Quick Start Training Guide

Complete training guide for Pirai AI Cross-Platform Survey Document Accelerator. Learn the 2-step workflow, platform migration, AI editing, and best practices.

🎯 What is Pirai AI?

Pirai AI transforms survey creation and platform migration from hours to minutes across 20+ platforms:

  • Market Research: Qualtrics, REDCap, SurveyMonkey, QuestionPro, Forsta, Dimensions MDD, Alchemer, Zoho Surveys, SurveySparrow
  • Education: Moodle, Canvas, Kahoot, LearnWorlds, BrainCert, ClassMarker
  • Enterprise: Microsoft Forms, Google Forms
  • Healthcare: REDCap

Key Capabilities

  1. Document Conversion - Convert Word/PDF surveys to any platform
  2. Platform Migration - Move surveys between platforms (import QSF, XML, MDD, etc.)
  3. Multi-Format Support - Process Word, PDF, Excel, CSV, Text, Image, QSF, XML and platform export files
  4. AI-Powered Editing - Edit surveys conversationally with natural language

⏱️ Time Savings

Convert a 100-question survey in under 10 minutes (vs. 8-12 hours manual programming)

📺 Video Tutorials

Forsta XML to Qualtrics & QuestionPro

Seamless platform migration from Forsta XML format to Qualtrics and QuestionPro

Convert to QuestionPro + Natural Language Editing

Convert Word/PDF documents to QuestionPro surveys with AI-powered conversational editing

Automate Survey Translation (English to Spanish)

Watch Pirai AI Survey Copilot automatically translate and convert surveys across languages

Spanish Word Docs to Qualtrics QSF

Convert Spanish language surveys from Word format to Qualtrics QSF instantly - no manual work required

 

📋 Complete Workflow Overview

STEP 1: Document → Excel (5-10 minutes)

Upload your survey document OR platform export → Get structured Excel template

Accepts:

  • Survey documents (Word, PDF, text)
  • Structured data (Excel, CSV)
  • Platform exports (QSF, XML, MDD, etc.)

STEP 2: Excel → Platform (1-2 minutes)

Upload Excel → Select target platform → Download ready-to-import file

Outputs: Any of 20+ platforms

Total Time: ~15 minutes

Complete survey conversion or platform migration from start to finish

🔄 Use Case: Migrate surveys between platforms (e.g., Qualtrics → SurveyMonkey, Forsta → REDCap)

STEP 1: Word to Excel Conversion

1.1 Upload Your Document

Supported Formats:

  • Word documents (.docx)
  • PDF files (digital or scanned)
  • Excel files (.xlsx, .xls)
  • CSV files (.csv)
  • Text files (.txt)
  • Platform files - Qualtrics QSF (.qsf), XML formats (.xml), Dimensions MDD (.mdd)
  • Scanned paper surveys (photos converted to PDF)
  • 50+ languages supported

File Requirements:

  • Maximum size: 5MB
  • No specific formatting required - Pirai AI adapts to your style
  • Platform files are automatically parsed and converted to universal Excel format

💡 Pro Tip

Already have surveys in Qualtrics, Forsta, or other platforms? Export them and upload to convert to any other platform!

1.2 Choose Extraction Method (Optional)

For most users, the default "Smart Detection (Recommended)" works perfectly. However, you can choose different extraction methods based on your document type:

Method Best For Description
Smart Detection Most documents AI automatically chooses the best extraction approach
Standard Extraction Simple documents Basic paragraph and table extraction
Visual Layout Preserved Complex formatting Preserves headings and markdown-style structure
Alternative Parser Problematic docs Uses alternative library with post-processing
PDF Advanced Complex PDFs with images Vision-based extraction for scanned PDFs, forms, and image-heavy documents

💡 When to Use PDF Advanced

  • Scanned paper surveys (photos/scans)
  • PDF forms with complex layouts
  • Documents with embedded images containing text
  • PDFs where standard extraction misses content
  • Multi-column layouts or tables in PDFs

1.3 AI Processing

What Happens Automatically:

