Lifecycle Surveys - Complete Guide
What is a Lifecycle Survey?
A Lifecycle survey is designed for surveys that run continuously throughout the year, with participants entering at different times. Each participant follows their own timeline based on when they're added to the survey.
Perfect for:
Exit surveys (sent when employees leave)
Onboarding surveys (sent to new hires)
Anniversary surveys (sent on work anniversaries)
Promotion feedback (sent after promotions)
Any survey tied to individual employee milestones
Key characteristic: Each participant has their own independent timeline starting from when they're added.
Setting Up Your Email Campaign
Step 1: Add Your First Participants
Unlike Point in Time surveys, Lifecycle surveys don't require you to schedule a specific date and time. The system automatically manages timing for you.
How it works:
Add participants to your survey
Invites automatically send the next day at 7:00 AM EST (noon UTC)
OR click Send Now to send immediately
Automatic Send Schedule:
Manual Send with Send Now:
💡 Best Practice: If your survey is time-sensitive (e.g., exit survey on employee's last day), use "Send Now" to send immediately rather than waiting until 7:00 AM EST the next day.
What you'll see on the Initial Invite card:
No scheduled time displayed (unlike Point in Time)
Queued count showing participants who haven't received the invite yet
Sent count showing participants who have received it
Invalid Emails:
If a participant's email is already in the invalid email list, they're automatically moved to the bounce list
They won't receive the invite or any reminders
Step 2: Configure Reminder Intervals
Instead of scheduling specific dates, Lifecycle reminders work on intervals - they send X days after the previous email.
How to set up reminders:
Click Add Reminder button
On the reminder card, set the "Wait" time (e.g., "Wait 3 days")
The reminder will automatically send 3 days after the previous email for each participant
Interval Timing:
Measured from when the PREVIOUS email was sent to that specific participant
Each participant follows their own timeline
Example Timeline for One Participant:
Multiple Participants Example:
⏰ All emails send at 7:00 AM EST regardless of when the participant was added or when the interval completes.
Setting Wait Times
To set an interval:
Find the "Wait" field on the reminder card
Enter number of days
Save your changes
Important rules:
✅ You can set any number of days (1, 2, 3, 5, 7, etc.)
✅ Different reminders can have different intervals
❌ You CANNOT change the interval after the reminder has been sent to any participant
⚠️ Once sent = locked: After a reminder is sent to even one participant, the interval cannot be changed. This ensures consistency for everyone in the campaign.
Reordering Reminders
You can change the order of reminders before they're sent.
What You CAN Do:
✅ Drag unsent reminders to any position
✅ Add new reminders (always added to the end)
What You CANNOT Do:
❌ Move a reminder that has been sent to any participant
❌ Place a reminder before one that has already been sent
Example:
💡 Why? Once participants start receiving reminders, we maintain their sequence to avoid confusion.
Deleting Reminders
You can delete:
✅ Any reminder at any time
✅ Even reminders that have been sent to participants
What happens when you delete:
Removed from the sequence for all future participants
Participants who already received it keep it in their history
Participants waiting for it will skip to the next reminder in sequence
Example scenario:
Step 3: (Optional) Add a Thank You Email
Thank you emails work identically to Point in Time surveys.
How it works:
Sends automatically when a participant completes the survey
No interval or timing configuration needed
Always the last email (cannot be moved)
Shows completed survey count on the card
Special properties:
Cannot be dragged or reordered
Can be deleted at any time, even after sending
No "Send Now" option (only triggers on completion)
Step 4: Continue Adding Participants
The beauty of Lifecycle surveys is continuous enrollment.
Ongoing Process:
When a triggering event happens (employee gives notice, new hire starts, etc.)
Add the participant to your survey
They automatically enter the email sequence
They follow the timeline you configured
No additional setup needed - just keep adding participants as they become relevant to your survey.
Managing Active Campaigns
Using the Send Now Button
Send Now works differently for Lifecycle surveys compared to Point in Time.
