# Start a new questionnaire

Starting a questionnaire has three stages: upload the file, prepare the questions,
then answer them. The preparation stage is worth the few minutes it takes — it is
much quicker to remove a question than to review an answer to a question you
never needed.

You need write access to your account.

## Upload the questionnaire

1. Go to **Questionnaires** and select **New Questionnaire**.

2. Drag your file onto **Drag and drop a security questionnaire to get started**,
   or select it from the file picker.

   Excel (`.xlsx`) and Word (`.docx`) files are accepted.

ResponseHub reads the file and works out its structure — which sheets hold
questions, and which column holds what. For spreadsheets, if it is confident
about the structure it maps the columns for you and moves straight on. If
anything is uncertain, it asks you to check.

See [column mapping](/questionnaires/column-mapping/) for what the mapping screen
shows and how to correct it.

## Prepare the questions

Once the questions have been extracted, three things are worth doing before you
answer anything.

### Remove anything that isn't a question

Questionnaires contain instructions, section headings, and notes to the vendor.
These get extracted alongside the real questions and are not worth answering.

Select the checkboxes beside the items you don't need and select **Delete** in
the bar that appears at the bottom of the screen.

### Switch off sync for questions you'll answer yourself

An item with **Sync disabled** is skipped by automatic answering and left for
you. Use it for anything that needs a human — commercial terms, named
individuals, or a question where you already know the answer must be worded a
particular way.

Select several items and use **Toggle Sync** in the same bar to switch them in
one go.

### Set the answer detail level

The **Answer detail** slider sits beside the answer button and applies to the
whole questionnaire — low, normal, or high. Normal produces two to three
sentences covering the key points. The description under the slider tells you
what each setting gives you.

If your questionnaire has a multiple choice column, a **Multiple choice mode**
toggle appears here too. With it on, answers use only the options from that
column.

## Answer the questions

1. Select **Answer all questions**.

2. Confirm with **Proceed**.

ResponseHub works through every synced item in the background. You can carry on
using the app while it runs.

**The mapping locks when answering starts:** For spreadsheets, once you start answering you can no longer change the column
mapping. Check it before this step — see [column mapping](/questionnaires/column-mapping/).

If you add or unsync questions later and want them answered, the button becomes
**Answer new questions** and covers only the items that have not been answered
yet — it won't overwrite answers you already have.

## Next steps

- [Questionnaire items](/questionnaires/questionnaire-items/) — reviewing, editing, and approving answers
- [Completing a questionnaire](/questionnaires/completing-a-questionnaire/) — exporting your answers