Build a customized questionnaire template

In this article:

You can build a questionnaire template that reflects your specific security concerns and questions about your vendors.

Using the Questionnaires tool in the platform, you can create a create a completely new template directly or duplicate a template and customize the copy. The latter option enables you levereage industry standards as you design your questions.

You also can build a template using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, which gives you more control over template features and enables you to assign validation scores to answers.

Create a new custom template in the platform

1. Select Create new templates from the Template drop-down at the upper-right area of the Questionnaires page.
   
   
   
   
2. Give the template a title and version number. 
3. Enter a category name and add new categories as necessary as you continue building the template.
4. For each question you want to create:

• • Write the question.
  • Select a response type and then enter any information required for that response type.
    For questions with yes or no answers, use the Single select type and then enter Yes and No as the options. You also can add a third option, such as N/A.
  • To make it a required question, select the toggle.
  • Use the default question ID system (A.1, A.2, B.1, B.2...) or edit the the ID field to create your own.
    
    
    
    
  • If you need to make the appearance of a question conditional on the answer to a preceding question, select the Show if tab and specify the question ID. Use the drop-down items to create the condition.
    
    
    
    
  • To map issues to a question, select the SecurityScorecard issues tab and then select relevant issues. This helps in verifying answers or gaining additional context during a review.
    
    
    
    
  • To reorder a question, click the dots to the left of that question and drag it up or down in the left panel.
    
    
    
    

5. Preview the question anytime before publishing it to ensure appears as you want it to.
6. When your changes are complete, click Publish.
7. Atlas will validate the template for you before publishing and let you know if there are some issues to be fixed.

The published template appears in the Templates table.

Tip: Your questionnaire is continually autosaved, so you can pause and resume your work on the draft at any time.

Build a template off a duplicate

If you want to create your own template based on industry standards, or if you want to update and change your own custom template, you can duplicate the template and edit the copy. 

1. Select Create new templates from the Templates drop-down at the upper-right area of the Questionnaires page.
   
   
   
2. Select a template you want to duplicate.
    
   
   
3. Make any changes to the duplicate and publish it.

Create a customized template in Excel

You can build your template in Excel and then upload it to the platform.

1. Select Upload Excel template from the Templates drop-down at the upper-right area of the Questionnaires page.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Download the template spreadsheet.
   
   
   
3. Open the template spreadsheet and follow the instructions to format your questions.
   The template provides examples of formatted questions, conditional questions, custom scoring, instructions for reviewers, and multiple answer options. Conditions are case insensitive. 
4. Save your completed questionnaire as a .xlsx file. 
5. In the SecurityScorecard platform Select Upload Excel template from the Templates drop-down at the upper-right area of the Questionnaires page.
6. Click Upload and and select your file, or drag the file directly onto the indicated area on the page.
   
   
   

Your uploaded template appears as a published template in Templates table, where you can use it for a questionnnaire.