16 February 2026

How to Close a Survey in SurveyMonkey

So, your survey has done its job. Responses are rolling in. Charts are filling up. And now you are wondering, “How do I close this thing?” Don’t worry. Closing a survey in SurveyMonkey is simple. You just need to know where to click and what your options mean. Let’s walk through it step by step in a fun and easy way.

TLDR: To close a survey in SurveyMonkey, go to your dashboard, open your survey, click on the Responses tab, and choose Close collector. You can close it manually, schedule it to close later, or set it to close after a response limit. Once closed, no new responses can come in. You can reopen it anytime if needed.

Why You Might Want to Close a Survey

Before we click anything, let’s talk about why you might want to close a survey.

• You reached your response goal.
• Your deadline has passed.
• You collected enough data.
• You spotted an error and need to fix it.
• You are done with the project.

Closing your survey stops new responses. Simple as that.

Important: Closing a survey does not delete responses. Your data stays safe.

Step 1: Log in to SurveyMonkey

First things first. Log in to your SurveyMonkey account.

Go to your dashboard. This is where all your surveys live.

You will see a list of your surveys. Find the one you want to close.

Click on the survey title. This opens your survey project.

Step 2: Go to the “Responses” Section

At the top of your survey, you will see different tabs:

• Design Survey
• Collect Responses
• Analyze Results

If you are using a newer layout, you may see slightly different wording. That is okay. Look for anything that says Responses or Collectors.

Click on Collect Responses (or the Responses tab).

This is where the magic happens.

Step 3: Find Your Collector

In SurveyMonkey, surveys collect responses through something called a collector.

A collector is how your survey is shared. For example:

• A web link
• An email invitation
• An embedded website form
• A social media post

If you used multiple sharing methods, you may see multiple collectors listed.

Each collector has its own settings. And each one can be closed separately.

Yes, that means you might need to close more than one.

Step 4: Close the Collector

Now we get to the good part.

Next to your collector, you will see a status indicator. It likely says:

• Open (accepting responses)
• Closed (not accepting responses)

If it says Open, click on the collector.

Look for an option that says something like:

• Close collector
• Stop collecting responses

Click that option.

SurveyMonkey may ask you to confirm. Click Confirm.

Done. Your survey is now closed.

No more responses will be accepted through that collector.

What Happens After You Close It?

Good question.

When someone clicks your survey link after it is closed, they will see a message. Usually something like:

“This survey is no longer accepting responses.”

You can customize this message in the collector settings.

This is helpful if you want to say:

• “Thank you! The survey period has ended.”
• “Contact us if you have questions.”
• “Watch for future surveys.”

It keeps things professional.

How to Automatically Close a Survey

Here is where things get even cooler.

You do not have to close your survey manually. You can set it to close automatically.

Inside the collector settings, look for options like:

• Response Limits
• Date and Time Scheduling

Option 1: Close After a Certain Number of Responses

Let’s say you only need 100 responses.

You can tell SurveyMonkey:

“Close this survey after 100 responses.”

Once response 100 comes in, the collector shuts down.

No babysitting required.

Option 2: Close on a Specific Date

Running a survey for two weeks?

Set a closing date and time.

At exactly that moment, the survey closes automatically.

This is perfect for:

• Event feedback
• Course evaluations
• Market research deadlines

How to Reopen a Closed Survey

Changed your mind?

No problem.

Reopening a survey is just as easy.

Go back to:

• Your survey dashboard
• The collector

If the collector status says Closed, click on it.

You should see an option like:

Reopen collector

Click it.

And just like that, responses can start flowing again.

Warning: If you had a response limit set, make sure to adjust it before reopening.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Let’s save you some frustration.

Mistake 1: Closing the Survey Design Instead of the Collector

Remember. Responses are controlled by collectors. Not the design tab.

If you only exit the design section, your survey is still open.

Mistake 2: Forgetting Multiple Collectors

You may have:

• One web link
• One email invitation
• One embedded version

You must close each one separately if you want everything fully shut down.

Mistake 3: Deleting Instead of Closing

Do not delete your survey unless you truly want it gone.

Deleting can remove access to results.

Closing is safer.

Best Practices When Closing a Survey

Want to look like a pro? Follow these tips.

1. Export Your Data

Before or after closing, export your responses.

Download them as:

• CSV
• Excel
• PDF

Always have a backup.

2. Review Responses First

Make sure you actually reached your goals.

Check:

• Total response count
• Completion rate
• Quality of answers

Once closed, participation stops.

3. Update Your Team

If you work with a team, let them know.

Communication prevents confusion.

4. Customize the Closed Message

This small detail makes a big difference.

A thoughtful message shows appreciation.

Something simple works great:

“Thank you for your interest. This survey is now closed. We appreciate your time!”

Special Situations

What If Responses Are Still Coming In?

If responses continue after you think you closed the survey, check for:

• Another open collector
• An embedded version
• A duplicate survey link

SurveyMonkey only stops responses for the specific collector you close.

What If You Are on a Mobile Device?

You can close a survey from your phone.

The layout may look different.

But the steps are the same:

• Open survey
• Find collector
• Tap close

Easy.

Quick Checklist

Here is a fast recap you can screenshot in your mind:

1. Log into SurveyMonkey.
2. Open your survey.
3. Go to Collect Responses.
4. Select the collector.
5. Click Close collector.
6. Confirm.

That’s it.

Closing Thoughts

Closing a survey in SurveyMonkey is not complicated. It just sounds technical.

Remember this:

Surveys are controlled by collectors.

Close the collector. The responses stop.

You can close them manually. You can schedule them. You can limit them by number.

And if you change your mind? Reopen them.

Simple. Clean. Stress free.

Now go ahead. Wrap up your survey like a pro. You’ve got this.