Custom Variables in Crosstab

Overview

Variable Grouping allows you to combine multiple answer options, scale values, Grid choices, Rate Attribute values, or Number ranges into custom groups called Variables.

Variables help you analyze survey data at a higher level without having to review every individual response option separately.

For example, if a question contains the options Cab Not Arrived, Cab Delayed, and Cab Cancelled, you can group them into a Variable called Cab Issues. Similarly, different games can be grouped into categories such as Indoor Games and Outdoor Games.

Once created, a Variable is saved at the survey level and can be reused across supported areas of the product. Variables appear under their source question and can be edited, renamed, or deleted when required.

Key Use Cases

Combine multiple response options into meaningful categories
Create custom groups for Crosstab analysis
Group numeric responses into ranges such as age groups
Analyze grouped responses alongside individual options
Create overlapping groups where the same option belongs to multiple groups
Simplify large sets of response options for reporting
Create hierarchical Crosstab views with groups and their individual options

How to Create a Variable

Variables can be created while configuring a question in a Crosstab.

Create a Variable for Option-Based Questions

To create a Variable:

Open the Crosstab.
Add a question under Rows or Columns.
Select the required question.
Open the options dropdown.
Select the options that you want to use.
Click Create Variable.

The Create Variable modal opens.

This method applies to questions with discrete answer options, such as:

Multiple Choice
Multi-Select
NPS
CSAT
CES
Likert / Rating
Rate Attribute(Scale)
Grid questions(choice)

Configure the Variable

Enter a Variable Name.
Select the response options that you want to include.
Choose Group options to combine selected options into a group.
Alternatively, select + Add without grouping to add options individually.
Rename the automatically created groups as required.
Click Save Variable.

For example, you can create a Variable called Game Categories and group:

Chess
Table Tennis
Carrom

under Indoor Games, while grouping other options under Outdoor Games.

Adding Options to a Group

You can add more response options to an existing group after creating it.

Open the Variable configuration.
Click the + icon on the required group.
Search for the required option using the search bar.
Select one or more available options.
Click Select Options.

Options that are already part of the selected group are disabled to prevent duplicate entries within the same group.

An option can, however, belong to multiple groups. For example, Chess can belong to both Group 1 and Group 2 if required.

The usage count beside an option indicates how many groups that option belongs to.

Adding Options Without Grouping

Not every option needs to belong to a group.

To add an option individually:

Select the required option.
Click + Add without grouping.
The option appears separately in the Variable configuration.

These options remain individually available when the Variable is used in a Crosstab..

Using a Variable in a Crosstab

After a Variable is created, it appears under its source question in the question selector.

To use it:

Open the Rows or Columns configuration in the Crosstab.
Select the required Variable nested under that question.
Use the additional selection dropdown to choose the groups or individual options you want to analyze.
Click Select Options.

The Variable selection uses a hierarchical structure. Groups appear as parent items, with their individual response options nested underneath them.

For example:

Indoor Games

Chess
Table Tennis
Carrom

Outdoor Games

Football
Cricket
Tennis

Options that do not belong to any group are displayed separately.

Choosing What to Display

When selecting a Variable, you can choose groups, individual options, or both.

Group Only

Select only the group.

The Crosstab displays the group's aggregate result as a NET row without displaying the individual options.

Example:

Indoor Games — NET

Options Only

Select the individual options without selecting the parent group.

The Crosstab displays the individual options as separate rows.

Example:

Chess
Table Tennis
Carrom

Group + Options

Select both the group and its individual options.

The Crosstab displays the group as a parent row and the individual options underneath it.

Example:

Indoor Games — NET

Chess
Table Tennis
Carrom

This provides a hierarchical view of both the overall group and its individual responses.

Editing a Variable

Variables can be edited after they have been created.

To edit a Variable:

Open the question selector in the Crosstab.
Locate the Variable under its source question.
Click the Edit or pencil icon.
Rename the Variable or its groups.
Add or remove groups and options.
Save the changes.

Changes made to a Variable are applied globally wherever that Variable is being used.

Deleting a Variable

To delete a Variable:

Open the Variable's Edit modal.
Click Delete Variable.
Confirm the deletion.

Deleting a Variable permanently removes it from the survey and its associated configurations..

Important Notes

A Variable is created from a specific source question.
The same response option can belong to multiple groups within a Variable.
Options already present in a selected group cannot be added to that same group again.
Options can remain ungrouped and still be included in the Variable.
Numeric Variables use ranges instead of individual response options.
Editing a Variable can affect every Crosstab or filter where that Variable is already being used.
Variables are saved at the survey level and can be reused across supported areas of the product.

Variable Grouping is useful when the individual response options are too detailed for analysis and you want to create meaningful categories or roll-ups without changing the original survey question.