> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ahaslides.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Collecting Audience Information

> How to collect audience information on AhaSlides through a join form or an Open Ended or Brainstorm slide, including default and custom fields.

Collect audience information such as names, email addresses, and organisation names from participants before they join your presentation or while they answer an Open Ended or Brainstorm slide.

<Note>
  Collecting audience information is available on all paid plans. Only certain paid plans can view the collected information in the Excel export after the presentation ends. See [Your AhaSlides presentation report](/after-the-presentation/your-ahaslides-presentation-report) for plan details.
</Note>

## How to collect audience info

You can collect audience info in two places: on the join form, or on an Open Ended or Brainstorm slide.

### In the settings menu

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Collect audience info">
    Go to the **Settings** menu and click **Collect audience info**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Turn on the join form">
    Check the box labelled **Ask participants for info before they join**. This shows an entry form that participants fill in when they join your presentation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add fields">
    Write the heading for your form, then click the button next to **Add fields** to select which information fields to add.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### In an Open Ended or Brainstorm slide

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Collect audience info on the slide">
    While editing an Open Ended or Brainstorm slide, click the button next to **Collect audience info**. This collects information from participants when they answer that specific slide.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a field">
    Click the field you want to add.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Adding information fields

You can add up to 8 fields: 3 default fields (Name, Email, Avatar) and up to 5 custom fields.

### Default fields

To add a default field, choose one of the three default fields after clicking the add button. You cannot rename a default field, but you can edit the question that participants see on their devices.

### Custom fields

To add a custom field, choose **Custom field +** after clicking the add button. A window opens for you to set up the field with these options:

* **Field name**: your internal label, used for sorting or filtering data in the Excel report. Participants do not see this name.
* **Question shown to participants**: the question or label participants see when filling out the form.
* **Required**: turn on this switch to make the field mandatory for participants.

After filling out the fields in the window, click **Add field** to create the custom field. It is then added to the list.

### Reordering and editing fields

To remove a field or mark it as required, click the three-dot button next to it. To rearrange fields, drag them using the six-dot button at the front of each field.

## What participants see on their devices

When participants join your presentation, they see a form prompting them to enter the information you requested before they can join.

<Note>
  When participants join, they see the same background as the slide the presenter is displaying at that moment.
</Note>

## Seeing collected info in the Excel export

Once participants enter their info, it is stored in the Excel file that contains your full presentation report.

Any user not on the Free plan can download this Excel file from the **Results** tab in the editor toolbar by clicking **Request Excel file**. Open the downloaded file and click the second sheet, labelled **Participants**, to see all collected participant info.

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I collect names and emails from my audience on AhaSlides?">
    Go to the **Settings** menu, click **Collect audience info**, check **Ask participants for info before they join**, then add the fields you want. You can also collect info on an individual Open Ended or Brainstorm slide.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I add custom fields to the audience info form?">
    After clicking the add button, choose **Custom field +**. You can set an internal field name, the question shown to participants, and whether the field is required.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How many fields can I add to the audience info form?">
    You can add up to 8 fields: 3 default fields (Name, Email, Avatar) and up to 5 custom fields.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Where do I find the participant information I collected?">
    It is stored in the Excel file with your presentation report. Download it from the **Results** tab by clicking **Request Excel file**, then open the second sheet, labelled **Participants**.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Which plans can collect audience information?">
    Collecting audience information is available on all paid plans. Viewing the collected information in the Excel export is available to any user not on the Free plan.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I filter, separate, or segment audience responses?">
    AhaSlides doesn't have a built-in "response segmentation" or a live in-app filter that splits results by audience group on screen. There are a few ways to get the same outcome:

    **Let the report's AI build the segmentation for you (easiest).** Open your [presentation report](/after-the-presentation/your-ahaslides-presentation-report) and use [Ask AI](/ai-powered-features/using-ask-ai-on-your-presentation-report), then ask it to break the responses down by your group field — for example, *"summarise the responses grouped by Team."* It generates the segmented summary from the collected data for you, with no spreadsheet work. (You still need to collect a group field, as below.)

    **Break responses down by group (segment or filter in Excel).** If you collect a group field, you can cross-reference it against responses after the presentation:

    1. Turn on **Collect audience info** in Settings and add a custom field for the group (for example, "Team"), or collect it via a field on an Open-Ended or Brainstorm slide.
    2. After presenting, request the Excel export from the **Report** page.
    3. The **Participants** sheet has each participant's ID plus your group field. The **Quiz Answers** and **Opinion Answers** sheets have their responses, linked by the same participant ID.
    4. Build a Pivot Table in Excel keyed on participant ID to cross-reference group against responses.

    The group info has to be collected during the presentation — it can't be added retroactively.

    **Separate responses while presenting or between sessions.** To keep responses apart, use [Hide results](/presenting/hide-results) to keep answers off screen until you're ready, [Stop submission](/presenting/stop-submission) to lock a slide, or [Reset the results](/after-the-presentation/resetting-the-results) to start a fresh session — each reset is recorded as a separate session in your [presentation report](/after-the-presentation/your-ahaslides-presentation-report).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>


## Related topics

- [How to Set Up and Use the Idea Board Slide in AhaSlides](/using-slide-types/how-to-use-the-idea-board-slide.md)
- [AhaSlides Presentation Report and Individual Participant Report](/after-the-presentation/your-ahaslides-presentation-report.md)
- [Asking participants for their names](/features-and-functions/asking-participants-for-their-names.md)
- [Using the Open Ended Slide for Free-Text Responses](/using-slide-types/using-the-open-ended-slide.md)
- [Export data to Excel](/after-the-presentation/export-data-to-excel.md)