The email step turns a survey into a list builder. It appears after the last question, just before the answers are sent, which is the moment people are most willing: they have already put in the effort and want to know they were heard.
Where to find it:
In the builder, open the Opt-ins & Routing step. The Email opt-in card is at the top.
The three modes:
Pick one under Ask for an email.
- Off, never ask: no email step. Fully anonymous feedback. The last question's button says Submit.
- Optional, visitors can skip it: the step appears, and people can leave it empty and still send their answers. The email box says "Your best email (optional)". A good default for honest feedback.
- Required to submit: a valid email address is needed to send the answers. The highest capture rate, but expect a few people to stop at the last step. Best for quizzes where the result is sent by email.
The fields you control:
- Opt-in heading: the question at the top of the step. The default is "Almost done! Where should we send your results?". Give people a reason; "Where should we send your course match?" beats "Enter your email" every time.
- Button text: the final button, for example Show My Course. The default is Submit My Answers.
- Privacy note: the small reassurance line under the fields. The default is "We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time."
- Also ask for a first name: adds a first name box above the email box. It is ticked for new surveys and makes follow up emails personal.
Step by step:
- Go to Opt-ins & Routing.
- Choose Optional or Required under Ask for an email.
- Write an Opt-in heading that gives a reason.
- Set the Button text to what they get, not what they do.
- Keep or change the Privacy note.
- Tick Also ask for a first name if you will use it.
- Under Where opt-ins go, pick the list or service the opt-ins should reach.
- Save and click Preview to try the last step.
Known visitors fill in faster:
When the plugin already knows who someone is, the name and email arrive filled in and the visitor just confirms:
- A link that carries their identity, such as ?email= and ?fname= from an email, fills the step in. When the identity comes in the link, the email step is taken out of the flow completely and the last question's button sends everything. See Sending A Survey By Email, With No Name Or Email To Type.
- Someone who arrived from such a link before is remembered in that browser for 60 days, and the step shows filled in for them to confirm or correct.
- A logged in WordPress user sees their own name and email filled in.
- With WP Conversion Tracker, a tracked link's click id can fill the step in too.
The fields stay editable, so a shared computer is one backspace away from correct.
Where opt-ins are counted:
An opt-in is a finished response that came with an email address. Opt-ins get an Opt-in badge on the Responses tab, are counted on the Dashboard and in AI Insights as Email opt-ins, and are included in the CSV export. Every opt-in is saved with its response on your own site first. From there it can also go to:
- A ResultsAiX Mailer list, with tags. See Sending Survey Opt-Ins To ResultsAiX Mailer.
- The email service you connect on Integrations & AI. See Sending Survey Opt-Ins To AWeber, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign And More, With Tags.
- WP Sync bridges. See Sending Survey Opt-Ins To Your Autoresponder With WP Sync.
- Your own code on the rsv_lead_captured hook. See Developer Hooks, Data Model And Troubleshooting.
A real example:
The Yoursite Academy course finder quiz uses Required to submit with the heading "Where should we send your course match?", the button Show My Course and the note "We will email your match and a few tips. Unsubscribe any time." The feedback survey uses Optional with "Want a copy of the results when they are in?". The quiz turns every finisher into a subscriber; the feedback survey keeps answers honest and still collected 104 opt-ins from 192 responses.
If people stop at the email step:
Compare Started answering, Completed and Left an email in AI Insights. If many people reach the end but few finish, try Optional instead of Required, a heading that promises something specific, or a shorter button text. Change one thing at a time and watch the numbers for a week.
Tips:
- If you only need the email from people who want something, use Optional and promise something real.
- Turn Also ask for a first name off for the shortest possible last step.
- Watch the Left an email card in AI Insights to see how your heading performs, and try a new heading if it drops.