====== Defining the survey administration period ======
 
When you set the survey administration period in the **Project Settings**, the questionnaire becomes accessible for the respondents. Prior to saving the survey administration period, the software checks whether you made all necessary settings. Red crosses in the **Project Settings**, indentify settings which were not defined yet. 

The survey administration period defines how long the questionnaire is accessible for respondents. When the survey administration period is over an automatically generated text message informs about the closure of the survey. The text message can be changed in the **Textelements and Labels**.

**Note:** By default all questionnaires are accessible for the public without restriction for the duration of the survey administration period. Change the [[access|Access Restrictions]] if necessary.


====== Prolonging the survey administration period ======

The survey administration period is limited, for technical reasons in order to avoid inactive surveys, to three months. However, if a longer survey administration period is needed, a prolongation is always possible.

  * You can set this in the area **Project summary** prior to the originally set end date. In this way, the survey administration period can be prolonged as many times as needed.
  * Generally you can change the survey administration period at any given point in time (e.g. as of the actual date). You do this in the area **Project Settings**. In case you change the survey administration period prior to its originally set ending date, then the survey administration continues without interruption; no data is lost.