Survey · Other

Product research survey template

Built around one example task, sending invoices, to show how product research questions work: the last time they did it, the tools they use, and a grid of which problems are real. People who never do the task are thanked and let go, anyone who gave up on a tool is asked why, and only willing testers leave an email.

12 questions~4 min to answer3 branches2 endings
product research surveyuser researchjobs to be doneproduct discoveryproblem validation
Use this template

Try it live

Try it as a respondent

Every question, and where it leads

The conversation

What a respondent is asked, in order.

We're trying to understand how people handle invoicing before we build anything. It's about four minutes, and honest answers help most.

1

Which best describes your work?

Single select · required
2

How often do you send invoices?

Single select · requiredsplits the flow
3

Think about the last invoice you sent. Walk us through what you did, from start to finish.

Long text · requiredsometimes asked
4

What do you use for invoicing today?

Multi select · requiredsometimes asked
5

How long does one invoice take, from starting it to sending it?

Single select · requiredsometimes asked
6

How much of a problem is each of these for you?

Matrix · requiredsometimes asked
7

Overall, how well does your current setup work for you?

Opinion scale · requiredsometimes asked
8

Have you ever tried a different tool for this and gone back?

Yes / No · requiredsometimes askedsplits the flow
9

What was it, and what made you give up on it?

Long text · requiredif abandoned is Yes
10

If you could fix one thing about invoicing tomorrow, what would it be?

Long text · requiredif abandoned is No
11

Would you try an early version and tell us what you think?

Yes / No · requiredsometimes askedsplits the flow
12

Thanks. Where should we send the invite?

Email · requiredsometimes asked

Endings

Thank you for walking us through it

Thanks, that's all for now

The flow

Where each answer leads. Every route here is editable once the form is yours.

A labelled route is taken only by answers matching the label

What this template uses

  • Single select
  • Long text
  • Multi select
  • Matrix
  • Opinion scale
  • Yes / No
  • Email
  • 4 branches
  • 2 endings

Questions to consider

  • What is the one task you want to understand, and who does it often enough to describe it well?
  • Which problems do you already suspect, and could the grid include one you think is not a problem at all as a check?
  • Do you want to hear from people who gave up on existing tools, and what would you ask them?
  • Will you follow up with interviews or a beta, and do you need contact details only from volunteers?

How to use the responses

Read the step-by-step answers first: they show the real workflow, including the copy and paste and the reminders nobody mentions in a checkbox. Then sort the grid by how many people marked each row a real problem, and check it against the one fix they asked for. The reasons people abandoned other tools are a list of mistakes to avoid. Invite the most detailed respondents to a follow-up chat before you design anything.

How to customize and share it

  1. 1Swap invoicing for your task and rewrite the first two questions so only people who do it carry on.
  2. 2Replace the rows in the problem grid with the pain points you suspect, and the tools list with real alternatives.
  3. 3Share the link with a small group first, read the walk-through answers, then adjust wording before sending it widely.

Frequently asked questions

What is a product research survey?

A survey that studies the task and the problems behind a product decision, before you commit to a solution. It asks how people work today rather than whether they like your idea.

What questions should I ask in product research?

Ask about the last time they did the task, what they use, how long it takes, which problems are real and what they have tried and abandoned. Specific recent examples beat hypothetical questions.

Is a survey enough for product discovery?

It is a good way to find patterns and recruit people, but it works best alongside interviews. This template ends by asking who would try an early version, so you have people to talk to next.

Can the survey ask follow-up questions?

Yes. Each person is asked one question at a time, and when an answer is vague a short AI follow-up asks for the detail, which helps most on the walk-through question.

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