NPS survey template
Six pieces of plain text that make up a whole Net Promoter Score survey, in the order a respondent sees them. Paste them into the survey tool, email client or in-app message you already use, replace the words in brackets and read them aloud once: if a sentence does not sound like your team, rewrite it until it does.
Try the question
Pick a score to see which follow-up this page suggests for it. Nothing is sent.
The follow-up for each answer
- Scores 0 to 6 (detractors)
- We are sorry to hear that. What is the one thing we should fix first?
- Scores 7 or 8 (passives)
- Thanks. What would make [Product] clearly better for you?
- Scores 9 or 10 (promoters)
- Great to hear. What do you like most? We may quote you anonymously if you agree.
The template, piece by piece
- The invitation
- The rating question
- Follow-up for scores from 0 to 6
- Follow-up for scores of 7 or 8
- Follow-up for scores of 9 or 10
- Thank-you messages
- A single reminder
The invitation
Send it by email or show it as the first line of an in-app survey. Say how long it takes and why you ask, and sign it with a real name from your team.
Subject: One question about [Product]
Hi [First name],
Could you answer one question about [Product]? It takes less than a minute, and
every answer is read by the team that builds it.
[Survey link]
Thank you,
[Your name], [Your role] at [Company]The rating question
Keep the wording and the scale. Label both ends so nobody has to guess which side is good, and do not preselect a value.
How likely is it that you would recommend [Product] to a friend or colleague?
0 = Not at all likely … 10 = Extremely likelyFollow-up for scores from 0 to 6
Ask for one concrete thing to fix. A wide question such as "any feedback?" gets answers that are hard to act on.
We are sorry to hear that. What is the one thing we should fix first?Follow-up for scores of 7 or 8
People in the middle are usually satisfied but not attached. Ask what would make the difference for them.
Thanks. What would make [Product] clearly better for you?Follow-up for scores of 9 or 10
Ask what they value, so you know what to protect. Only ask for permission to quote them if you would really use the quote, and keep it optional.
Great to hear. What do you like most about [Product]?
[ ] You may quote my answer without my name.Thank-you messages
Close every survey with a sentence that matches the answer, and promise only what your team will actually do.
Scores from 0 to 6:
Thank you for being honest. Someone from our team reads every answer, and we may
contact you about yours if you allowed it.
Scores of 7 or 8:
Thank you. Your answer goes straight to the people who plan what we build next.
Scores of 9 or 10:
Thank you, that means a lot to us. If you ever want to tell a colleague about
[Product], this link works for them: [Link].A single reminder
Send at most one reminder, a few days after the invitation, and only to people who have not answered. Never remind someone who has already replied.
Subject: Re: One question about [Product]
Hi [First name], in case my last message got buried: one question, less than a
minute. [Survey link]
No worries if now is not a good time.
[Your name]How the answers are scored
Answers of 9 or 10 count as promoters and answers from 0 to 6 as detractors; the Net Promoter Score is the percentage of promoters minus the percentage of detractors.Source [1] What counts as a good score depends on the industry and the survey method: see thecited NPS benchmarks.
Keep going
- Feature request template for the ideas your survey surfaces
- NPS survey questions, by survey type and by use case
- NPS follow-up questions for every answer group
- Relationship NPS questions
Answers to the follow-up question are often feature requests. On afeedback board they are counted with everyone else’s requests, and the people who asked hear when they ship.
Frequently asked questions
Should the follow-up question be required?
No. Make only the rating required. People who skip the open question still give you a usable score, while a required text box makes many of them close the survey.
Can I use this template for email and in-app surveys?
Yes. By email, send the invitation and link to a page with the rating question. In the product, skip the invitation and show the rating question with a one-line intro.
Do I need different follow-ups for each score group?
It helps, because each group needs a different question, but one neutral question such as "What is the main reason for your score?" is a fine start if your tool cannot branch.
Sources
- Bain & Company, “Measuring Your Net Promoter Score”: www.netpromotersystem.com/about/measuring-your-net-promoter-score/, retrieved .
Net Promoter, NPS and Net Promoter Score are trademarks of Bain & Company, Inc., NICE Systems, Inc. and Fred Reichheld.
Ask these questions with UpVoiced
UpVoiced is adding NPS and CSAT microsurveys to its widget; they are coming soon and not available yet. Its feedback board, roadmap and changelog are in development, and you can try them on a fictional demo.