Overview
Switching survey platforms doesn't have to mean starting over. There are two ways to move your surveys from Qualtrics to Alchemer: you can rebuild them yourself using Alchemer's self-serve tools, or you can engage Alchemer Professional Services to handle the migration for you.
This article covers the Professional Services migration path—a paid, guided service designed for teams with complex survey programs, advanced logic, or historical data they need to preserve.
If you have simpler surveys and prefer to move at your own pace, see Do It Yourself: Migrating from Qualtrics at the bottom of this article.
What this guide covers
In this guide, you'll learn:
- How Qualtrics survey files and data are structured
- What the Professional Services migration process involves
- How the migration works step by step
- Whether a Professional Services migration is the right fit for your program
Is Professional Services migration right for you?
Professional Services migration is best suited for teams with:
- Large or complex survey programs
- Surveys that include advanced logic, branching, or workflows
- Ongoing programs where historical reporting continuity matters
- Multiple surveys that need to be consolidated into Alchemer
If your surveys are small or straightforward, rebuilding them directly in Alchemer is often faster. See the Do It Yourself section at the bottom of this page.
What to know before you migrate
Understanding Qualtrics file types
What is a .QSF file?
A .QSF (Qualtrics Survey Format) file contains the structure of your survey, including:
- Questions and answer options
- Survey flow and branching logic
- Display logic and conditions
What a .QSF file does not include
A QSF file does not contain response data. It only defines how the survey is built and behaves.
Why .QSF files are required
.QSF files are essential for migration because they allow Alchemer to reconstruct your survey structure and logic programmatically.
Understanding Qualtrics response data
Where response data lives
Response data is stored separately within Qualtrics and must be exported independently from the survey definition.
Supported export formats
Common export formats include CSV and Excel (XLS/XLSX).
Why response data is handled separately
Because survey structure and response data are stored independently, migration requires:
- A .QSF file for survey reconstruction
- A data export for historical reporting (if needed)
This separation ensures flexibility but requires coordination during migration.
How the Professional Services migration works
Alchemer Professional Services migrations are not self-serve. They combine automated conversion with expert review to deliver reliable results—faster than a manual rebuild and with less risk.
Why migrations are not self-serve
While automation handles much of the conversion, migrations often involve complex logic validation, platform-specific feature differences, and data mapping decisions. Expert oversight ensures your surveys function correctly and your data remains usable.
How automation and expert validation work together
- Automation accelerates the rebuild of survey structure and logic
- Experts validate behavior, refine edge cases, and align with best practices
Step-by-step: how migration works
Step 1: Source file intake
To begin, you'll provide:
- Qualtrics .QSF files
- Supporting documentation, ideally the Word export of your survey build from Qualtrics
- Response data exports (if historical continuity is required)
These inputs form the foundation for migration.
Step 2: Automated survey definition conversion
Alchemer uses an automated conversion engine to process your .QSF files and rebuild:
- Core survey structure
- Question types and answer options
- Survey flow and logic
Automation handles the bulk of the transformation to accelerate delivery.
Step 3: Expert review and validation
After automated conversion, Alchemer experts:
- Validate logic and survey behavior
- Identify and address non–1:1 feature mappings
- Ensure the survey experience aligns with the original intent
This step is critical for maintaining quality and accuracy.
Step 4: Response data alignment (when applicable)
If you're migrating historical data:
- Exported response data is mapped to the rebuilt Alchemer survey
- Data is transformed as needed to align with Alchemer's reporting model
- You review and approve mappings before finalization
"Data continuity" means your historical and new data work together for consistent reporting and analysis.
Step 5: Delivery, testing, and launch
Once migration is complete:
- Your surveys are delivered in Alchemer
- You test survey behavior, logic, and reporting
- Final adjustments are made as needed
- Your program is ready to go live
Engaging Professional Services
To start a Professional Services migration, contact your Alchemer account team or visit alchemer.com/professional-services.
Do It Yourself: Migrating from Qualtrics
If your survey program is simpler—or you'd prefer to move at your own pace—Alchemer doesn't have a direct tool to import surveys from Qualtrics, but you can accomplish a DIY migration using a combination of self-serve tools. The following resources cover each part of the process:
Rebuilding your surveys in Alchemer
- Importing Surveys From Other Survey Platforms — An overview of what's possible when moving surveys from another platform into Alchemer, and where to start
Bringing your historical response data into Alchemer
- Import Data into Your Survey — Use Alchemer's Data Import tool to load existing response data (exported from Qualtrics as a CSV) into your new Alchemer survey
- Copy Survey and Import Data — How to copy a survey structure and import data into it in one workflow
- Import Data to a Single Question in Your Survey — Targeted imports when you only need to bring in data for specific questions
If you're unsure which approach is right for your program, your Alchemer team can help you assess your surveys and recommend the best path forward.
