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Survey Form Conversion Guide

Survey Form Conversion Guide

Converting XLS survey forms between KoboToolbox and Survey123

🔧 KoboToolbox

Free, open-source, cloud-based electronic data collection system based on Google's Open Data Kit (ODK).

  • Completely free
  • Humanitarian focus
  • XLSForm support
  • Offline data collection
  • Strong community support

📊 Survey123

Part of Esri ArcGIS suite, mobile and web-based application for data collection with GIS integration.

  • Advanced GIS integration
  • Spatial analysis capabilities
  • Professional mapping tools
  • Enterprise features (paid)
  • Arcade expressions

Choose Your Conversion Direction

Converting from KoboToolbox to Survey123

⚠️ Key Considerations

  • Matrix questions need to be restructured as grouped questions
  • Language headers change from label::Français to label::fr (ISO codes)
  • Bold formatting changes from *text* to <b>text</b>
  • Some KoBo-specific appearances may not be supported

1Export KoboToolbox Form

Click More Options (⋮) → Export to XLSForm in Kobo. Review the survey sheet (questions, types, logic) and choices sheet (selectable options).

2Adapting Question Types

Download the Blank Survey123 Form from the ConSoSci Survey Form Library and open it in Excel. Additionally, map Kobo question types to equivalent Survey123 types.

3Logic and Expressions

Copy questions from Kobo survey sheet to Survey123. Ensure field names use only lowercase letters and underscores. Convert matrix questions to grouped field-list questions.

4Transfer Choices

Copy options from KoBo's choices sheet to Survey123's choices sheet. Ensure names are unique and formatted without spaces or special characters.

5Multilingual Support

Replace Kobo’s language headers (e.g., label::Français) with ISO 639-1 codes (e.g., label::fr).

6Appearance Adjustments

Adapt custom appearances where needed. For example, Survey123 requires <b>bold text</b> for formatting instead of *bold text* used in KoBo.

7Test in Survey123 Connect

Open the form in Survey123 Connect, preview for errors, test all functionality, and publish when ready.

8Data Integration

For existing data, ensure it matches the new field structure and types in Survey123. This might involve transformation or restructuring of data.

Converting from Survey123 to KoboToolbox

⚠️ Key Considerations

  • Arcade expressions need to be simplified to XPath
  • GIS-specific functions (area, distance) are not supported
  • Language codes change from ISO (en) to full names (English)
  • Complex Survey123 features may need simplification

1Export Survey123 Form

Open Survey123 Connect, select your form, navigate to the "XLSForm" tab, and save. Review the survey, choices, and settings sheets.

2Get Blank Kobo Template

Download the Blank KoboToolbox Form from the ConSoSci Survey Form Library and open it in Excel.

3Adapting Question Types

Map Survey123 question types to Kobo equivalents. For instance, group-based layouts in Survey123 may need to be adapted to Kobo's matrix structure.

4Transfer Choices

Copy choices from Survey123’s choices sheet and adjust the formatting to meet KoBo’s requirements.

5Appearance Adjustments

Review and adapt appearance settings. Some Survey123-specific settings may need simplification or removal.

6Multilingual Support

Adjust translation columns in Kobo to follow its simpler multilingual structure.

7Testing

Test the migrated form in KoboToolbox thoroughly. Focus on ensuring constraints, logic, and relevant expressions work as expected.

💡 General Conversion Tips

📋 Maintain Backup Copies

Always work on copies of the original forms to avoid data loss during conversion.

📝 Use Blank Templates

Start with a blank form template of the target platform to avoid structural issues.

📚 Document Changes

Keep a record of all modifications for future reference and troubleshooting.

🔄 Iterative Testing

Validate forms iteratively to identify and resolve errors early in the process.

🔍 Platform-Specific Resources

Use help documentation and community forums for platform-specific troubleshooting.

If you are unable to submit

In some cases, there might be an issue that prevents a survey form from being submitted. It can sometimes be unclear what the issue is. In order to diagnose the issue:

1. Review the required column and make sure that groups and notes are not required.

2. If that does not work, double check the constraint column and make sure the correct names are used in the formulas.

3. If you are unsure whether the issue is from a constraint or from a required question, remove all the required questions. If the survey is able to be submitted after this, then the issue is a required question. You can then reapply the required questions. Check which questions were required in the original Kobo form. Required questions should be ones that can always be answered. If this process did not work, it might be a constraint issue.

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