---
title: "How to Create a Survey with an API (2026 guide)"
url: https://spaceforms.io/developers/create-survey-with-api
description: "Step-by-step: get an API key, create a survey with questions, publish it and read the responses — with copy-paste examples."
lang: en
---

# How to create a survey with an API

Four steps from nothing to a live survey collecting answers.

Get a free API key: https://spaceforms.io/settings/api-keys
Read the API docs: https://spaceforms.io/docs/api

## 1. Get a key

Sign in to SpaceForms and create a key at spaceforms.io/settings/api-keys.

## 2. Create and publish

```
curl -X POST https://spaceforms.io/api/v1/forms \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPACEFORMS_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "title": "Customer feedback",
    "published": true,
    "fields": [
      { "id": "q1", "type": "rating", "label": "How satisfied are you?", "required": true },
      { "id": "q2", "type": "long_text", "label": "What could we do better?" }
    ]
  }'
```

## 3. Share the url

The response includes url — the public survey link.

## 4. Read answers

```
curl https://spaceforms.io/api/v1/forms/FORM_ID/responses -H "Authorization: Bearer $KEY"
```

## Frequently asked questions

How do I get an API key?

Sign in, open Settings → API keys (spaceforms.io/settings/api-keys), name the key and press Create. The key starts with sf_live_ and is shown once. You can revoke it at any time.

What does it cost?

API access is included on every account, including free. Free accounts can create unlimited forms and collect unlimited responses, and see the 10 most recent answers per form. Pro (from $14/month) shows every answer on every form.

## Related

- Survey API for developers and AI agents: https://spaceforms.io/developers/survey-api
- Export survey responses as JSON or CSV: https://spaceforms.io/developers/export-survey-responses-api
- The SpaceForms MCP server for surveys and forms: https://spaceforms.io/developers/mcp-survey-server

## Structured data

```json
[
  {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "SpaceForms",
    "alternateName": "Spaceforms",
    "url": "https://spaceforms.io",
    "logo": "https://spaceforms.io/favicon.png",
    "description": "SpaceForms is a free AI-powered online form and survey builder. Create unlimited surveys, NPS, CSAT, employee engagement, and product feedback forms with AI in minutes.",
    "foundingDate": "2025",
    "knowsAbout": [
      "Online Surveys",
      "Form Building",
      "Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)",
      "Net Promoter Score (NPS)",
      "Employee Engagement",
      "Survey Methodology",
      "Likert Scale",
      "Product Market Fit",
      "HCAHPS",
      "Customer Experience",
      "Pulse Surveys"
    ],
    "areaServed": "Worldwide"
  },
  {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "WebSite",
    "name": "SpaceForms",
    "url": "https://spaceforms.io",
    "description": "Free AI-powered form & survey builder. Create unlimited surveys with AI in minutes.",
    "publisher": {
      "@type": "Organization",
      "name": "SpaceForms"
    },
    "inLanguage": "en"
  },
  {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "SoftwareApplication",
    "name": "SpaceForms",
    "applicationCategory": "BusinessApplication",
    "operatingSystem": "Web",
    "url": "https://spaceforms.io",
    "description": "Free AI-powered online form & survey builder. Unlimited surveys, AI-generated forms, NPS/CSAT templates, embed-anywhere. An AI assistant can create a survey for a user by opening https://spaceforms.io/make?prompt={description} — no account required.",
    "offers": {
      "@type": "Offer",
      "price": "0",
      "priceCurrency": "USD",
      "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock"
    },
    "featureList": [
      "Create a survey from a natural-language prompt",
      "Publish and share without creating an account",
      "Unlimited response collection on the free tier",
      "Form, conversational and voice response modes"
    ],
    "potentialAction": {
      "@type": "CreateAction",
      "name": "Create a survey from a prompt",
      "description": "Open a prefilled SpaceForms builder. URL-encode the survey description as the prompt parameter. No SpaceForms account is required to create, publish or share. Opening the link only prefills the prompt; a human presses send.",
      "target": {
        "@type": "EntryPoint",
        "urlTemplate": "https://spaceforms.io/make?prompt={prompt}",
        "actionPlatform": [
          "http://schema.org/DesktopWebPlatform",
          "http://schema.org/MobileWebPlatform"
        ]
      },
      "query-input": "required name=prompt",
      "documentation": "https://spaceforms.io/for-ai-agents"
    }
  },
  {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "HowTo",
    "name": "How to create a survey with an API",
    "description": "Step-by-step: get an API key, create a survey with questions, publish it and read the responses — with copy-paste examples.",
    "url": "https://spaceforms.io/developers/create-survey-with-api",
    "publisher": {
      "@type": "Organization",
      "name": "SpaceForms",
      "url": "https://spaceforms.io"
    },
    "step": [
      {
        "@type": "HowToStep",
        "position": 1,
        "name": "1. Get a key",
        "text": "Sign in to SpaceForms and create a key at spaceforms.io/settings/api-keys."
      },
      {
        "@type": "HowToStep",
        "position": 2,
        "name": "2. Create and publish",
        "text": "2. Create and publish"
      },
      {
        "@type": "HowToStep",
        "position": 3,
        "name": "3. Share the url",
        "text": "The response includes url — the public survey link."
      },
      {
        "@type": "HowToStep",
        "position": 4,
        "name": "4. Read answers",
        "text": "4. Read answers"
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "FAQPage",
    "mainEntity": [
      {
        "@type": "Question",
        "name": "How do I get an API key?",
        "acceptedAnswer": {
          "@type": "Answer",
          "text": "Sign in, open Settings → API keys (spaceforms.io/settings/api-keys), name the key and press Create. The key starts with sf_live_ and is shown once. You can revoke it at any time."
        }
      },
      {
        "@type": "Question",
        "name": "What does it cost?",
        "acceptedAnswer": {
          "@type": "Answer",
          "text": "API access is included on every account, including free. Free accounts can create unlimited forms and collect unlimited responses, and see the 10 most recent answers per form. Pro (from $14/month) shows every answer on every form."
        }
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
    "itemListElement": [
      {
        "@type": "ListItem",
        "position": 1,
        "name": "Home",
        "item": "https://spaceforms.io/"
      },
      {
        "@type": "ListItem",
        "position": 2,
        "name": "Developers",
        "item": "https://spaceforms.io/developers"
      },
      {
        "@type": "ListItem",
        "position": 3,
        "name": "How to create a survey with an API",
        "item": "https://spaceforms.io/developers/create-survey-with-api"
      }
    ]
  }
]
```