For the Initial Invite:
Sends to all participants who haven't received an invite yet
Sends immediately (doesn't wait for 7:00 AM EST)
Use when you want to send invite right away instead of waiting
For Reminders:
Only sends to participants who are "queued" for that specific reminder
Queued means: Received the previous email, but not this one
Understanding "Queued" for Reminders:
Example with 3 reminders:
Participant A: Received invite, received Reminder 1, not Reminder 2 → Queued for Reminder 2
Participant B: Received invite only → NOT queued for Reminder 2 (must get Reminder 1 first)
Participant C: Received all emails → NOT queued for anything
When Send Now is Enabled:
The reminder must have a "Wait X days" interval configured
The button checks ONLY if the interval is set, not the participant queue
💡 Send Now respects the sequence: You can't skip ahead. Participants receive emails in order.
Adding Participants Continuously
This is the primary workflow for Lifecycle surveys - you'll be adding participants regularly.
Process:
Triggering event occurs (employee resignation, new hire, etc.)
Add participant to the survey
They're automatically queued for the initial invite
Invite sends at next 7:00 AM EST OR immediately if you click Send Now
Multiple additions:
Invalid Emails:
If email is in invalid list, participant goes straight to bounce list
They won't receive any emails
Remove and re-add with corrected email if needed
Removing Participants
When you remove a participant:
What happens:
✅ Removed from all future sends
✅ Removed from queued and sent counts
✅ Removed from statistics
❌ NOT removed from invalid email list
Effect on their timeline:
Their independent email sequence stops immediately
They won't receive any more emails from this campaign
Historical logs may show previous emails they received
Example:
Resending the Invite
From the Participants page, you can resend the initial invite to individual participants.
Important difference from reminders:
Only resends the initial invite email
Does NOT affect their reminder queue or timeline
They continue receiving reminders on their original schedule
Example scenario:
When to use:
Participant says they didn't receive the original invite
Participant deleted the email
Participant needs another copy of the survey link
What you'll see:
Participant appears multiple times in detailed send logs
Email card shows unique participant count
Stats page shows each individual send
Understanding Participant Timelines
How Individual Timelines Work
Each participant has their own independent timeline based on when they were added to the survey.
Single Participant Journey:
Multiple Participants, Staggered Start:
📊 This creates a continuous flow of emails rather than everyone receiving emails on the same days.
Early Completion
What happens if someone completes early:
They receive the thank you email immediately upon completion
They're removed from the queue for all future reminders
Their timeline stops - no more reminder emails
Example:
Email Timing Consistency
All emails send at 7:00 AM EST:
Morning timing increases visibility
Consistent across all participants
Exception: Thank you emails (send immediately on completion)
Time zone handling:
System sends at 7:00 AM EST regardless of participant time zone
If participant is in different time zone, they receive it at 7:00 AM EST (their local time may differ)
Email Card Information
Status Indicators
Initial Invite Card:
No scheduled time shown (unlike Point in Time)
Queued count: Participants waiting for next 7:00 AM EST send
Sent count: Participants who received invite
Reminder Cards:
Wait time displayed (e.g., "Wait 3 days")
Queued count: Participants who received previous email but not this one
Sent count: Participants who received this reminder
Thank You Card:
Completed count: Participants who finished the survey
No wait time (sends on completion)
Understanding Queued Counts
For Initial Invite:
Anyone added who hasn't received the invite yet
Updates when you add/remove participants
Resets to 0 after 7:00 AM EST send (or Send Now)
For Reminders:
Only participants who are "next in line" for this specific reminder
Must have received previous email but not this one
Updates as participants progress through sequence
Example with 3 reminders:
Email States
Unsent:
Has a wait interval configured
No participants have received it yet
Can be edited, reordered, or deleted freely
Partially Sent:
Some participants have received it
Some participants are still queued for it
Cannot change wait interval or reorder
Can still delete
Fully Sent (to current participants):
All current participants received it or skipped it
New participants will still receive it
Cannot change wait interval or reorder
Stats and Reporting
Viewing Send History
Email Card Level:
High-level counts (queued vs sent)
Wait intervals
Quick status overview
Stats Tab:
Participant-level detail
Individual send timestamps
Complete timeline for each participant
Participant-Specific Timelines
In the Stats tab, you can view each participant's email history:
When they were added
When each email was sent to them
Which emails they're queued for
If they completed the survey
Example participant view:
Understanding Staggered Send Times
Why emails send on different days:
Each participant has their own start date
Wait intervals are calculated from their previous email
This is normal and expected for Lifecycle surveys
Viewing sends by cohort:
Group participants by add date to see cohorts
Track completion rates by cohort
Identify which reminder intervals work best
Troubleshooting Common Issues
"Why didn't my participant get the invite today?"
