Mailchimp provides multiple ways to create surveys and feedback forms, catering to different needs—from simple email-embedded polls to detailed hosted surveys. Users with Author-level accounts or higher can design surveys linked to specific audiences, with options to collect email addresses for audience tagging ^[1]. Surveys can be shared via email, social media, or direct links, and results are easily managed within Mailchimp’s dashboard ^[1][2]. For quicker feedback, merge tags allow embedding polls or single-question surveys directly in emails, though these are limited to basic response types like rating scales or multiple-choice ^[3][6].

Key capabilities include:

• Hosted surveys with customizable questions (radio buttons, checkboxes, open text) and branding options ^[1][4].
• Email-embedded polls/surveys using merge tags, enabling responses without leaving the inbox ^[3][6].
• Third-party integrations with tools like SurveyMonkey or Typeform for advanced survey needs ^[2].
• Automation features to trigger surveys based on customer actions (e.g., post-purchase feedback) ^[7].

For businesses, Mailchimp’s free survey tool offers unlimited responses and integrates with its CRM, enabling targeted follow-ups and data-driven marketing strategies ^[7]. However, complex conditional logic (e.g., redirecting respondents based on answers) may require workarounds or external tools ^[9].

Creating Surveys and Feedback Forms in Mailchimp

Option 1: Hosted Surveys for Detailed Feedback

Mailchimp’s hosted surveys are ideal for collecting in-depth feedback through standalone web pages. These surveys support multiple question types, custom branding, and audience integration, making them suitable for customer satisfaction studies, product research, or event feedback. Users must have an Author-level account or higher to create surveys, which are tied to a single audience for response tracking ^[1].

To create a hosted survey:

1. Navigate to the Surveys section: In Mailchimp’s dashboard, select Surveys under the Create menu ^[1][10].
2. Choose an audience: Link the survey to an existing audience to automatically tag respondents who provide their email ^[1].
3. Design the survey: - Add content blocks for questions, including: - Radio buttons (single-select) - Checkboxes (multi-select) - Open-text fields - Rating scales (e.g., 1–10) ^[1][4]. - Customize the introductory text, branding (logo/colors), and thank-you messages ^[4].
4. Publish and share: Distribute via: - Email campaigns (using the Survey content block in the New Builder) ^[5]. - Social media or direct links ^[2]. - Embedding on websites (via HTML snippet) ^[7].

Key advantages of hosted surveys:

• Unlimited responses even on free plans, with no per-response fees ^[7].
• CRM integration: Responses can trigger automation workflows (e.g., follow-up emails to dissatisfied customers) ^[7].
• Data export: Results can be exported as CSV for external analysis ^[1].
• Automated surveying: Set up surveys to send automatically after specific events (e.g., post-purchase) ^[7].

Limitations:

• Conditional logic (e.g., skipping questions based on answers) is not natively supported—users may need third-party tools for advanced branching ^[9].
• Design customization is template-based, with limited flexibility compared to tools like Typeform ^[2].

Option 2: Email-Embedded Polls and Simple Surveys

For quicker feedback, Mailchimp allows embedding polls or single-question surveys directly in emails using merge tags. This method boosts response rates by eliminating the need to click a link, though it’s limited to one question per email ^[3][8].

Steps to Embed a Poll or Survey in an Email

1. Create a campaign: Start a new Regular or Automated email campaign in Mailchimp ^[3].
2. Add a merge tag: - For polls: Use the |POLL:RATING| tag to insert a 1–10 rating scale ^[3]. - For surveys: Use |SURVEY:MCQ| for multiple-choice questions (limit: one question per email) ^[6].
3. Customize the landing page: - Edit the thank-you message and response options (e.g., "Very Satisfied" to "Very Dissatisfied") ^[3]. - Add branding elements like logos or background colors ^[6].
4. Send and track results: - Responses appear in the email campaign report under Poll/Survey Results ^[3]. - Create segments based on responses (e.g., target respondents who rated ≤5 for follow-ups) ^[3][8].

Best practices for embedded surveys:

• Keep it simple: Use one clear question to maximize responses (e.g., "How likely are you to recommend us?") ^[8].
• Limit to subscribers: Restrict responses to your audience to avoid skewed data ^[8].
• Avoid overuse: Frequent surveys may reduce engagement; space them out in campaigns ^[8].
• Test before sending: Preview the email to ensure the merge tag renders correctly ^[6].