---
title: "Codebook"
url: "https://helpdesk.telmarhelixa.com/en/article/codebook"
language: "en"
last_updated: "2026-10-27T15:13:37.541Z"
---

# Codebook

The Codebook is the source from which audiences and insights are added to rows, columns and tablebases.

-   **Audiences / targets** are usually added to **columns**; **insights** are added to **rows**.
-   Additional audiences can be added to the **tablebase** to act as report filters.
-   Codes (survey answers) are organized into categories and subcategories. Click the arrow next to a category to open it.

## **Codebook features**

-   **Selection:** tick the checkbox next to an item. Select a contiguous range inside category filter dropdowns with **Shift + Click**.
-   **Respondent counts (resps):** the Codebook shows the **unweighted** respondent count beside each answer label, so sample density is visible before the item goes into the crosstab. Hover over the icon to the left of the answer label to see it.
-   **Persistence:** the Codebook keeps its branch navigation and expanded / collapsed hierarchy when you switch modules (Crosstabs, Charts, P-Maps, Geografix, Segmentation Apps).
-   **Search / filter history:** the search / filter field stores a running query history for the active session. While a search or filter is active, a second keyword search is restricted to the already-filtered subset rather than the entire codebook.
-   **Active filter visual state:** the filter button gets a tinted background when a keyword or filter is active.
-   **Q-Text and A-Text tooltips:** in compatible surveys, hovering over a question or answer label shows the unabbreviated Question Text and Answer Text.
-   **Drag and drop:** drag any code, category or custom audience into the Tablebase area, or onto any row or column at the top of the crosstab workspace. You can also drop it to combine with a boolean operator that appears after the drop.
-   **Multi-survey donor codebook restriction:** in multi-survey reports, Explore prevents adding **Donor** study codes to columns or tablebases, because the multi-survey calculation engine cannot resolve cross-study projection bases against donor variables. Donor codes are restricted to **row** placements.

## **Search and filter settings**

-   Toggle between searching by raw **code** or by **item title**.
-   Match modes: **Any keyword**, **All keywords**, **Exact Phrase**, **Starting with**.
-   **Compound semicolon search (;):** search several discrete entities at once with a semicolon-delimited string, for example `brand a; brand b`, across any match mode.
-   **Filter bar toggle:** isolates only the matching items, in place of the search bar.
-   **Query ceiling warning (>10,000 hits):** searches returning more than 10,000 matches (common in dense syndicated databases like TPT) show a system error prompting a more refined query.
-   **Retain selection checkbox:** by default items are deselected once added to a report. Turn on *Retain selection* to keep them selected, useful for repeated placement across rows, columns and tablebases.

## **Combination methods**

| Method | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **Separate** | Adds each selected item as its own column, row or tablebase. |
| **Combined** | Combines the selected items into one calculated column, row or tablebase. Maximum<br>**600 items**<br>within a single combination statement. |
| **Volumetric** | Opens the Volumetric modal for statistical calculations (TOTAL, MEAN, MEANZ, MEDIAN, MEDIANZ), combined or separate. See Explore - Advanced Crosstab Analysis. |
| **Add to Multiple** | Opens the Add Code to Multiple modal to apply selected codes en masse across multiple items. See Explore - Advanced Crosstab Analysis. |
| **Count** | Isolates respondents who meet a minimum threshold of the selected responses, for example Count > 3. |

## **Adding items to tablebases**

Tablebases act as universe filters across the whole cross-tabulation. Two methods:

1.  **Add To button:** tick the code or category, open the **Add To** dropdown in the top action bar and choose **Tablebases** (Separate, Combined, Volumetric or Count).
2.  **Drag and drop:** drag the code, category or custom audience into the Tablebase area at the top of the crosstab workspace.