When to use it
- You’re rating multiple items on the exact same scale.
- The rows are short and clearly parallel, so the grid reads cleanly.
- You want a compact layout instead of a page of repeated scales.
- You’ll compare rows against each other on the shared metric.
When to reach for something else
- The grid is large — many rows and columns fatigue people and invite straight-lining.
- Rows need different scales — split them into separate questions.
- Most of your traffic is mobile, where wide grids are hard to use — stack them instead.
Sample question
“Please rate each of the following aspects of our app from “Very poor” to “Excellent.” (Rows: Speed, Design, Reliability, Support)”
Best practices
- Keep rows and columns tight — long grids breed straight-line answering.
- Ensure every row genuinely fits the shared scale in the header.
- Provide a responsive layout that stacks gracefully on small screens.
- Randomize row order to spread any fatigue evenly across items.
- Consider an attention check if the battery runs long.
Data & reporting
Each response stores a value per row (row → selected column). Exports write row=value pairs in one cell. Reports build a row-by-column crosstab — the count and percentage at each row/column intersection — so you can read, for every item, how responses spread across the scale.
Accessibility
The grid is marked up so each row is an individually labeled radio group associated with its column headers, letting screen-reader users hear which item and which scale point they’re on rather than navigating an unlabeled table.
Compared to SurveyMonkey
Both offer grid questions; Surveti’s reporting turns the grid straight into a row-by-column crosstab you can filter and significance-test without rebuilding it in a spreadsheet.
Frequently asked questions
How big can a matrix question get before it hurts data quality?
Keep it modest — a handful of rows and a single clear scale. Large grids invite straight-lining, where respondents tick down one column without reading. If you have many items, split the battery or randomize row order.
Do matrix questions work on mobile?
Wide grids are awkward on small screens. Use a layout that stacks each row into its own labeled scale on mobile so respondents aren’t pinching and scrolling sideways.
How does matrix data report?
As a row-by-column crosstab: for each row item you get the count and percentage at every scale point, so you can compare how items spread across the same scale.