Choosing Between a Live Report Link and a PowerPoint Export¶

Both get your results in front of someone else. They're built for different situations, and picking the wrong one is a common source of confusion later - a stakeholder citing a number that's since moved, or a colleague expecting an editable deck and getting a link instead.

A Live Report Link Stays Current¶

A shared report link (see Sharing a Report Publicly) reflects your survey's live data every time it's opened - if data collection is still ongoing, whoever has the link sees the latest numbers each time they check, not a snapshot from whenever you first shared it. This is the right choice when you want an audience to always see the current state, especially during an active data collection period.

A PowerPoint Export Is Frozen¶

Exporting to PowerPoint (see Exporting Your Report to PowerPoint) captures the report exactly as it stood at that moment - it won't update as more responses come in. This is the right choice when you need a fixed, citable version of a result, or when the recipient needs to edit, rebrand, or drop the charts into their own presentation.

When to Use a Live Link¶

• Data collection is ongoing and you want stakeholders to see progress without you re-sharing repeatedly.
• The audience needs to check back over time rather than review once.
• You want optional password or login protection on top of the sharing itself.

When to Use a PowerPoint Export¶

• You need a number you can cite consistently at a specific meeting or deadline, without it shifting later (see Why Two Views of the Same Report Can Show Different Numbers).
• The recipient needs to edit the charts, add narrative slides, or merge it into an existing deck.
• You're delivering a final, dated deliverable rather than an ongoing view.

You Can Use Both¶

These aren't exclusive - a common pattern is sharing a live link for internal, ongoing visibility while data collection continues, and exporting a final PowerPoint version once the survey closes for a formal deliverable. Both draw from the same report, so there's no extra setup required to do both.

FAQ¶

Does exporting to PowerPoint disable the live report link?
No - they're independent. Exporting doesn't affect whether the report is shared as a live link, and vice versa.

Can I export a report that's also shared as a public link?
Yes - the two features work independently of each other, drawing from the same underlying report.

Which one should I use for a board presentation?
Usually PowerPoint export, since you'll likely want to control exactly what's shown and possibly customize the deck before presenting live.

Which one should I use for an ongoing internal dashboard my team checks regularly?
A live report link, since the value there is always reflecting current data rather than a fixed point in time.

For the details of each, see Sharing a Report Publicly and Exporting Your Report to PowerPoint.