Step by step guide to creating custom survey campaigns in Refiner

Want to actually get useful feedback from your users—not just a pile of half-baked responses? Custom surveys help, but getting them set up in a way that’s actually helpful (and not just more digital noise) is tricky. If you’re using Refiner, this guide is for you. I’ll walk you through the whole process, step by step, minus any fluff.

Whether you’re a founder, a product manager, or just the person who got “volunteered” to run surveys, you’ll find what you need here. Let’s get into it.

Why bother with custom survey campaigns?

Before we dig in: you probably already know why surveys matter. But with most tools, you end up with generic forms, low response rates, and a bunch of answers you’re not sure what to do with. Refiner does some things right—it lets you trigger surveys based on real user actions, customize the experience, and (if you avoid the shiny distractions) actually get answers you can use.

But it’s not magic. You’ll still need to know what you’re asking, why you’re asking, and how to set it up so you don’t annoy your users or your team.

Step 1: Get clear on your goal

Don’t just slap together a survey because “we should ask for feedback.” Figure out:

  • What do you actually want to learn? (e.g., “Why are trial users not converting?”)
  • Who should answer? (e.g., “Active users who’ve used feature X at least twice”)
  • How will you use the results? (e.g., “Prioritize a roadmap feature or fix onboarding”)

If you can’t answer these honestly, don’t move forward yet. Vague surveys get vague answers.

Pro tip: Keep goals tight. “Measure NPS” and “Get feedback on onboarding” should be different surveys.

Step 2: Set up your audience in Refiner

Once you know who you’re targeting, set up your audience segment in Refiner.

  1. Login and head to “Segments”
    In your Refiner dashboard, look for the “Segments” or “Audience” section.

  2. Create a new segment
    Give it a clear name (e.g., “Trial users - week 1”). Avoid “Test 123” or “General audience”—future-you will thank you.

  3. Define segment rules
    Set filters based on user properties or behavior:

  4. Last seen date
  5. Plan type
  6. Actions performed

Refiner can sync with your product’s user data, so get specific.

What to ignore: Don’t over-segment unless you really need to. The more granular you go, the more work you’re making for yourself, and often, you get diminishing returns.

Step 3: Build your survey

Now, to the fun (or painful) part: actually building the thing.

  1. Go to “Surveys” and hit “Create new survey”
    You’ll get options like NPS, CSAT, CES, or custom. Pick what fits your goal. For custom campaigns, start with the “Custom” option.

  2. Add your questions
    Mix and match question types—multiple choice, text, ratings. But don’t get carried away:

  3. 3–5 questions is plenty
  4. Start with your most important question

  5. Use plain language, not internal jargon

  6. Set up logic (if you need it)
    Refiner supports skip logic—so you can show/hide questions based on previous answers. Use this sparingly; it’s easy to overcomplicate.

  7. Preview your survey
    Always preview before you save. Check for typos, weird phrasing, or broken logic. If it feels clunky to you, it’ll annoy your users.

Honest take: Fancy question types and endless branching sound cool, but most users will bail if your survey feels confusing or too long.

Step 4: Design and brand the survey

People are more likely to answer if your survey looks like it belongs to your product—not some random popup.

  1. Customize colors and fonts
    Use your brand colors, but don’t go overboard. High-contrast layouts work best. Refiner lets you tweak these easily.

  2. Add your logo
    Keep it small; you want answers, not just a branding exercise.

  3. Edit button text and messages
    “Submit” is fine, but a little context (“Send feedback”) can help.

  4. Mobile preview
    Many users will see this on their phone. Check mobile layouts for readability.

What to ignore: Unless you have a design team begging to get involved, don’t spend hours tweaking every pixel. Good enough is good enough.

Step 5: Choose your delivery method

Refiner gives you a few ways to deliver surveys:

  • In-app widget
    Shows up for users inside your product. Highest response rates, least friction.

  • Email surveys
    Good for users who aren’t logging in often. Lower response rates, but sometimes your only option.

  • Links
    Direct survey URLs you can send however you want (e.g., support chat, newsletters).

Set triggers:
If you’re using in-app surveys, set when and how often users see them. For example: - After logging in 3 times - After completing a key action - Only once every 30 days

Pro tip: Don’t spam. Once per user per campaign is plenty. Nobody wants to fill out the same survey twice.

Step 6: Set up targeting and scheduling

This is where you decide exactly who sees your survey and when.

  1. Attach your audience segment
    From Step 2, pick the right segment for this survey.

  2. Set timing rules

  3. Show immediately?
  4. Wait until after a certain event?

  5. Limit to certain days/times?

  6. Set throttling and frequency
    Avoid overlapping surveys. Refiner lets you prevent users from seeing multiple surveys in a short window.

What works:
Trigger surveys right after a relevant experience (e.g., after using a new feature). Context matters—don’t ask for feedback out of the blue.

Step 7: Test your survey (really test it)

I know, you’re eager to launch. But test your survey end-to-end:

  • Use a test user account (or two)
  • Try every logic path
  • Test on desktop and mobile
  • Check that responses show up in Refiner the way you expect

Honest take: The fastest way to ruin trust is with a broken or confusing survey. Ten minutes of testing now saves you a ton of headaches later.

Step 8: Launch (and monitor)

Hit “Activate” or “Launch.” But don’t just walk away.

  • Watch the first few responses for red flags (typos, misunderstood questions)
  • If response rates are terrible, check your targeting and triggers
  • If feedback is all one-word answers, your questions might be too broad or boring

What to ignore: Don’t get obsessed with the dashboard right away. Give it a few days to gather real data.

Step 9: Make sense of the results

Collecting answers is only half the battle. Now, put them to use:

  • Tag and filter responses
    Refiner lets you tag or segment responses for easier sorting.

  • Export to CSV or connect integrations
    If you need to crunch data elsewhere, export or hook up to Slack, Zapier, etc.

  • Share highlights with your team
    Don’t hoard insights. Copy-paste the best (or most brutal) feedback into Slack or your next roadmap meeting.

Pro tip: If you’re seeing the same response over and over, you’ve hit a nerve. If you’re only getting “meh” answers, revisit your questions.

Step 10: Iterate and keep it simple

No survey is perfect on the first try. After a few days (or a week), review:

  • Are you getting the answers you need?
  • Anything confusing users?
  • Can you simplify or cut questions?

Tweak, relaunch, repeat. Don’t be afraid to retire a campaign that isn’t working. Sometimes less is more.

Wrapping up

Surveys aren’t magic, and tools like Refiner just make it easier to ask the right people the right questions. Don’t overthink it—start small, keep your surveys short, and learn as you go. The less you fuss, the more likely you’ll actually get answers you can use. Good luck!