  1. Document Extraction - Questions, options, and structure identified
  2. Intelligent Parsing - Question types auto-detected (MC, text entry, matrix, etc.)
  3. Quality Check - Spell checking across all content
  4. Excel Generation - 7-column standardized format created

Processing Time: Typically under 10 minutes for most surveys

1.4 Review & Download

Two Download Options:

Option A: Excel File (Required for Step 2)

  • 7-column structure: Block Name, Question ID, Question Text, Question Type, Answer Option Text, Recode Value, Matrix Type
  • Edit-friendly - make corrections directly in Excel if needed
  • Platform-agnostic format

Option B: Word Preview (Optional)

  • Formatted document for stakeholder review
  • Professional styling with colors and formatting
  • Print-ready with headers/footers
  • Shareable via email

1.5 Preview Your Converted Survey (4 Modes)

After conversion completes, choose how to review your survey:

Mode 1: 📊 Table View

  • Raw Excel data display
  • Verify structure and formatting
  • Check all rows/columns

Mode 2: 👁️ Survey Preview

  • Visual rendering of your survey
  • Choose preview style: Qualtrics, Google Forms, or SurveyMonkey
  • See how questions will appear to respondents

Mode 3: 🔄 Side-by-Side

  • Split screen: Excel table + Survey preview
  • Compare structure vs. visual output
  • Ideal for validation

Mode 4: 💬 AI Editor (Advanced Feature)

  • Conversational survey editing interface
  • Edit surveys using natural language commands
  • Real-time preview updates
  • Version control with undo/rollback

💡 Important

You can edit your survey here before downloading Excel for Step 2!

1.6 AI Editor: Quick Edits in Step 1

Available in Step 1 immediately after conversion!

Interface Layout:

  • Bottom: Excel table view
  • Left: Live survey preview
  • Right: Chat interface for commands

Example Commands:

✓ "Add option 'Other' to Q3"
✓ "Add question 'What is your occupation?' after Q2"
✓ "Delete Q5"
✓ "Change Q1 text to 'What is your age range?'"
✓ "Undo" or "Roll back the previous change"

Version Control:

  • Every edit creates a new version
  • View version history (shows count: "📜 3 version(s) in history")
  • Rollback to previous versions anytime
  • Preserves last 10 versions with timestamps

💡 Pro Tip

Use AI Editor in Step 1 to fix issues before downloading Excel!

1.7 Quality Assurance & Download

Automatic Spell Check:

  • Scans questions, options, and all text
  • Highlights potential typos with locations
  • Smart filtering (excludes technical terms, proper nouns)
  • Download as separate report

What to Review:

  1. Question numbering sequence
  2. Answer option completeness
  3. Spelling corrections flagged
  4. Question type assignments

Download Options:

  • Excel file (required for Step 2)
  • Word preview (optional - for stakeholder review)

💡 Best Practice

Use AI Editor to make quick fixes → Download Excel → Upload to Step 2

STEP 2: Excel to Platform Conversion

2.1 Upload Excel File(s)

Single File Upload:

  • Upload the Excel from Step 1
  • Or upload a pre-existing survey Excel file

NEW: Multi-File Upload & Merge

  • Upload 2+ Excel files (e.g., chunked large surveys)
  • Drag and drop to reorder merge sequence
  • Preview merged Excel before converting
  • Download merged Excel file for future use

💡 Use Case

Split a 200-question survey into 4 separate Word docs (50 questions each) → Convert all 4 to Excel → Merge in Step 2 → Convert to target platform

Merge Process:

  1. Upload 2+ Excel files (e.g., chunked large surveys)
  2. Use dropdown menus to specify merge order (Position 1, 2, 3...)
  3. Click "Confirm Order & Merge Files"
  4. Download merged Excel (optional)
  5. System validates and combines all files
📌 User Responsibility: Maintain correct Block Name and Question ID sequencing across files

2.2 Preview Your Survey (3 Modes)

Mode 1: 📊 Table View

  • Raw Excel data display
  • Verify structure and formatting
  • Check all rows/columns

Mode 2: 👁️ Survey Preview

  • Visual rendering of your survey
  • Choose preview style: Qualtrics, Google Forms, or SurveyMonkey
  • See how questions will appear to respondents

Mode 3: 🔄 Side-by-Side

  • Split screen: Excel table + Survey preview
  • Compare structure vs. visual output
  • Ideal for final validation before platform conversion

📌 Note

AI Editor is available in Step 1. Make edits there before uploading to Step 2.

