How to Create an Offline Survey Form and Export Responses to CSV

When should you use a local form?

Cloud services such as Google Forms are useful when people submit answers from separate devices and you need one collected set of results. A local form fits a different setup: for example, a registration desk using one tablet in turn, or an inspection carried out without a network connection.

You can copy the exported HTML to other devices, but their response histories remain separate. The tool has no automatic cross-device collection, email notifications, syncing or shared dashboard.

1. Start with a template

Open Local Form Builder and choose Blank or one of the Event reception, Site inspection, Survey, Checklist or Interview sheet templates. There are six starting options in total.

Use Add field to include the questions you need. The 14 field types cover short and long text, email, phone, numbers, dates, times, different kinds of choices, headings and explanatory text. On desktop, you can drag fields into place. On a phone, editing uses the Form, Fields and Settings tabs.

For a venue survey, you might use a choice field for a satisfaction rating and a long-text field for comments.

2. Edit questions and validation

Select a field in the form to change its question, available choices and required setting. Advanced settings let you edit helper text, placeholders, default values and validation rules.

Email fields can check email format. Number fields support minimum, maximum and step values; date fields can limit the allowed dates. Checkbox groups also support minimum and maximum selection counts.

If a question needs context, add a short helper description. Choose required fields based on the information you actually need.

3. Test the form in Preview

Switch to Preview and fill in the fields as a respondent would. Check input runs the same validation rules as the exported form.

Try leaving a required field blank or entering a number or date outside the allowed range. You can correct the wording or rules before distributing the HTML. Reset input restores the configured defaults.

4. Choose normal or continuous entry

Under Settings, choose Normal or Continuous entry. Normal mode shows the saved time and response count after a submission, with actions to enter another response or open history.

Continuous mode briefly confirms the save, resets the fields and returns to the next entry. That can help at a shared registration desk, but it is not an authentication or access-control feature.

5. Export the form as one HTML file

Set the output filename and export the form HTML. The single file includes the form itself, validation, response history, CSV and JSON tools, and print styles.

Copy the HTML to the computer or phone that will collect responses, then open it in a browser. The generated form runs without remote libraries or server calls. Opening the hosted Builder initially still requires downloading its web page.

Before collecting real answers, save a test response on the actual device. The generated form checks whether browser storage works. If persistent storage is unavailable, it switches to memory-only storage and shows a warning. Storage behavior for local file:// pages differs across browsers.

6. Export responses to CSV and back them up as JSON

Once responses have been saved, Response history lets you search, edit, duplicate or delete entries. Export CSV when you want to work with the answers in spreadsheet software. The CSV uses UTF-8 with a byte-order mark for spreadsheet compatibility.

Use JSON backup when you need to restore the response history later. It contains form information, field definitions and saved answers. Restore can add records while skipping existing response IDs, or validate the backup before replacing the current history.

Copying the form HTML alone does not transfer stored answers. Save a JSON backup before leaving a device with important responses.

What happens when several devices use the same form?

If you give the same HTML form to several devices, each browser keeps its own response history. Answers from device A do not appear automatically on device B. To combine results, export data from each device and organize it separately.

If every respondent needs to submit from their own phone into one shared dataset, a cloud form service with server-side collection will be more suitable.

To change the questions later, choose Import from HTML in the Builder and select an HTML file exported by Local Form Builder. This reads the embedded form definition for editing; it does not import responses saved in another device's browser.

Storage and feature limits to know

Responses live in browser-managed storage. Private browsing, cleared site data or device cleanup can remove them. If the form warns that only memory storage is available, do not rely on it to retain answers after the page closes.

The current version does not have conditional question logic or calculated fields. Photo, signature, file-upload, QR/barcode and GPS fields are also unsupported.

Do not use it to collect passwords, payment-card details or other highly sensitive credentials. Large response histories are limited by available browser storage and device memory.

Tips and limitations

• Test saving a response on the device you will actually use. The generated form checks storage and warns if it cannot persist responses.
• Export JSON backups when you need to preserve a response history. CSV is for analysis, not full restoration.
• Sharing the same HTML with several people does not merge their answers. Each device stores its responses separately.