How to set up NPS surveys and analyze results in Pendo

If you work on a product team and keep hearing about “NPS” and “user feedback loops” but don’t want to waste time or annoy your users, this guide’s for you. We’ll walk through how to actually set up NPS surveys in Pendo, get meaningful results, and—most important—turn those numbers into something useful. There’s a lot of hype around NPS, but done right, it’s a straightforward way to get a pulse on how your users really feel.

What is NPS and Why Should You Care?

NPS stands for Net Promoter Score. It’s a simple question: “How likely are you to recommend this product to a friend or colleague?” Users answer on a 0-10 scale. That’s it. The score gives you a quick read on overall sentiment, but—spoiler—you’ll get the most value from actually reading the comments, not obsessing over the number.

Here’s why NPS is worth your time:

  • Easy for users (one question)
  • Easy for you (simple setup in Pendo)
  • Trends matter more than the score itself (don’t freak out over a dip)
  • It can surface problems you didn’t see coming (if you actually read the feedback)

But, don’t expect a magic number to fix your product. NPS is a tool, not a silver bullet.

Step 1: Plan Your NPS Survey (Before You Touch Pendo)

Before clicking anything, answer these:

  • Who’s going to see the survey? New users, power users, or everyone?
  • How often will you ask? Too often = annoyed users. Too rare = useless data.
  • What will you do with the feedback? If you’re not going to act on it, don’t bother.

Pro tip: The more targeted your NPS survey, the better your feedback. Segment users by role, activity, or time using the product. Broad blasts get generic answers.

Step 2: Set Up NPS in Pendo

Pendo has a built-in NPS feature, but it’s not instantly obvious where to find it. Here’s how to get it running without spinning your wheels:

  1. Log into Pendo and go to “Guides.”

  2. “Guides” are what Pendo calls anything you show users in-app—popups, tooltips, surveys, etc.

  3. Click “+ Create Guide” and look for the NPS template.

  4. There’s usually a pre-made NPS template. If not, you can build one from scratch, but save yourself the headache and use the template.

  5. Customize the NPS question if needed.

  6. The standard is: “How likely are you to recommend [Product] to a friend or colleague?”

  7. You can tweak the wording, but don’t overthink it.

  8. Add a follow-up question for comments.

  9. This is where the gold is. Make it open-ended: “What’s the main reason for your score?” or “How could we improve?” Don’t make this mandatory—forced feedback is usually junk.

  10. Set targeting rules.

  11. Pick which users see the survey. Pendo lets you target by segment (e.g., “Active Users,” “Admins,” etc.), page, or even feature usage. Don’t spray-and-pray.

  12. Choose frequency.

  13. Standard practice: show NPS to each user every 90 days, max. Anything more and you risk survey fatigue.

  14. Preview and test.

  15. Preview the guide on staging or your own account. Check for typos, weird formatting, and that it only shows where and to whom you want.

  16. Publish.

  17. Hit “Publish” and monitor for the first few days. Be ready to pause it if something looks off (wrong users, technical glitches, etc.).

Step 3: Avoiding Common NPS Pitfalls

A few things to watch out for:

  • Don’t pester users constantly. Automated surveys are easy to overdo. If you get complaints, listen.
  • Don’t obsess over the raw score. It’s a lagging indicator. Focus on trends, not single numbers.
  • Don’t ignore the comments. The number is the headline; the comment is the story.

Honest take: If your team isn’t ready to read and react to open-text feedback, NPS will just become noise.

Step 4: Analyzing NPS Results in Pendo

Now you’ve got responses—what do you actually do with them? Here’s a practical approach:

  1. Go to “Analytics” → “NPS” in Pendo.

  2. You’ll see dashboards with your score, response rate, and breakdowns.

  3. Segment your results.

  4. Slice data by user type, plan, region, or whatever makes sense for your product. Look for patterns. For example, “Why are our Pro users less happy than Basic?”

  5. Read the open-ended feedback.

  6. This is where you get real insight. Don’t just skim—tag common themes (e.g., “Missing integrations,” “Slow load times”).

  7. Ignore “statistical significance” unless you have thousands of users.

  8. If you have a small user base, don’t try to make the data say more than it can.

  9. Track changes over time, not just point-in-time scores.

  10. Are things improving or getting worse? That’s what matters.

  11. Share the results with your team, unfiltered.

  12. Don’t cherry-pick only the good or bad. Transparency builds trust.

Pro tip: Set up a recurring time (monthly or quarterly) to review NPS comments as a team. It’s easy to collect feedback and never look at it again.

Step 5: Actually Do Something With the Feedback

Collecting NPS is pointless unless you act on what you learn. Here’s how to make it count:

  • Prioritize common complaints. If 30 users mention confusing onboarding, that’s probably worth fixing.
  • Close the loop with users. If you can, follow up with users who left detailed feedback—especially the unhappy ones.
  • Look for “quick wins.” Sometimes a small change (fixing a broken button, rewriting unclear copy) can turn detractors into promoters.
  • Don’t chase every suggestion. Some requests won’t fit your product. Stay focused.

Honest take: Most teams skip this step and wonder why their NPS never improves. The magic isn’t in the survey; it’s in what you do next.

Step 6: Keep It Simple, Adjust as Needed

Don’t overcomplicate your NPS setup. Start basic, see what works, and tweak as you go.

  • If you get too many “meh” responses, adjust your targeting.
  • If your response rate is low, try different timing or messaging.
  • If people say surveys are annoying, back off.

You don’t need a perfect setup out of the gate. Treat it as an experiment.

What’s Worth Ignoring

There’s a lot of noise around NPS. Here’s what you can safely tune out:

  • Fancy visualizations and NPS “benchmarks.” Your users aren’t generic survey respondents. Focus on your own trends.
  • Consultants selling “NPS optimization.” You don’t need a six-figure project to improve your product.
  • Trying to automate action on every piece of feedback. Some things need a human touch.

Wrapping Up

If you keep your NPS survey targeted, your analysis honest, and your follow-up real, you’ll get a lot more than a vanity metric. Don’t let it become a box-checking exercise. Start simple, listen to your users, and iterate. The score is just a number—the real value is in the stories behind it.