--- title: How to Generate and Use a Survey Link description: Generate a single survey link to share with participants, choose who can access it, and distribute it without individual email invitations. --- [Skip to content](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/knowledge-base/how-to-use-an-open-link-administration#main-content) English Show submenu for translations [Contact us](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/knowledge-base/kb-tickets/new?hsLang=en) ![Black text & Blue Icon.jpg\]](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Black%20text%20%26%20Blue%20Icon.jpg?height=40&name=Black%20text%20%26%20Blue%20Icon.jpg) Open main navigation Close main navigation - English Show submenu for translations - [Contact us](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/knowledge-base/kb-tickets/new) - Go to Benchworks by Elentra Go to Benchworks by Elentra Hello. How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Benchworks by Elentra Knowledge Base](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/knowledge-base?hsLang=en) 2. [Features](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/knowledge-base/features?hsLang=en) # How to Generate and Use a Survey Link ## Learn how to generate one survey link, choose who can access it, and distribute it through your own channels. Generate Survey Link (previously called Anonymous or Open Link) lets you share one survey link instead of having Benchworks send individual invitation emails. Your institution is responsible for distributing the link. You can share it through campus email, a website, a campus portal, a QR code, or another channel your participants use. You can set the link one of two ways: 1. Open to anyone who has it 2. Restricted to the people on an uploaded participant list If you are unsure whether a single link fits your plans, [compare the available ways to send your survey](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/knowledge-base/choose-a-distribution-method?hsLang=en). ### **Select the Single Link Method** You can select this method in two places. 1\. When you first access Manage Survey for your order, you must select a distribution method before continuing. Select **Distribute Single Link Outside of Benchworks.** ![Choose a Distribution Method - Single Link](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Choose%20a%20Distribution%20Method%20-%20Single%20Link.png?width=500&height=284&name=Choose%20a%20Distribution%20Method%20-%20Single%20Link.png) 2\. Anytime before launch, from the main setup screen, scroll to the bottom to the **Features** section and select **Switch to send invites on my own.** ![](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Mar-25-2024-08-10-52-0125-PM.png?width=570&height=544&name=image-png-Mar-25-2024-08-10-52-0125-PM.png)   ### **Generating Your Link** After selecting Generate Survey Link, choose one of two options for who can respond to your survey: - **Anyone:** Anyone with the link can access the survey. Participants are asked to provide their name and email address so completion can be tracked, without connecting their identities to their survey responses. - **My list of participants:** Only people whose email addresses appear on your uploaded participant list can access the survey. Participants must enter the same email address included on the list; anyone who enters an email that isn't on the list is exited from the survey. Survey responses remain separate from the identifying information available to your institution. Then select **Generate Link**. ![Generate a Survey Link - Who Can Respond](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Generate%20a%20Survey%20Link%20-%20Who%20Can%20Respond.png?width=550&height=375&name=Generate%20a%20Survey%20Link%20-%20Who%20Can%20Respond.png) Your survey link will appear at the bottom of the page. Copy and save the link, then share it with your participants. ![](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Mar-25-2024-08-20-23-4104-PM.png?width=568&height=382&name=image-png-Mar-25-2024-08-20-23-4104-PM.png) ### **What Participants See** When participants open the link, they will be asked for the information required by the access option you selected.![](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/uLIvIHBq7Isp8jrh0leR8AuM9ymfXgQtOgcAhTCbmHK9xSFK-KvFHIygzw_Nxsxz_LGAM5HGfvgG83JqGZ1NsD0j-R0SWX1ar06UJeY3EGoYs5V2OFldR6kOk1jjOSo3_CiAuOda8I6bg3gWiZhTfA) If someone tries to complete the survey again using an email address that's already submitted a response, they'll see a message that a survey was already completed with that email, along with an option to have a continuation link emailed to them. ![](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Mar-25-2024-08-52-13-5718-PM.png?width=535&height=255&name=image-png-Mar-25-2024-08-52-13-5718-PM.png)   ### **Invitations and Reminders** When your institution uses Generate Survey Link, **your institution is responsible for sending invitations and reminders through its own channels.** Benchworks doesn't send invitation or reminder emails unless you use the Support-assisted configuration described below.   ### **Combining Open Access with Participant Tracking** Most institutions should select either Anyone or My List of Participants. In limited cases, an institution may want anyone with the link to respond while also uploading a participant list to track completion among known participants. This configuration can help an institution track completion among known participants, identify eligible incentive recipients, and monitor response rates for groups such as residence halls or majors, when unit or population coding was included with your order and has been uploaded. This is a Support-assisted configuration. Complete the setup tasks below and contact Benchworks Support at least three weeks before launch. Before contacting Support, complete the following steps in your setup: - [Enter the invitation email content (in case an individual invitation needs to be sent)](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/knowledge-base/how-to-enter-invitation-and-reminder-email-content?hsLang=en) - [Add any Institution-Specific Questions](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/knowledge-base/how-to-enter-institution-specific-questions-isqs?hsLang=en) - [Upload or set up any unit or population coding included with your order](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/knowledge-base/how-to-enter-coding?hsLang=en) - [Review and approve the welcome and consent page](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/knowledge-base/how-to-edit-the-welcome/consent-page?hsLang=en) - [Review the email-deliverability information](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/knowledge-base/how-to-ensure-email-deliverability?hsLang=en) - [Confirm the survey launch and end dates](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/knowledge-base/how-to-modify-launch-and-end-dates?hsLang=en) - [Review and approve the completion page](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/knowledge-base/how-to-modify-the-completed-page?hsLang=en) After completing these tasks, contact Benchworks Support. Support will confirm what you want to track, finish configuring your survey link, and review how invitations and reminders will work for this configuration. With this configuration, Benchworks can send a separate, individually assigned invitation link to participants on your uploaded list, in addition to the single link you're distributing yourself. Scheduled follow-up reminders aren't sent automatically. If a reminder is needed, use [Send Additional Reminder](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/knowledge-base/how-to-send-an-additional-reminder-email?hsLang=en) after the survey launches. The reminder sends immediately rather than on a schedule. ### **Questions?** If you have questions about your survey distribution options or need assistance, contact Benchworks Support at [benchworkssupport@elentra.com](mailto:benchworkssupport@elentra.com). - [Contact Support](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/knowledge-base/contact-support?hsLang=en) - [Getting started](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/knowledge-base/getting-started?hsLang=en) - [Setup Task List](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/knowledge-base/setup-task-list?hsLang=en) - [Features](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/knowledge-base/features?hsLang=en) - [General](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/knowledge-base/general?hsLang=en) - [Reports](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/knowledge-base/reports?hsLang=en) - [Troubleshooting](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/knowledge-base/troubleshooting?hsLang=en) - [Product Updates](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/knowledge-base/product-updates?hsLang=en) - [Member Resources](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/knowledge-base/member-resources?hsLang=en) [![Benchworks by Elentra logo](https://help.benchworks.elentra.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Black%20text%20%26%20Blue%20Icon%202-1.png?width=2500&height=650&name=Black%20text%20%26%20Blue%20Icon%202-1.png "Benchworks by Elentra logo")](https://benchworks.elentra.com) elentra.com Help Center Copyright © 2026, Elentra Inc.