1. Get started?
2. Add an authentication code?
3. Find out who used the authentication code I was given?
4. Handle this survey request if I am not the appropriate person to complete the survey?
5. Begin reporting with my user ID and password?
6. Start reporting?
7. Learn more about my survey?
8. Change my password?
9. Update my email address, name, and/or phone number associated with this account?
10. Share this account with others in my organization?
11. Can others in my organization help me complete this survey?
12. Check the reporting progress of those I have shared survey access?
13. Remove someone else that has access to my survey?
14. Request a time extension?
15. Check my filing status?
16. Contact the Census Bureau?
17. Get to the email message(s) that I sent to the Census Bureau?
18. Why do I need to register for a Census Bureau account?
19. Will registering for a Census Bureau account make me eligible for additional surveys?

To begin, go to https://portal.census.gov, create an account or log in with your already existing account, and link yourself to your survey. You link your account to your survey by an authentication code sent to you from the Census Bureau. Once you have this code, click on the “Add Authentication Code” button under “My Surveys.” Enter and submit your unique 12-digit code.

After submitting your authentication code, a survey card will appear under “My Surveys.” This survey card will contain the following:

• Name of the survey
• Status
• Due date (and extended date if a time extension was granted)
• Name
• ID
• “Report Now” (used to start reporting or access a printable PDF of questions/instructions)
• “Options” (used to request time extensions, if available; check filing status; access survey FAQs; find contact information)
• “i” (used to learn more about the survey)

Each unique authentication code can only be used one time. If others in your organization need access to your survey, please refer to FAQ#11 How can others in my organization help me complete this survey?"

The Census Bureau will mail separate, unique authentication codes for different surveys. Each code can be entered and a separate survey card will appear under “My Surveys.”

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Under “My Surveys” click on the “Add Authentication Code” button. Enter and submit your unique 12-digit code.

Each unique authentication code can only be used one time. If others in your organization need access to your survey, please refer to FAQ# 11 How can others in my organization help me complete this survey?

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If you are attempting to add an authentication code and receive an error message stating “Authentication Code already used” then someone in your organization has already linked themselves to the survey.

The Census Bureau may be able to identify this person for you, or you can try to identify the account owner who originally used the authentication code and ask them to share access to the survey with you. Refer to FAQ# 11 How can others in my organization help me complete this survey?" to learn more.

If you cannot identify the account owner who originally used the authentication code, then you will need to contact the Census Bureau. Refer to your letter and/or email for the appropriate telephone number to call.

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If you are not the appropriate person to complete this survey, and have not yet entered the authentication code found in your letter and/or email, please forward the letter and/or email to the appropriate person in your organization.

If you have already entered the authentication code, you have two options:

1. Share survey access with the appropriate person in your organization. Please refer to FAQ# 11 How can others in my organization help me complete this survey? to learn more.

2. Have the appropriate person call the Census Bureau to request a new authentication code. Refer to the letter and/or email for the appropriate telephone number to call.

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If the Census Bureau has recently mailed you a letter and/or email containing a user ID and password, you will need to follow the directions found in that letter and/or email. This system is only compatible with surveys that are using authentication codes. All of our economic surveys will eventually migrate to using authentication codes, but for the time being two separate systems exist.

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If you have not done so already, link yourself to your survey. You link your account to your survey by an authentication code sent to you from the Census Bureau. Once you have this code, click on the “Add Authentication Code” button under “My Surveys.”

When you have linked your account using an authentication code the survey card will appear under “My Surveys.” You can click on the “Report Now” button to access your electronic reporting instrument where you can begin entering data, or print the questions/instructions (PDF document) found on the main menu (or Step 1 - Report) that can be used as a guide prior to reporting.

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• Click “Options” on your survey card.
• Select “Survey FAQs” to view commonly requested information.

OR

• Click the “i" symbol on your survey card.
• View a short description of the survey.
• Click the “MORE INFORMATION” link at the bottom of the text.
• View survey information found on the main census.gov website.

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• Once logged in, you may change your password by selecting "Manage Account."
  
• If you have forgotten your password, select "Forgot Password?" from the Sign In page.
  

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• You CANNOT update your email address.
• Once logged in, you can update your name and/or phone number by selecting “Manage Account.”

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Your personal Census Bureau account should not be shared with others in your organization. Each individual should create their own account. The survey authentication code can only be used to link one individual to the survey, though if you are linked to this survey you can share your survey access with others – see FAQ# 11 How can others in my organization help me complete this survey?

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The first option for others to help you complete this survey is by sharing access. Sharing access gives each person the same privileges – each can view and overwrite survey data, submit the survey, request an extension, share access with additional people, and remove others (including you) from this survey. If you would like to share access to this survey, follow these steps:

• Click “Options” on your survey card.
• Select “Share Survey Access”
• Enter the person’s email address and an optional note that will be included in the email invitation. You MUST enter the email address that the other person will use when creating an account, otherwise their account will not be linked to this survey.
• Click “Submit Request”
• An email invitation will be sent to the provided email address. No authentication code will be needed by this person, but they will be required to register for their own personal Census Bureau account to access the survey.
• These steps can be repeated to add additional people.

A second option for others to help you complete this survey is to print and provide the questions to others. To print, enter the reporting instrument via the “Report Now” button and print the questions/instructions (PDF document) found on the main menu (or Step 1 - Report). As the account holder, you will need to gather and compile paper input before submitting the data through the electronic reporting instrument accessed through the “Report Now" button.

A third option, currently limited to the Economic Census, Report of Organization, and Annual Survey of Manufactures, is to download an Excel spreadsheet that can be distributed, updated, and then uploaded into the electronic reporting instrument.

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The only way to view the reporting progress for those who share survey access is to click the “Report Now” button and view the reporting status in the electronic reporting instrument.

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• Click “Options” on your survey card.
• Select “Share Survey Access”
• Those who have access to the survey are listed on the bottom of the pop-up screen under “Current Delegates.”
• To remove a current delegate, click on the trash can icon found under the “Options” column. Be sure to select the correct row if multiple delegates are listed.
• Delegates who have been removed will now appear under “Removed Delegates.”

NOTE: If you are the only delegate listed for the survey you will not be able to delete yourself. Someone else would need to be added as a delegate before your name can be deleted.

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• Click “Options” on your survey card.
• Select “Request extension” (if this option is greyed out, time extensions are not available)
• Click on the calendar icon under “Extended Due Date”
• Select an available date in the calendar.
• Click “Submit Request”
• A confirmation message will appear on your screen, and your survey card will now display the original survey due date along with the extended date granted to you.

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• Click “Options” on your survey card.
• