LimeSurvey Codebook Plugin

All question codes, subquestion codes and answer codes – on one screen, ready to export

The problem: where are all my codes?

You’ve built a survey with 50 questions, multiple subquestions and answer scales. Now you need to analyze the data in SPSS, R or Stata — and you need to know exactly which code maps to which answer.

LimeSurvey does not offer a dedicated codebook view. The closest built-in option is the Survey Logic File, which mixes conditions, relevance equations and expression logic into one hard-to-read page. It was never designed as a codebook.

The result: analysts spend hours manually cross-referencing exported data with survey screenshots, or building their own reference tables from scratch.

The solution: LimeSurvey Codebook Plugin – one click, complete codebook

The LimeSurvey Codebook Plugin adds a dedicated Codebook entry to the Survey Tools menu of every survey. One click generates a clean, structured overview of your entire survey — all question codes, subquestion codes and answer codes, organized by group.

Export the complete codebook as CSV or JSON with a single button click — ready to import into any analysis tool or share with your data team.

What it does

• Generates a complete codebook for any LimeSurvey survey in seconds
• Accessible directly from the Survey Tools menu — no extra navigation
• CSV export — filename includes survey ID, date and language
• JSON export — for programmatic processing or custom reporting
• Full multilingual support — switch between all survey languages with one click, export each language separately
• Respects LimeSurvey user permissions — only admins with survey content read access can view the codebook
• No configuration required — install, activate, done

Who needs this

• Market researchers handing off data to analysis teams — a codebook is a standard deliverable
• Academic researchers using randomized scales where a “Prefer not to answer” must always appear last
• Survey administrators managing complex multilingual surveys — the language switcher makes cross-language code verification straightforward
• Data analysts receiving LimeSurvey exports without survey access — the exported CSV gives them the full reference they need

Installation — 3 steps

1. Download the ZIP file after purchase
2. Upload the ZIP file at LimeSurvey’s plugin manager
3. Activate the plugin in the LimeSurvey plugin manager

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly does the Codebook appear in LimeSurvey?
In the Survey Tools menu — the wrench icon in the top toolbar of any survey. You will see a new „Codebook” entry with a book icon.

Does it work with multilingual surveys?
Yes. The language switcher shows a button for each survey language. Each language generates its own codebook view and can be exported separately.

Can I export the codebook without sharing survey admin access?
Yes. Export the CSV or JSON file and share it with your data team — they get the full code reference without needing LimeSurvey access.

Does it show expression logic or conditions?
No. The Codebook focuses purely on codes and labels — it deliberately omits conditions and expression logic to keep the output clean and analysis-ready.

Will this work after I update LimeSurvey?
Yes. The plugin uses standard LimeSurvey plugin events and does not modify any core files.

Need a custom version or have questions?

• Contact us — we support installation and can adapt the plugin to specific export formats or reporting requirements.
• All our available plugins are listed at the LimeSurvey Plugins overview page.
• Set your default sub-question and answer codes at your personal profile settings