2.3 Validation & Quality Check

Automatic Validation:

  • Required columns present
  • Valid question types
  • Proper matrix structure
  • Answer option completeness
  • Character encoding (UTF-8 compliance)

Validation Report:

  • Errors (❌) - Must fix before conversion
  • Warnings (⚠️) - Review recommended
  • Info (ℹ️) - FYI notes

Common Validation Issues:

Issue Solution
Missing required columns Check Excel has all 7 columns
Invalid question type Use supported types (MC, TE, Matrix, etc.)
Empty Question ID Assign unique IDs to all questions
Matrix missing scale points Add "Scale Point" rows for matrix questions
File size exceeded Split into multiple files or compress

2.4 Select Platform & Convert

Platform Selection:

Choose from 20+ supported platforms. Each platform shows:

  • ✅ Matrix support status
  • ✅ Recode value handling
  • ✅ Complexity rating

Platform-Specific Notes:

  • Qualtrics: Choose between Advanced Text (.txt) or QSF (.qsf) format
  • Matrix Questions: Converted to individual questions on platforms without native matrix support
  • Recode Values: Preserved on supported platforms (Qualtrics, REDCap, Forsta)

Conversion Process:

  1. Click "Convert to [Platform]" button
  2. Processing completes in 30-60 seconds
  3. Review conversion summary
  4. Download platform file

2.5 Download & Import

What You Get:

  • Platform-specific file (ready to import)
  • Import instructions tailored to platform
  • Processing time metrics
  • Question count summary

Download Options:

  • Primary: Platform file (e.g., .txt, .qsf, .xml, .csv)
  • Optional: Merged Excel file (if multi-file upload used)

Import Instructions Provided:

Example for Qualtrics QSF:

  1. Login to Qualtrics
  2. Projects → Create New → From File
  3. Upload downloaded .qsf file
  4. Survey imports automatically

📌 Important

Platform-specific instructions included with every download

Time-Saving Shortcuts

  1. Edit in Step 1: Use AI Editor immediately after conversion to fix issues before downloading Excel
  2. Batch Convert: Upload same Excel to multiple platforms sequentially in Step 2
  3. Team Collaboration: Share Excel file for team review/editing between Step 1 and Step 2
  4. Platform Migration: Upload QSF/XML/MDD exports → Convert to Excel → Deploy to new platform
  5. Multi-Platform Deploy: Convert once to Excel, then deploy to 5+ platforms for regional differences
  6. Version Control: Use AI Editor's version history in Step 1 for incremental edits

✅ DO's - Best Practices

Streamlit App Usage:

  • Never press F5 - Use "Rerun" button instead
  • Work in one tab - Don't open multiple Pirai AI tabs
  • Download immediately - Files don't persist after browser refresh
  • Use sidebar navigation to switch between Step 1 and Step 2
  • Save your work by downloading files before moving to next conversion
  • Download Excel from Step 1 before proceeding to Step 2

For Step 1:

  • Keep documents under 5MB
  • Use clear question numbering
  • Review typo report carefully
  • Use AI Editor for quick fixes
  • Download Excel before moving to Step 2

For Step 2:

  • Preview survey before converting
  • Check validation warnings
  • Download multiple platform formats from same Excel
  • Download files immediately after conversion

❌ DON'Ts - Avoid These

Browser Actions to Avoid

  • DON'T press F5 or browser refresh - you'll lose all progress and need to log in again
  • DON'T use browser back/forward buttons - use app navigation in sidebar instead
  • DON'T close the tab before downloading your converted files
  • DON'T open multiple Pirai AI tabs - work in one tab only
 

Session Management

  • ❌ DON'T expect your session to persist after browser refresh
  • ❌ DON'T leave conversions incomplete - uploaded files won't survive refresh
  • ❌ DON'T assume auto-save - manually download all important files
  • ❌ DON'T share your session URL - each user needs their own login
⚠️ Critical Streamlit Behavior

Streamlit apps are stateful within a session but stateless across browser refreshes.

