📱 Mobile

In-App Survey

in-app survey · in app survey · micro survey · in-app feedback · mobile survey · app survey

Definition

An in-app survey is a contextual mini-survey inside a mobile app that collects feedback or zero-party data at the point of maximum relevance, without sending the person to an external resource.

Why in-app surveys matter

Behavioural data tells you what someone did, not why. An in-app survey closes that gap: a direct
question at the right moment is the most reliable way to obtain declared data from a person.

Typical applications:

After a first purchase: “What helped you decide?” — input for onboarding new users
After a cancelled order: “Why did you cancel?” — input for fixing real pain points
After N sessions with no purchase: “Did you not find what you needed?” — spotting assortment gaps
Once a quarter: an NPS measurement — tracking loyalty over time

Question formats

Format	Use
NPS (0–10)	Overall loyalty
Single choice	The reason for an action, from a fixed list
Multiple choice	Decision factors
Open text	Detail and nuance the options did not anticipate
Rating (1–5 stars)	An assessment of one specific part of the experience

Tip: combine a closed question, for quantitative analysis, with an open follow-up shown only
after a critical score. That gives you both analytics data and qualitative insight without
overloading the majority of respondents.

Zero-party data from surveys

Answers to in-app surveys are a valuable source of zero-party data: the person states preferences
that are hard to infer from behaviour. “I am shopping for a gift”, “I only buy organic”, “I have a
pet” — statements like these let you personalize content far more precisely than any behavioural
signal can.

Common mistakes

Too many questions. One to three is the maximum. Every extra question lowers the completion
rate.
Asking at the wrong moment. A survey on first launch, before the person has done anything,
returns nothing useful.
Ignoring the answers. Collecting data and changing nothing in the product is the worst
outcome. Someone who spent time answering expects to have been heard.

Frequently asked questions

Why is an in-app survey better than an email questionnaire?

Context and response rate. An email questionnaire arrives some time after the event, when the person no longer remembers the detail. An in-app survey appears immediately after the action — response rates are usually 20–50% against 5–15% for email. There is also no link-click step in between.

How often can in-app surveys be shown?

No more than one survey every two to four weeks per person, or fatigue sets in. Configure frequency capping: someone who has just answered a survey should not see the next one before the interval you set.

Which questions work after a purchase?

NPS (0–10: how likely are you to recommend us?), a short CES question (how easy was it to find the product you wanted?), and one open question about the reason for the choice. Never ask more than two or three questions at once — completion rate drops sharply on long surveys.

Gravity Field

In-App Surveys in Gravity Field

The Gravity Field mobile platform supports a surveys mechanic — contextual in-app surveys for collecting zero-party data and NPS measurements.

✦Triggered surveys on events (after a purchase, after viewing N products)

✦Frequency capping configured per user segment

✦Answers used to enrich the profile and drive personalization

✦A/B testing of question wording and the moment of display

Explore the platform →