Preview and publishing
Fixing validation errors
What blocks publishing, and how to jump straight to the problem.
Publishing validates the survey before making it available to respondents. If validation fails, the editor lists the issues that need attention.
Open the publishing panel
Select Share → Publish and read the validation messages.Go to the affected node
Use the issue entry to find the relevant question or rule. Check Content for missing text or settings, and Advanced for branching issues.Fix the cause
Check missing destinations, references to removed questions, later-answer conditions, empty groups and invalid numeric settings. Follow the message rather than deleting a rule blindly.Validate and preview again
Return to Publish after saving. When the checks pass, preview the changed route before confirming publication.Validation is not a survey review
A survey can be technically valid and still ask a confusing question or send people down the wrong route. Preview matching and non-matching answers for every branch.
See logic troubleshooting and piping missing answers for common causes.
Use the issue to find the underlying change
| Issue to inspect | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Missing question or destination | A referenced node was deleted | Choose the intended remaining question or remove the obsolete rule |
| A condition uses a later answer | Questions were reordered | Move the decision after its inputs or choose an earlier source |
| Empty condition group | A rule was started but not finished | Complete or remove that group |
| Invalid split paths | A target or weight is unsuitable | Use distinct forward destinations and positive whole-number weights |
| Invalid number settings | A minimum, maximum or step conflicts | Check the complete range, including any piped values |
An empty condition is allowed for a Split that should apply to everyone reaching it. Do not assume that the same empty setup makes an unconditional Go To valid.
Fix the cause before adding replacement rules. A missing destination may be the result of deleting a whole section, so review the surrounding route as well as the highlighted item. If several errors refer to the same removed question, check both branching and piping references.
After the error disappears
Run Preview again with the answer that should activate the repaired rule, then with one that should not. If the question order changed, check any piped answer that now comes from a different point in the flow. Validation can check a reference without proving that every respondent will have supplied its value.