longer accept new responses. Anyone who tries to access the survey link will see a message that the survey is closed, rather than being able to fill it out.

Click the Save button at the bottom of the Survey Options panel. The change takes effect when ready. You do not need to refresh the page or take any additional steps.

What Happens After You Close a Survey

Once closed, the survey stops collecting responses right away. Respondents who have the link will see a message saying the survey is no longer accepting responses. If you distributed the survey through email or shared the link publicly, those links now point to a closed survey.

All responses you collected before closing remain in your account. You can still view them, filter them, export them to Excel or other formats, and run reports on the data. Closing the survey does not delete or hide any of your existing responses.

The survey itself stays in your account under your list of surveys. You can see it, open it, and manage it just as before. It straightforward will not accept new submissions.

Reopening a Closed Survey

If you need to collect more responses later, you can reopen the survey. Go back to Survey Options, click the Status dropdown, and select Active. Click Save. The survey will when ready start accepting responses again.

When you reopen a survey, all your previous responses remain. New responses will be added to the same dataset. There is no separate "version" or "round" — all responses live in one place.

Paused vs. Closed: When to Use Each

Qualtrics offers a third status option: Paused. This temporarily stops new responses but keeps the survey link active. If someone tries to access a paused survey, they see a message that it is temporarily paused and may reopen.

Use Paused if you plan to collect more responses soon and want respondents to know the survey might come back. Use Closed if you are done collecting responses or want to make it clear the survey is no longer available. For most situations, Closed is the right choice when you finish data collection.

Deleting a Survey Permanently

Closing a survey keeps it in your account. If you want to remove it completely, you must delete it instead. Be aware that deletion is permanent — you cannot recover the survey or its responses afterward.

To delete a survey, go to your list of surveys (not inside the survey itself). Find the survey, click the three-dot menu next to it, and select Delete. Qualtrics will ask you to confirm. Once you confirm, the survey and all its data are gone.

If you are unsure whether you will need the data later, close the survey instead of deleting it. You can always delete it months from now after you are certain you no longer need it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can respondents still see my survey after I close it?

No. If someone clicks the survey link after you close it, they will see a message that the survey is closed and cannot access the form. The link itself does not disappear, but it no longer works for submitting responses.

Do my responses disappear when I close a survey?

No. All responses you collected remain in your account and are fully accessible. You can view, filter, export, and analyze them even after the survey is closed. Closing only stops new responses from being submitted.

What is the difference between Closed and Paused?

Closed tells respondents the survey is done and will not reopen. Paused tells them it is temporarily unavailable. Both stop new responses. Use Closed when you are finished collecting data, and Paused if you plan to reopen soon.

Can I reopen a survey after closing it?

Yes. Change the Status back to Active in Survey Options and click Save. The survey will accept responses again, and new responses will be added to your existing data. There is no limit to how many times you can open and close a survey.

If I close a survey, can I still read the responses?

Yes. Closed surveys retain all their data. You can export responses to Excel, CSV, or other formats, run reports, and view individual responses just as you could when the survey was active.