If your survey, form, or quiz questions are already prepared in a Word or Excel file, you don't need to enter them manually one by one.
Upload the file to Porsline, and AI can use its text content to create an initial survey. You can then review the generated questions, edit anything that needs adjustment, complete the design and settings, and publish the survey when it is ready.
This is useful when your organisation already has an approved questionnaire, your research team works with Word documents, or you maintain a question bank in Excel and want to turn it into an editable online survey.
If you're starting without an existing file, you can create an online survey directly in Porsline instead.
How to create a survey from a Word or Excel file
After signing in, start creating a new survey and select:
Create survey by importing file
On the upload screen, you'll see:
Import file (Word/Excel supported only)
To import your questions:
- Click Choose file.
- Select the Word or Excel file from your device.
- Make sure it meets the upload requirements.
- Start the survey creation process.
Porsline AI reads the text content in the file and uses it to create an initial survey, including the questions and answer choices it can identify.
Review the generated survey before publishing. File import can reduce manual data entry, but you should still check the questions, answer choices, question types, and order before sharing the survey.
Which files can you upload?
You can import the following file formats:
DOCXXLSXLSXCSV
The file can contain questions and answer choices for a survey, form, or quiz.
Before uploading, make sure it meets these requirements:
- Maximum file size: 10 MB.
- The file can contain up to 8,000 characters.
- Only one file can be selected per upload.
- For Excel files, only the first worksheet is processed.
- Only the text content of the file is used to create the survey.
- Images, charts, and other multimedia content in the file are not processed.
If your Excel file contains multiple worksheets
Move the questions you want to import to the first worksheet before uploading the file.
Only the first worksheet is processed, so questions stored on other tabs will not be used to create the survey.
What happens to images and charts?
Images, charts, and other multimedia elements in the Word or Excel file are not included in the import.
If a question depends on an image or other visual content, import the text first, then add the relevant image or media to that question after the survey has been created.
This is especially important for quizzes, concept tests, and research surveys where visual material forms part of the question.
Review the generated survey before publishing
Once AI creates the initial survey, open it and review the complete questionnaire.
You can edit generated questions, remove questions you no longer need, add new ones, and change a question type when another format is more suitable for the data you want to collect.
You can also continue configuring the survey using the design and settings available in your account.
Before publishing, open the preview and complete the survey as a respondent would.
Check:
- Question text: Was each question transferred correctly?
- Answer choices: Are the choices connected to the correct questions?
- Question types: Does each type match the answer you want to collect?
- Question order: Is the sequence still logical after importing?
Even a well-organised source document should be reviewed before the survey is published.
When should you import a Word or Excel file?
Use file import when your questions already exist and you want to move them into Porsline without entering them manually.
For example, you may have:
- A 40-question research survey prepared in Word.
- An employee assessment question bank maintained in Excel.
- An approved client questionnaire that needs to become an online form.
In these cases, file import can reduce setup work so you can focus on reviewing the survey, choosing the right question types, and improving the respondent experience.
If you don't already have the questions prepared, there is no need to create a Word or Excel file just to import it. You can start building the survey directly in Porsline.
If you don't have an account yet, you can create a Porsline account and then upload your file.
Before you publish
Importing a Word or Excel file gives you a faster starting point when your questions are already prepared, but the generated survey should always be reviewed before it is shared.
Use the preview to check the question text, answer choices, question types, order, and any visual content you add after importing.
If you need help importing a file or reviewing the generated survey, contact us at [email protected].
FAQs about importing Word and Excel files
Can I create a survey from a Word or Excel file on the Free plan?
Yes. AI survey creation is also available to Free users.
Which file formats can I import?
You can import DOCX, XLS, XLSX, and CSV files.
Can I upload multiple files at once?
No. You can select only one file per upload.
If your questions are stored across several files, combine the content you want to import into the appropriate source file before starting.
Does Porsline process every worksheet in an Excel file?
No. Only the first worksheet is processed.
Move the questions you want to import to the first worksheet before uploading the file.
Are images and charts imported?
No. Only text content is processed. Images, charts, and other multimedia content in the file are not imported.
After the survey has been created, you can add the relevant visuals to individual questions.
Can I edit the survey after AI creates it?
Yes. The generated survey remains editable. You can edit or remove questions, add new questions, change question types, and complete the survey settings before publishing.