What this means: Your work persists as long as browser tab stays open. Pressing F5 or closing tab = all progress lost.

Best Practice: Treat each work session as temporary and download results promptly!

🔧 Tips & Troubleshooting

Common Streamlit Issues & Solutions

Issue Why It Happens Solution
"Please log in again" message Browser was refreshed (F5) Log in again and restart your conversion
Uploaded file disappeared Session lost due to refresh Re-upload the file - don't use F5
Conversion seems stuck Display not updating Use "Rerun" button (top-right), NOT F5
Lost my converted files Files not downloaded before refresh Download immediately after each conversion
Can't find Step 2 Not using sidebar navigation Click "Step 2: Excel to Platform" in left sidebar

Common Issues & Solutions

"Conversion missed some questions or content"

Solution:
  • Try different extraction method in Step 1
  • For PDFs with images or scans: Use "PDF Advanced"
  • For complex formatting: Use "Visual Layout Preserved"
  • For simple docs that failed: Try "Alternative Parser"

"File too large" error

Solution:
  • Remove images/graphics from document
  • Compress using "Save As → Tools → Compress Pictures"
  • Split into multiple smaller files
  • Use multi-file merge feature in Step 2

💡 Pro Tips for Streamlit Apps

  1. Work in sequence: Complete Step 1 fully (upload → convert → download Excel) before moving to Step 2
  2. Download immediately: Get your files right after conversion - don't wait
  3. Use AI Editor in Step 1: Make all edits before downloading Excel for Step 2
  4. Plan your session: Upload and convert one document at a time
  5. Sidebar is your friend: Use it to navigate between steps, don't use browser buttons
  6. Rerun button: Top-right corner - use this instead of F5 if you need to refresh

📞 Support & Resources

Getting Help

Email Support

📧 admin@piraiai.com

Response Time: Within 24 hours for pilot users

What to Include:

  • Description of issue
  • Screenshots (if applicable)
  • File name and platform being used
  • Error messages received
  • Important: Mention if issue occurred after browser refresh (F5)

Before Contacting Support:

  1. Try the "Rerun" button (top-right) instead of F5
  2. Check if you're logged in
  3. Verify you're working in a single browser tab
  4. Download and re-upload files if session was lost

FAQ Quick Reference

Q: Can I convert one survey to multiple platforms?

A: Yes! Upload once in Step 1, then convert to as many platforms as needed in Step 2.

Q: Can I migrate surveys between platforms?

A: Absolutely! Upload a platform export file (QSF, XML, MDD, etc.) in Step 1 to convert it to Excel, then convert to any target platform in Step 2. Perfect for platform migration projects.

Q: Does Pirai AI store my survey data?

A: No. Files are processed in memory and automatically deleted. GDPR compliant.

Q: What if my document has typos?

A: Download the typo report from Step 1, fix in Excel, then re-upload to Step 2.

Q: Can I edit the survey after conversion?

A: Yes, use AI Editor before conversion or edit manually in the downloaded platform file.

Q: How accurate is the AI conversion?

A: Highly accurate with automatic quality validation. Always review the preview before finalizing.

Training Resources

Available Materials:

  • This Quick Start Guide
  • Video walkthrough (available on request)
  • Platform-specific import guides
  • FAQ document

Pilot Program Feedback

Please share your experience, questions, and suggestions with admin@piraiai.com

🚀 Quick Reference Card

Task Time Key Steps
Word → Excel 5-10 min Upload doc → Download Excel & typo report
Excel → Platform 1-2 min Upload Excel → Preview → Select platform → Download
Multi-File Merge 2-3 min Upload files → Order → Merge → Validate → Convert
AI Editing 30 sec/edit Type command → Send → Preview updates
Full Workflow ~15 min Complete survey conversion start to finish

Welcome to Pirai AI!

Questions? Email admin@piraiai.com

© Pirai AI. All rights reserved. Pilot Program Version 1.0