How to Import and Review a Questionnaire in LooprAI

Start with the PDF to XLSForm converter if your source questionnaire is a PDF.

Start with the Word to XLSForm converter when your source questionnaire is a DOCX file.

LooprAI can read a PDF, DOCX, or XLSX questionnaire and build an editable XLSForm workbook — the Excel-based format that ODK Central uses for mobile data collection. The conversion attempts to map question structure, response options, and section logic. You then review and refine the output before exporting.

Free document imports preview the first 12 questions; larger imports require LooprAI Pro.

What you'll need

• A PDF, DOCX, or XLSX questionnaire
• A SurveyLoopr account with LooprAI access

How to prepare your document

LooprAI reads the structure of your document to identify question types. Better-structured documents produce better conversions.

For best results:

• Use consistent numbering (1., 1.1, 1.2, 2., etc.)
• Mark response options clearly (e.g., "1. Yes 2. No" or checkbox lists)
• Use section headings for major modules

The AI can detect:

• Text questions → text type
• Numeric questions → integer or decimal type
• Single-choice questions (select one) → select_one type
• Multiple-choice questions (select all that apply) → select_multiple type
• Date/time questions → date or time type
• GPS location questions → geopoint type

Step 1: Open LooprAI Workspace

From your SurveyLoopr dashboard, click Workspace in the left sidebar, then open an existing workbook or click New Workbook.

Step 2: Upload your document

In the LooprAI chat panel on the right side of the workspace, type:

Convert my questionnaire to XLSForm

LooprAI will respond with an upload prompt. Drag and drop your PDF, DOCX, or XLSX file into the chat, or click the attachment icon.

Step 3: Review the conversion

After processing, LooprAI builds an editable XLSForm workbook in the workspace. You'll see the survey sheet populated with its interpretation of your questions.

Review the following carefully:

• Question types — make sure numeric questions use integer or decimal, not text
• Choice lists — verify option values are clean (no spaces, no special characters)
• Required fields — LooprAI marks all questions as required by default; adjust as needed
• Skip logic — check any relevant conditions against your original instrument

Step 4: Check validation details and fix issues

Switch to Preview to run the form through the mobile preview and validation flow. If the form has syntax issues, missing choice lists, unsupported question types, or warnings, open the validation details and review each message before publishing.

For many common validation issues, you can ask LooprAI to attempt guided repairs with the /fix slash command:

/fix validation errors

LooprAI will read the current validation errors, attempt an update, and run the check again. ODK validation checks rules; it does not guarantee field readiness or that an attempted repair succeeds.

Step 5: Refine with follow-up prompts

You can also ask LooprAI to make design adjustments in plain English:

Make Q12 not required

Add a "Don't know" option to all select_one questions

Move the household roster section before the income module

For reusable survey content, see How to Use Standardized Modules. For multilingual forms, see How to Add Languages in ODK.

Step 6: Manage media files

If your form uses images, audio, video, or attached files, click the Form media button in the workspace toolbar. Use it to upload and manage the files referenced by your XLSForm.

The media drawer helps you see which files are already uploaded and which referenced files are still missing. Upload missing files before publishing, especially when your form has image prompts, audio instructions, video examples, or file questions.

Step 7: Preview on mobile

Click Preview in the toolbar to open the form in a mobile ODK simulation. Test the navigation, skip logic, and response types to confirm everything works as expected.

Step 8: Publish or download the XLSForm

When the form looks correct, you have two options.

Option A: Publish directly to a SurveyLoopr server

If you have a SurveyLoopr-hosted ODK server available, click Publish to ODK in the workspace toolbar. Choose the server, project, and form target, review any warnings, then publish.

Direct publishing is limited to SurveyLoopr-hosted ODK Central; use the downloaded XLSX elsewhere. The hosted publish flow can also upload referenced media files.

If you do not have a server yet, follow Getting a Server before publishing.

If you are new to Central after publishing, read ODK Central Basics for projects, users, Collect setup, and submissions.

Option B: Download as Excel and upload in ODK Central

If you want to upload manually, click Download XLSX to download the current workbook as an Excel .xlsx file. If you need a paper version for review or backup, see How to Convert XLSForm to PDF.

Then go to ODK Central and upload the XLSForm there. For ODK Central-specific project, form, and publishing steps, follow the official Using ODK Central documentation.

Build my first form free