When Participants sign up, SignUp.com automatically collects each person's Name, Email Address, and Phone Number (optional). You may add one custom question to collect extra information from each Participant with our Basic (free) service, and between 2 to 15 custom questions per SignUp with Premium Membership, depending on the upgrade level. Question field formats include text, number, date, radio button, checkbox, and list.
- Planning a fun run? From Child’s XS to Adult 2XL, to everything in between, participants can quickly pick their T-shirt size and inform your order.
- Need emergency contact info? Great, get it upfront!
- Are there age minimums for certain activities? Perfect, create a custom form field to collect each Participant’s birthday and then adjust assignments accordingly.
- Have English Language Learners in your group? Support them! Pre-fill a list of language translation options for your Participants to choose from.
How to Add and Manage Custom Questions
1. Add Custom Participant Questions in the first planning screen when setting up a new SignUp, and in the Details Tab of the SignUp's Organizer view for already planned activities. (To open the Organizer view of a planned SignUp, login and from your Dashboard tab/ My SignUps area click the SignUp Title then scroll to the bottom of the Details tab.)
Look for this orange question and click the down arrow to open the section:
2. Click the orange +Add/Manage button to set up as many questions/form fields as you wish. The number you may put on any one SignUp will be limited by the number of Custom Participant Questions allowed in your membership Plan type.
3. Click the orange + Add New Question button to add a Custom Participant Question/Form Field by completing the screen shown below.
Custom Question Fields can be asked in any of the following form formats:
List: You enter a list of options separated by commas. When the Participant clicks, the list will show as a drop-down and they can choose just 1 of the options.
Radio Button: Once again, you enter your list of options with a comma in-between each possible option. The participant can choose just one. A common use for a Radio Button is Yes/No
Checkbox: You enter a list of options separated by commas. All items will show on screen and the Participant can choose as many as they wish.
Number Field: Participants will be limited to entering ONLY numbers in this field. If you wish, you can limit the range of numbers in this field. Note, this field will not accept dates/phone numbers and auto-format, it is only for numbers, no formatting. For Dates, see the Date option.
Text: A text field will allow the Participant to enter anything.
Date: This field will allow Participants to enter a date.
For all Custom Question Fields, you may make the field Required or not. Also, you may add an optional Help Comment to guide Participants in how to answer the Question.
4. Manage which question to include in THIS SignUp on the Manage Screen.
This screen has three important sections:
- The first column of check boxes determines which of your Custom Participant Questions will be included on THIS SignUp. You may check as many boxes as allowed in your Plan type.
- The column with the pencil icon allows you to edit the field name, questin type, and if an answer is required/not.
- The last column, with the trash cans is RARELY used and should be used with CAUTION. This will remove the Custom Question from your account completely and will remove all data that had been entered in that field on ANY SignUp. If you attempt to permanently and completely remove a Custom Question, you will be warned:
Participant Experience
When Participants sign up, they will be prompted to complete the custom questions you asked before saving their assignment Spots. Required questions will be marked with a red asterix (*).
Retrieving and Reporting Participant Answers to Custom Questions
Participant answers can be seen in the various reports you run when you login to SignUp.com using your Organizer credentials. Learn about your reporting options for both single and multiple SignUps here.
Important Notes
- Each Participant will answer your Custom Questions ONCE PER SIGNUP, not once per assignment spot.
- If Participants are signing up family or team members, please enable the Sign Up Others feature so information can be collected by each Participant attending.
- The list of Custom Participant Questions you enter here will become available to choose from across ALL your future SignUps. You may select different questions for different SignUps.
- If a Custom Participant Question is removed from one SignUp, but left on the master list of all Custom Participant Questions, it will NOT be deleted from reports IF Participants have previously answered the question.
- Deleting a Custom Participant Question from your list will delete it EVERYWHERE on all your SignUps. If you will need the question in the future (or for record keeping purposes), please uncheck the question instead and keep it on your list.