--- title: "Add a Question or Message to a Request Category" slug: "add-a-question-or-message-to-a-request-category" description: "Enhance service requests with Secondary Questions to gather vital information, ensuring efficient issue resolution and a friendly reporting experience." updated: 2026-04-15T16:17:42Z published: 2026-04-15T16:17:42Z canonical: "www.civicplus.help/add-a-question-or-message-to-a-request-category" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.civicplus.help/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Add a Question or Message to a Request Category Through the use of Secondary Questions, you can include questions with each Request Category to capture any additional information that will help to address the reported issue. You can also include messages to be shown during the reporting process. Before you begin adding secondary questions, make sure you have a clear idea of the information you need to collect from a resident during the reporting process to increase your efficiency in addressing each service request. To ensure a friendly experience and maximize the accuracy and quality of the data you want to collect with these questions, we recommend planning out what questions you wish to ask before beginning to add questions. ## Instructions > [!TIP] > **Who can use this feature?** > > Owner [Embedded content](https://www.iorad.com/player/1909452/SeeClickFix-311-CRM--Add-a-Question-or-Message-to-a-Request-CategoryTutorial?src=iframe) 1. [Sign in to your site](/seeclickfix/docs/sign-in-to-seeclickfix-311-crm) 2. Navigate to your **Profile,** then select **Manage Organization**:![The User Profile dropdown menu with the Manage Organization option highlighted.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/17dc564a-8310-4f61-b929-1bd73b36e158/Images/Documentation/User%20Profile%20Menu%20Manage%20Organization%20Option%20-%20SCF.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-31T20%3A45%3A25Z&se=2026-10-31T21%3A45%3A25Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=dnd4lbyO%2BNq1CbyEeVBV%2BqMvPCrpvMuL8Y5F%2B1ubRw4%3D) 3. Select **Request Categories** on the left-hand side navigation menu:![The Request Categories Menu option on the Manage Organization screen.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/17dc564a-8310-4f61-b929-1bd73b36e158/Images/Documentation/Request%20Categories%20Menu%20Option%20-%20SCF.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-31T20%3A45%3A25Z&se=2026-10-31T21%3A45%3A25Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=dnd4lbyO%2BNq1CbyEeVBV%2BqMvPCrpvMuL8Y5F%2B1ubRw4%3D) 4. Click on the **+ Question** button:![The Request Categories by Agency screen with the Add Question ( Question) button highlighted.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/17dc564a-8310-4f61-b929-1bd73b36e158/Images/Documentation/Request%20Categories%20by%20Agency%20Add%20Question%20-%20SCF.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-31T20%3A45%3A25Z&se=2026-10-31T21%3A45%3A25Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=dnd4lbyO%2BNq1CbyEeVBV%2BqMvPCrpvMuL8Y5F%2B1ubRw4%3D) 5. Fill out the question fields:![The New Question screen with various fields, toggles and buttons on display.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/17dc564a-8310-4f61-b929-1bd73b36e158/Images/Documentation/New%20Question%20Fields%20and%20Toggles%20-%20SCF.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-31T20%3A45%3A25Z&se=2026-10-31T21%3A45%3A25Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=dnd4lbyO%2BNq1CbyEeVBV%2BqMvPCrpvMuL8Y5F%2B1ubRw4%3D) - **Question Prompt:** Enter a prompt for the question > [!WARNING] > Note: > > This field supports **plain text only**. If including a link, paste the full URL. The system will automatically render it as clickable when published. For clarity and accessibility, include surrounding context that describes the purpose of the link. - **Question Type:** Select a question type from the drop-down menu - **Small Text Box:** For more specific descriptive questions that cannot be answered with predefined options - **Big Text Box:** For questions that require a significant amount of detail or elaboration about the issue. For example: circumstantial details and extensive lists > [!WARNING] > Note: > > Reporters will use the description field in the issue itself to describe the issue in detail. - **Pulldown Select:** For questions with predefined answer options that require a single answer, like yes or no, small or medium or large, and outside or inside - **Checkboxes:** For questions with predefined answer options that allow for one or more answers. > [!WARNING] > **Message/Note:** Enter the text you want to be displayed with the service request to inform the reporter about any requirements or limitations. For example: > > “Please do not use SeeClickFix 311 CRM to report emergency issues.” > > “The city is not responsible for fixing road problems on state-controlled roads such as highways. If this issue is on a state road, please call...” - **Datetime:** For questions with date/time answers - **Number:** For questions that require numeric answers - **Maximum Answer Length:** This is the character limit of the text field:![The New Question screen with the Maximum Answer Length field highlighted.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/17dc564a-8310-4f61-b929-1bd73b36e158/Images/Documentation/New%20Question%20Maximum%20Answer%20Length%20-%20SCF.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-31T20%3A45%3A25Z&se=2026-10-31T21%3A45%3A25Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=dnd4lbyO%2BNq1CbyEeVBV%2BqMvPCrpvMuL8Y5F%2B1ubRw4%3D) > [!WARNING] > Note: > > The Maximum Answer Length field is only available for **Small/Big Text Box** question types. - **Answer Options:** Enter values for the pulldown or checkboxes. Each value must be unique. It is recommended to use the same info as in the Display field. The exception for this is for integrated categories, which use the value to integrate the answer to a specific field of the integrated system:![The New Question screen with the Answer Options field highlighted.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/17dc564a-8310-4f61-b929-1bd73b36e158/Images/Documentation/New%20Question%20Answer%20Options%20-%20SCF.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-31T20%3A45%3A25Z&se=2026-10-31T21%3A45%3A25Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=dnd4lbyO%2BNq1CbyEeVBV%2BqMvPCrpvMuL8Y5F%2B1ubRw4%3D) > [!WARNING] > Note: > > The Answer Options field is only available for **Pulldown Select** and **Checkboxes** question types. - **Time of Question:** This defines whether this second question is asked when the Request is submitted or after it's closed - Selecting **Open** asks the question when the Request is initially being opened by the resident. These are questions that only the reporter will answer. - Selecting **Closed** asks the question after the Request has been closed. These are questions that only Organization Users will answer, and they can only be answered within the SeeClickFix 311 CRM internal system. This can be used to require information from staff when a Request has been closed. - **Internal Use Only:** If checked, this question will only appear to organizational users, not constituents - **Display the answer publicly?:** If toggled, the answer to this question will appear visible to all > [!WARNING] > Note: > > The “display the answer publicly” option is not available for the **Message or Note** question type. - **Is a response required?:** If toggled, this question must be answered to submit the Request > [!WARNING] > Note: > > The “is a response required” option is not available for the **Message or Note** question type. - **Enabled:** If checked, this question is active within this Request Category 6. Click **Create**:![The New Question screen with the Create button highlighted.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/17dc564a-8310-4f61-b929-1bd73b36e158/Images/Documentation/New%20Question%20Create%20Button%20-%20SCF.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-31T20%3A45%3A25Z&se=2026-10-31T21%3A45%3A25Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=dnd4lbyO%2BNq1CbyEeVBV%2BqMvPCrpvMuL8Y5F%2B1ubRw4%3D) Uniform Resource Locator