# Short text question reference

You'll see when to use a single-line answer, how optional questions work, and where you can save the text visitors enter.

Available on the Grow, Scale, and Pro plans.

A **Short text** question lets visitors answer in their own words, using one line of text.

## When to use it

Use it for a brief answer that doesn't need predefined choices. [WorkForge](https://workforge.rightmessage.com) could ask for a project name or a short description.

For paragraphs or line breaks, use [Long text](https://rightmessage.com/help/question-type-long-text). When you only need an alternative to a choice question's listed answers, use its Other write-in instead. See [collect open-ended responses](https://rightmessage.com/help/how-to-capture-open-ended-responses-along-with-some-best-practices).

![Short text question draft with wording, type-specific settings, behavior, and internal name](https://rightmessage.com/help/screens/questions-short-text-settings.light.webp)

## Settings

**Placeholder** defaults to **Type your answer**. Placeholder text disappears when the visitor enters an answer and is not itself saved.

**Required** defaults off. Visitors can skip an optional question. Turning it on requires nonempty text. Leading and trailing whitespace is removed, and whitespace alone does not satisfy a required answer.

The field is single-line. There are no minimum-length, maximum-length, or custom-pattern controls in this editor.

## How answers are stored and synced

Text answers appear in **Responses**. They don't create a segment for each distinct spelling. You can compare saved text in conditions, but spelling and phrasing make text answers less predictable to group than [Multiple choice](https://rightmessage.com/help/question-type-multiple-choice).

**Save answers to** shows your connected platform's name and offers compatible native or custom fields. An unmapped answer can still appear in **Responses**. A field mapping alone doesn't identify the visitor.

Short text answers don't automatically create answer branches. Use [input-answer conditions](https://rightmessage.com/help/conditions-answers) to compare the saved text. A [linked form field](https://rightmessage.com/help/form-fields-reference) submits with its form.

The question-editor preview doesn't record answers or send data to your email platform. Edits to an existing question save to your draft automatically and affect every use after you publish.

See [shared question settings](https://rightmessage.com/help/question-settings-reference) for wording and button labels, the [Questions library reference](https://rightmessage.com/help/question-library-reference) for creation and reuse, and [answer sync](https://rightmessage.com/help/synchronizing-contact-data-with-your-email-platform-or-crm) for identification and destination checks.