If you’re collecting responses with online forms, you need more than just a pile of submissions—you need answers you can actually use. Whether you’re running a job application, feedback survey, or lead gen form, knowing how to track and analyze those submissions makes the difference between “neat, we got some responses” and “hey, this is helping us make decisions.”
This guide is for anyone who uses Tally.so and wants to go beyond the basics. Maybe you just started using Tallyso, or maybe you’re tired of copy-pasting data into spreadsheets. Either way, I’ll walk you through the tools Tallyso gives you, what’s worth your time, and what you can safely ignore.
Step 1: Find Your Way Around Tallyso’s Dashboard
Before you get lost looking for features, let’s get clear on what Tallyso actually offers. Tallyso is built for simplicity—think “forms that don’t make you want to scream”—and the dashboard reflects that.
Here’s what you’ll see in the dashboard: - Submissions list: A table showing each response, with timestamps and answers. - Summary charts: Basic bar and pie charts for quantitative fields (like multiple choice or ratings). - Export options: Download all your data as a CSV or XLSX file. - Filters and search: Narrow down submissions by answer, date, or status.
That’s pretty much it. If you’re hunting for advanced analytics or custom reports, you’ll quickly hit Tallyso’s limits (more on that later). But for most use cases, the out-of-the-box tools are enough to spot trends, drill into responses, and keep your data organized.
Step 2: Track Submissions in Real Time
Tallyso doesn’t make you wait around—new responses show up in your dashboard instantly. If you want to keep a close eye on things, here’s what you can do:
- Enable notifications: Tallyso can email you when you get a new submission. Set this up in your form’s “Settings” > “Notifications.” It’s not fancy, but it gets the job done.
- Check submission timestamps: Every entry in the dashboard shows when it came in. This is handy if you’re tracking event registrations or running a campaign with a deadline.
- Use filters: Want to see only today’s submissions or responses from a certain email? Click the filter icon at the top of the submissions table. It’s basic but helps cut through the noise.
Pro tip: If you need instant alerts in Slack, Tallyso has native integrations—or you can use Zapier to push new submissions anywhere you want. Just don’t expect a fancy notification center; Tallyso keeps it minimal.
Step 3: Analyze Responses with Built-In Tools
Let’s be real: Tallyso’s analysis tools aren’t going to replace a full analytics suite. But for getting quick insights, they’re actually pretty solid.
What works well: - Automatic charts: For questions like “How satisfied are you?” or “Which option do you prefer?”, the dashboard auto-generates charts showing the breakdown of answers. - Answer frequency: See at a glance which choices are most popular or how many people picked a certain option. - Text answer previews: For open-ended questions, you get a preview right in the list. Click into a submission to read the full answer.
Where it falls short: - No cross-filtering: You can’t see “How did people who answered X to Question 1 respond to Question 4?” If you need crosstabs, you’ll have to export. - Limited chart types: It’s mostly bar and pie charts, and there’s not much you can customize. - No time-series analysis: You won’t see “responses over time” graphs without exporting.
Bottom line: Use the dashboard for a quick pulse check, not for deep dives. It’s perfect for status updates and spotting obvious trends—if you want more, plan to export your data.
Step 4: Export Data for Deeper Analysis
If you want to crunch numbers, share data, or build custom reports, exporting is your best friend.
How to export submissions: 1. Go to your form’s dashboard. 2. Click the “Export” button (top right). 3. Choose CSV or XLSX. (CSV is best if you’re using Google Sheets; XLSX for Excel.)
From here, you can: - Build pivot tables: Group responses by answer, date, or any field you want. - Make your own charts: Create line graphs, heatmaps, or anything else your spreadsheet tool can handle. - Combine with other data: If you’re running multiple forms, merge them into a master sheet for bigger-picture analysis.
Pro tip: If you’re using Google Sheets, you can set up an integration using Zapier or Make to send new submissions straight to a sheet automatically. This saves you from exporting every time.
What to watch out for: - Tallyso exports raw data—no formatting, no charts, just the answers. If you want to see trends or segment by custom fields, you’ll do the work yourself. - Open-text answers can get messy fast. Plan to do some cleanup if you’re asking a lot of free-response questions.
Step 5: Use Filters and Search to Find What Matters
Even with a small number of submissions, finding the right response can get tedious. Tallyso’s filters aren’t fancy—but they’re useful.
You can filter by: - Question answers: Only show responses with a specific answer. - Date: Limit to submissions from a certain range. - Completion status: (For advanced forms with logic, show only completed or partial submissions.)
How to use it: - Hit the filter icon on the submissions table. - Pick your field(s), set your criteria, and view filtered results instantly.
What doesn’t work: - You can’t stack complex filters (“Show people who picked A AND wrote ‘yes’ in comments”). It’s one filter at a time. - No saved views—so you’ll have to re-apply filters each time.
Still, for quick checks (“Who signed up this week?” “Who answered ‘no’?”), it’s good enough.
Step 6: Set Up Integrations for Automation (Optional)
If you’re tired of manual exports or want to push data into other tools, Tallyso supports integrations with:
- Slack: Get notified of new submissions right in a channel.
- Airtable: Send each submission to a database.
- Zapier/Make: Connect to 5000+ apps (Google Sheets, Trello, CRM tools, etc.)
How to set up an integration: 1. Go to your form’s “Integrations” tab. 2. Choose your platform and follow the setup flow (usually just a few clicks). 3. Test the connection to make sure data flows as expected.
Honest take: Integrations are lifesavers for teams who want to automate. But if your use case is simple, don’t overcomplicate things—start with exports and only automate when you’re drowning in manual work.
Step 7: Ignore the Hype—Here’s What Not to Bother With
Every tool tries to sell you on “advanced analytics,” but here’s the truth with Tallyso:
- No click tracking or funnel analysis: You won’t see how people interact with the form, just their final answers. If you want drop-off rates or field-level analytics, you’ll need a dedicated form analytics tool.
- No cohort or segmentation features: You can’t group or tag users beyond basic filtering.
- No AI-powered insights: Tallyso doesn’t try to guess what your data means (which, honestly, is a relief).
If you need those things, use Tallyso for collection and do heavy analysis elsewhere. That’s not a knock on Tallyso—it’s just not trying to be something it’s not.
Step 8: Make the Most of What Tallyso Does Well
Here’s how to get real value, without overcomplicating your workflow:
- Keep forms simple: The more fields you add, the harder analysis gets—especially with open text.
- Check dashboards regularly: Don’t wait until you have 500 responses to look for trends.
- Export and back up: Download your data every so often, even if you’re not analyzing yet. You’ll thank yourself later.
- Iterate: If you’re not getting the insights you want, tweak your form and try again. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
Wrapping Up
You don’t need a PhD in data science to get useful info from your Tallyso forms. Stick to the basics: use the dashboard for quick checks, export for deeper dives, and automate only if you really need to. Most of the time, simple wins—so don’t overthink it. Check your data, learn, and improve your forms as you go. That’s how you actually get answers that matter.