Archive questions that show what readers can't find
Ask readers what they were looking for in the archive, how easy it was to find and what they gave up on. Each question below comes with when to ask it and what the answer tells you.
What news archive survey questions tell you
News archive survey questions ask readers what they were looking for, how easy it was to find, which dates and events they searched for and what the archive is missing. Search logs show what readers typed. These answers show what they were trying to find and whether they gave up.
Ask on archive pages and search results, with an idle or exit intent trigger to reach readers who are about to give up. Pick three to five questions, with the ease score first and the open question for what they failed to find at the end.
Each written answer gets a theme and a sentiment, so failed searches for the same subject gather in one theme. Give each response an owner in the inbox, and add every answer to Google Sheets for the archive team.
- Questions
- 12
- Best asked
- After a search in the archive
- Industry
- Media
- Where to find them
- From library in the Usertick survey editor, on every plan
The 12 the archive questions, with when to ask each
Grouped by what they tell you. Use them as they are or change the wording.
Finding an old story
Ask these on search results, so the archive team sees how search works and which searches fail.
- 02Customer effort
How easy was it to find an old story?
A customer effort score for finding an old story, on a seven-point scale. Results shows the average and the share who found it easy; ask it on the search results page.
- 09Stars
How would you rate the archive search?
A five star rating for the archive search. Results shows the average and the share who gave four or more; compare it before and after a change to search.
- 11Text
What did you fail to find?
An open question for the search that failed. Each answer gets a theme, and repeated misses for one subject point to stories that need better tags or scanning.
- 07Date
Which date were you trying to find?
The date the reader was looking for, picked on a calendar. Results shows a calendar of picked dates, so busy periods point to the years worth scanning first.
Why readers come to the archive
The purpose and depth of a visit, worth reading before you decide what to digitize or promote.
- 01Yes / No
Have you searched our archive?
Splits archive users from readers who never tried it. Select No in Results to read what those readers would want, before you promote the archive more widely.
- 03Multiple choice
What were you looking for in the archive?
The purpose behind the visit, from rereading a story to family history. Results shows a donut with each share; a large share of research visits is a case for better filters.
- 08Dropdown
How far back do you need to go?
How far back the reader needs to go. Results shows each share and count; a lead for going as far as possible is a case for digitizing older editions.
- 10Ruler
How many old stories did you open today?
How many old stories the reader opened on this visit, on a ruler up to twenty. Results shows the median and the middle half, a sense of how deep visits run.
Making the archive better
Use these when you plan new collections, filters or the way old stories are shown.
- 04Multiple choice
What would make the archive more useful?
Readers pick every change that would help, from better search to author pages. Results shows a bar per option, a short list for the archive team.
- 05Big scale
How complete does the archive feel?
How complete the archive feels, from one to ten. Results shows the average and a column per step; read it with the failed searches to find the gaps.
- 12Multiple choice
How should old stories be presented?
How readers want old stories shown, from exactly as published to inside a themed collection. Results shows a donut with each share, a guide for archive pages.
- 06Text
Which year or event should we dig out of the archive?
An open question for the year or event to bring back. Each answer gets a theme, so anniversaries and requested events are easy to plan around.
Tips for asking about the archive
Small choices that get honest, useful answers.
- 01
Ask on the search results page
Target the survey to archive pages, and trigger it after the reader has been idle for a while or is about to leave.
- 02
End with what failed
Close with the open question for what the reader couldn't find. Failed searches are the answers the archive team can act on first.
- 03
Keep it to four questions
The ease score, the search rating, what they were looking for and what they failed to find.
- 04
Ask again after a change to search
Run the same ease and search questions before and after a change, and compare the two periods in Results.
Add these questions to a survey
From the library to the first answers.
- 1
Open the library
In the Usertick survey editor, choose From library, filter by industry and topic, and add several questions at once.
- 2
Or paste your own list
Paste questions reads up to 10 questions from any text on Free, 100 on Starter and 200 on Pro and above, keeps your wording and picks an answer type for each.
- 3
Choose where it runs
Show the survey on your website, send it by email, share its link and QR code, or switch it to a conversation.
- 4
Read the answers
Results counts every score and choice, and Usertick reads each written answer and files it by topic, on every plan.
Templates and more questions about the archive
Full surveys that ask about the same things, and neighboring topics in the library.
Templates
Browse all templatesFrequently asked questions
On archive pages and search results, with targeting by pages on every plan. An exit intent or idle trigger catches readers who are about to give up.
Three to five: the ease score, what they were looking for, the search rating and an open question for what they failed to find.
Yes. Add the date question, and Results shows a calendar of the dates readers were trying to find.
Start with how easy it was to find an old story. A low score tells you to read the failed searches first.
Yes. The question library comes with every plan, the free plan included, and the free plan covers 150 responses a month across your surveys.
Yes. Once a question is in your survey, reword it, change its options or its answer type, and add logic to skip it for some answers.
Yes. The library is translated into Usertick's built-in languages, and in any other language it shows in English for you to translate.
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