Check if:
They were added after 7:00 AM EST today → They'll get it tomorrow at 7:00 AM EST
Their email is in the invalid list → Check bounce list
The invite was already sent to them → Check sent count and stats
Solution:
Click "Send Now" if you need to send immediately
"Can I change the wait time on my reminder?"
Check reminder status:
✅ Not sent to anyone yet → Yes, change the wait time freely
❌ Already sent to at least one participant → No, wait time is locked
Why locked?
Ensures consistency for all participants
Participants who already received it based on old timing shouldn't get different timing
"I need to send the invite immediately, not wait until tomorrow"
Solution:
Click Send Now on the Initial Invite card
Queued participants receive invite immediately
Use cases:
Employee's last day is today (exit survey)
Time-sensitive feedback needed
Testing the survey flow
"Why is Send Now disabled on my reminder?"
Likely reason:
The reminder doesn't have a "Wait X days" interval set
Solution:
Set the wait interval first
Then Send Now will be enabled
"What happens if I delete a reminder that some people already received?"
Effect:
Future participants skip that reminder
Participants who received it keep it in their history
No impact on those participants' progression
Next reminder (if any) continues as scheduled
"A participant needs a later start date - can I schedule them individually?"
Workaround:
Don't add them until the date you want them to start
OR add them now and accept they'll get the invite tomorrow at 7:00 AM EST
Note: Lifecycle surveys don't support individual participant scheduling - everyone follows the same interval pattern from their add date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the 7:00 AM EST send time?
No, this is system-wide for all Lifecycle surveys. The consistent timing helps with:
Predictable send times
Email deliverability
Morning visibility for recipients
What if I want to send to everyone at once?
Then you want a Point in Time survey, not a Lifecycle survey. Point in Time lets you schedule a specific date/time for everyone.
Can I add participants in bulk?
Yes, upload a list of participants. They'll all be queued for the next 7:00 AM EST send (or send immediately with Send Now).
How far in advance should I add participants?
For automated sends:
Add by 7:00 AM EST the day before you want them to receive the invite
Example: Add by Tuesday 7:00 AM EST for Wednesday 7:00 AM EST delivery
For immediate sends:
Add anytime and click Send Now
What's the maximum wait time I can set?
There's no system maximum, but practical limits:
Consider survey relevance (30-day wait may be too long for exit survey)
Consider participant engagement (longer waits = lower response rates)
Typical: 3-7 days between emails
Can I see who's receiving emails this week?
Check the Stats tab and filter by upcoming send dates. You'll see:
Which participants are queued for which emails
When each email will send based on their individual timeline
What if someone was re-hired or their status changed?
Options:
Remove them from the original survey instance
Add them fresh (they start a new timeline)
OR leave them in original position if that makes sense
Note: There's no "restart" function - removal and re-adding creates a fresh timeline.
Can I pause a Lifecycle survey?
Not directly, but you can:
Stop adding new participants (existing ones complete their timelines)
Remove wait intervals from all reminders (emails stop sending, but timelines pause)
Delete future reminders (only affects participants who haven't received them)
How do I handle time-sensitive situations like last-day exit surveys?
Best practice:
Add the participant as soon as you know their exit date
If it's their last day, click Send Now immediately
Set short reminder intervals (1-2 days) to complete before they leave
Alternative:
Consider a Point in Time survey for more control if you know exit dates in advance
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