Qualtrics Email Task

Email tasks automatically send email notifications in response to survey events, such as when someone completes your survey. This feature is part of Qualtrics Workflows and has replaced the older "email triggers" functionality.

Official Documentation

For comprehensive instructions on setting up and configuring email tasks, including advanced features, please refer to Qualtrics' official documentation:

Quick Start: Creating Your First Email Task

Here's a basic workflow for the most common use case (sending an email when someone completes your survey):

1. Go to the Workflows tab in your survey
2. Click Create a workflow
3. Select "Started when an event is received" → "Survey Response"
4. Click the plus sign ( + ) and select Add a task
5. Choose Email as your task type
6. Configure:
   • To: Enter email address(es) or use piped text to pull from survey responses
   • From Address: Select an authenticated domain from the dropdown
   • Subject: Write your subject line (can include piped text)
   • Message: Compose your email using the rich content editor
7. Click Save

Common Use Cases

• Course evaluations: Send confirmation emails to students after they complete evaluations
• Event registration: Automatically send registration confirmations with event details
• Research surveys: Send participants their survey results or thank you messages
• Administrative notifications: Alert department staff when specific responses are received
• Follow-up communications: Send additional information based on survey responses

University of Pittsburgh Considerations

Authenticated Sending Domains

To use a custom @pitt.edu email address as your "From Address," your department's domain must be configured by a Qualtrics Brand Administrator. If you're having trouble setting your From Address or need to request domain authentication, contact the Technology Help Desk.

Testing Email Tasks

Before launching your survey, always test your email tasks using preview responses. Remember that preview and test responses will trigger email tasks by default. To prevent receiving test emails during development, add a condition to exclude preview responses (Response Type is not "Preview").

Email Deliverability

For best email deliverability:

• Use authenticated @pitt.edu domains when possible
• Avoid spam trigger words in subject lines
• Test emails to yourself before launching
• Keep subject lines under 254 characters

Troubleshooting

Checking If Your Email Task Worked

Use Workflows Reporting to verify whether your email tasks succeeded or failed:

1. Go to the Workflows tab
2. Click on your workflow
3. View the execution history for success/failure status

Common Issues

• Emails not sending: Check Workflows Reporting for error messages and verify your conditions are correct
• Wrong recipients: Review piped text settings and conditions
• Images not appearing: Images must be uploaded to your library and inserted through the image icon (never paste directly)
• Domain authentication issues: Contact Technology Help Desk