Purchase intent survey: 14 buying intentions questions for one product

Fourteen questions on what shoppers buy now, how likely they are to buy yours, and what is stopping them.

14questions
about 4 minto answer
1 productnamed in the question
3 monthsbuying window

Use this template Try the survey first

Purchase Intent Survey · answer to move through it

Use this template

Question 1 of 14 What you buy now

When did you last buy a product like this one?

In the last month

1 to 3 months ago

3 to 12 months ago

More than a year ago

I have never bought one

Question 2 of 14 What you buy now

How often do you buy products like this?

Monthly or more

Every few months

Once or twice a year

Less often than that

This would be my first

Question 3 of 14 What you buy now

Where did you buy the last one?

Online, from the maker

Online, from a marketplace or retailer

In a store

Through a salesperson or dealer

Somebody else bought it

I have not bought one

Question 4 of 14 What you buy now

What mattered most when you chose the last one?

Price

Quality or reliability

One particular feature

A brand I already knew

It was easy to get

Somebody recommended it

I have not bought one

Question 5 of 14 How likely

How likely are you to buy this product in the next 3 months?

Definitely would buy

Probably would buy

Might or might not buy

Probably would not buy

Definitely would not buy

Question 6 of 14 How likely

Out of 10, what are the chances you buy this product in the next 3 months?

No chanceCertain

Question 7 of 14 The buying window

If you do buy something like this, when is that most likely to be?

Within a month

In 1 to 3 months

In 3 to 6 months

In 6 to 12 months

Not in the next year

Question 8 of 14 The buying window

Have you set aside money for this purchase?

Yes, a set amount

Roughly

Not yet

Somebody else holds the budget

Question 9 of 14 The buying window

Who else has a say in whether you buy it?

Nobody, it is my decision

A partner or family member

A manager or team at work

Somebody else decides

Question 10 of 14 What stands in the way

What else are you considering instead?

Nothing else

A competing brand

A cheaper option

Keeping what I have

Doing without

Doing it myself

Question 11 of 14 What stands in the way

What is the main thing holding you back?

Nothing, I am ready

The price

Not sure it is better than what I have

I do not need it yet

I need somebody else to agree

I do not know enough about it

Question 12 of 14 What stands in the way

Which of these would make you more likely to buy it?

Nothing, I have decided

A free trial or demo

Proof it does what it says

Reviews from people like me

An easier way to get it

A feature it does not have yet

Question 13 of 14 In your words

What would you need to know before you bought it?

Question 14 of 14 Overall

How well does this product fit what you need right now?

Very well

Well

Partly

Poorly

Not at all

The 14 purchase intent survey questions

A purchase intent survey asks people who are in the market how likely they are to buy one named product within a set time, and what stands in the way. These 14 purchase intent survey questions are already set up in the online survey tool, ready for your product name.

Plain text, one question per line, with the answer scale.

What you buy now

Past buying first, so each intent answer is read against a habit. To learn who these buyers are, send customer profiling questions separately.

When did you last buy a product like this one?Choose one of five, requiredKeep first-time buyers as their own group in every table.
How often do you buy products like this?Choose one of five, required
Where did you buy the last one?Choose one of six, requiredShows whether they already buy where you sell.
What mattered most when you chose the last one?Choose one of seven, required

How likely

The same intention asked in words, then as a number.

How likely are you to buy this product in the next 3 months?Definitely would buy to definitely would not buy, requiredThe headline: the share who chose "Definitely would buy".
Out of 10, what are the chances you buy this product in the next 3 months?0 to 10, no chance to certain, requiredAverage it and divide by 10: the mean stated chance of buying.

The buying window

A date, a budget and a decision-maker turn interest into a plan.

If you do buy something like this, when is that most likely to be?Choose one of five, required
Have you set aside money for this purchase?Choose one of four, requiredAsks whether a budget exists, never the amount.
Who else has a say in whether you buy it?Choose one of four, requiredTells you who else your message has to reach.

What stands in the way

When price leads question 11, a willingness to pay survey finds the range buyers accept.

What else are you considering instead?Tick all that apply, requiredEdit the list to name your real alternatives.
What is the main thing holding you back?Choose one of six, requiredOne answer only, so the blockers can be ranked.
Which of these would make you more likely to buy it?Tick all that apply, required

In your words, then the verdict

One open answer, then one rating of fit.

What would you need to know before you bought it?Long text, optionalLists what your product page still has to answer.
How well does this product fit what you need right now?Choose one of five, required

Sending the buying intentions survey and reading the top answer

Send it to people in the market who have not bought yet: a waitlist, trial users, anyone who asked for a quote. Customers who already split their spending across rivals get a share of wallet questionnaire instead. Describe the product in one line above question 5. Before the product exists, start with a concept testing survey. Keep answers anonymous unless sales will follow up.

Lead with the share who chose "Definitely would buy", then read question 6 beside it. Saying yes to an intent question means the buyer judges their chance of buying high enough to say so,[1] and the 0 to 10 answer shows how high. Across every period Juster studied, intenders bought at a higher rate than non-intenders,[1] so a rising top answer is demand you can plan around. After three months, count the buyers in each answer group and carry that ratio into the next wave.

An isometric product box beside five rising steps with small figures on them, most on the upper steps, and a dashed line from the top step to a checkout counter — Five steps for five answers. The top step is your headline number.

Purchase intent survey FAQ

How do you measure purchase intent?

Name one product and one window, such as the next three months. Ask a five-point likelihood question, then the chances out of 10 for the same product and window, and read the two answers together.

What is a purchase intention scale?

The answer scale for the likelihood question: definitely would buy, probably would buy, might or might not buy, probably would not buy, definitely would not buy.

What questions should a purchase intent survey ask?

What the person buys now, how likely they are to buy your product, when and with what budget, what stands in the way, and how well it fits. For a whole market with no product named, use a market research survey.

When should you send a purchase intent survey?

Before a launch, once a waitlist exists, and again after a campaign to see whether the top answer moved. Once people have bought, post-purchase survey questions ask how it went.

Michael Hodge, survey methodology · Updated 2 October 2026 · How templates are reviewed

Sources (1)

Juster, F. T. (1964). "Buying Intentions and Purchase Probability: I", in Anticipations and Purchases: An Analysis of Consumer Behavior. National Bureau of Economic Research and Princeton University Press. nber.org

Name your product and ask who is buying

Fourteen questions, about four minutes, and an intent score you can check against sales three months from now.