Survey responses in a database view

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Survey Responses in a Database View

    This feature allows ServiceNow customers to view survey responses in a database format for effective reporting. Each survey instance is presented as a single row, with responses to individual questions displayed in corresponding columns. Users can analyze and export these responses for further use.

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    Key Features

    • View responses in a structured database format for easy analysis.
    • Export survey responses using ServiceNow's standard export capabilities or generate reports through the Reporting module.
    • Access the "View Responses in Rows" link on the Survey Definition form to visualize responses by instance and question.
    • The database view shows the instance ID, assignee, and task in the first three columns, with a maximum of five active metrics displayed by default.
    • Conditions affecting visibility include having more than five active metrics, lack of responses, or exceeding 100,000 responses, though the view remains accessible in a new tab if previously opened.

    Key Outcomes

    Customers can utilize the database view to efficiently analyze survey data and make informed decisions based on user feedback. Note that updates to survey configuration can impact the database view, triggering notifications to ensure data synchronization.

    You can view survey responses in a database view for reporting purposes. For each survey instance, you can view the instance as a single row and the answers to each survey question (metric) in the corresponding columns. Analyze the responses easily and, if you want, export the survey responses.

    You can create a database view on the Survey Definition form. After the database view is created, you can either export the survey response using the standard capabilities of the ServiceNow® platform or choose to create a report of the survey responses using the Reporting module.

    Use the View Responses in Rows related link on the Survey Definition form to view each survey instance response in a separate row and each survey question as the name of the corresponding column. The answer to the question is displayed in that column. To export the survey response in a tabular form, in the context menu, click Export.

    The first three columns of the form show the number of the survey instance (instance ID), who the survey is assigned to, and the task. A maximum of five active metrics are displayed in the view by default. The Survey Definition form doesn’t show the View Responses in Rows related link when the following conditions occur.
    • There are more than five active metrics.
    • There are no responses to the survey instance.
    • There are more than 100 K responses for that particular survey. To view this database view of the survey responses, the number of responses must be less than or equal to 100 K. But, the database view is still accessible for more than 100 K responses when it’s already open in a new tab.
    The database view can show the start date, due date, expiry date, and completed date, but this information is not available by default. If the survey instance is triggered, then the trigger record is displayed in the Task column. The total number of survey responses isn’t displayed in the database view. For the ranking and multiple-choice metrics, based on user survey responses, multiple records are displayed instead of one record per survey instance.
    Note:
    Any change or update to survey configuration or metadata (For example, addition or deletion of a new metric or category) might affect the database view. In such cases, an event (survey.results_view.updated) is generated so that users can take necessary actions to synchronize the data.