Introduction #
The SurveyCTO AI Agent Skill is a packaged set of instructions that provides supported AI agents with specialized knowledge of SurveyCTO form-design conventions, enabling them to read, write, and troubleshoot spreadsheet form definitions and build field plug-ins more effectively.
This article demonstrates how to use the SurveyCTO AI Agent Skill with Claude, which can read and write files, run commands, and use connected tools directly in any conversation (a capability formerly called Cowork). With the Skill installed, Claude can work directly with spreadsheet form definitions by reading and editing them, and answer questions using SurveyCTO resources (including the website, documentation, and Knowledge Base).
Note: The AI Agent skill can also be used alongside other AI Assistants, like ChatGPT Work or Codex. Claude is just an example and isn’t specifically recommended above other tools.
From here, you’ll install the SurveyCTO Skill, connect the SurveyCTO tools connector, and use them together in a conversation with Claude.
Part 1: Install the SurveyCTO Skill #
Skills provide Claude with reusable instructions for a specific task. In this case, the SurveyCTO Skill teaches Claude about SurveyCTO’s form structure and design conventions so it can build and edit spreadsheet form definitions and field plug-ins correctly.
Download the SurveyCTO Skill file. Get the latest surveycto-skill.zip from the SurveyCTO Agent Skill GitHub repository.
Open Claude desktop.
Click Customize on the side panel, then select Skills. Here, you’ll see any skills you’ve already installed.
Upload the SurveyCTO Skill file. Click Add in the top-right corner, then choose Upload a skill.
5. Select the file. On the Upload a skill page, drag and drop the file you downloaded, or click to browse for it.
6. Review the preview and upload. Once a file is attached, Claude shows a preview of the skill’s name and description, plus a security scan status. Click Upload.
7. Confirm the upload. You’ll land on the skill’s detail page, marked “New” and ready to use.
8. Check that it’s listed. Go back to Your skills, and surveycto will appear under “Created by you.”
To update the Skill later: download the latest surveycto-skill.zip, open the existing SurveyCTO skill in your Skills list and delete it, then re-upload the new file by following steps 3-6 above.
Part 2: Set up the SurveyCTO tools connector #
Connectors let Claude take real actions in an external system (in this case, SurveyCTO!) through the Model Context Protocol (MCP). The SurveyCTO tools connector allows Claude to create, inspect, and edit spreadsheet form definitions directly.
Go to Connectors. Still within Customize, select Connectors from the menu at the top. This shows every connector available to Claude, along with any you have already connected.
Add a custom connector. Click Add in the top-right corner, then choose Add custom connector.
Enter the connector details. In the dialog, name it something recognizable, like SurveyCTO tools, and enter the SurveyCTO MCP server URL: https://assistant-be.surveycto.net/mcp. Click Continue.
4. Choose an authentication method. Claude automatically detects that this server doesn’t require sign-in and selects No sign-in for you. Leave this as is, unless SurveyCTO support has told you otherwise.
5. Set tool permissions. Once connected, choose when Claude can use the SurveyCTO tools: Always allow, Needs approval, Blocked, or a custom setting for each tool. For the smoothest experience, set the SurveyCTO tools connector to Always allow so Claude can complete multi-step tasks without pausing for approval at each step.
Part 3: Allow network access to SurveyCTO #
Claude runs in a sandboxed environment, so it needs explicit permission to reach external domains. To let Claude communicate with SurveyCTO’s servers, you’ll need to add SurveyCTO’s domain to the allowlist.
Open Claude’s settings. In the Claude desktop app, click your account name in the bottom-left corner of the side panel, then select Settings.
Go to Capabilities. Select Capabilities from the list on the left, make sure Allow network egress is turned on, and under Additional allowed domains, enter *.surveycto.net.
3. Click Add. The domain now appears in your allowlist, ready for Claude to reach SurveyCTO’s servers.
Part 4: Try it out #
With the Skill installed, the connector added, and network access allowed, you’re ready to put everything to work. Here’s a quick example, building a short SurveyCTO form from scratch, from a single plain-language request.
1. Describe what you need. Write your request in plain language, just as you would to a colleague. For example, you might ask Claude to build a short exit-interview form for an event, capturing respondents’ mood as they leave.
2. Watch Claude work. Claude reads the SurveyCTO Skill, starts an MCP session with the SurveyCTO tools connector, and narrates its thought process in the chat as it works through the task step by step. In the panel on the right, you can see the Output it’s creating and, under Used in this session, which Connectors and Skills it’s drawing on.
3. Review the result. Once Claude finishes, it shares the completed spreadsheet form definition, ready to open, refine further, or upload to your SurveyCTO server.
Maximize your use of the SurveyCTO Skill
Just like SurveyCTO’s AI Assistant, Claude works best as a conversational partner. If the first draft of your form isn’t quite right, keep talking through it–ask Claude to add a field, tighten up a constraint, or explain why it structured a calculation a certain way. A few things worth trying:
Multi-form debugging – household roster feeding a follow-up form. “My household registration form publishes to a dataset, and my follow-up visit form pulls household IDs from that dataset with a search() filter, but three households that registered last week aren’t showing up as options. Here are both XLSForms and the dataset XML, help me trace where the link is breaking.”
Full system design – multi-form case management. “I need a data collection system for a cash transfer program: an enrollment form that registers beneficiaries into a case, a monthly verification form that reopens each case to log payments, and a dataset that tracks case status across both. Walk me through the case management structure and build the XLSForms and dataset XML.”
Translation QA – verify a contractor’s translation. “A contractor translated our French version of this form and I don’t read French well enough to catch errors myself. Check it for structural issues, terminology consistency, and anything that looks mistranslated or over-literal, and give me a report before I approve it.”
As with any AI tool, it’s essential to review Claude’s output before deploying a form to the field–especially the logic in your constraints, relevance conditions, and calculations.
Ready to get started?
The SurveyCTO Skill helps Claude work more effectively with SurveyCTO forms by combining SurveyCTO-specific instructions with Claude’s file-editing capabilities. To learn more, visit SurveyCTO’s documentation and Knowledge. Base.
The SurveyCTO Skill is open source. You can review the source, report issues, or contribute at its GitHub repository.
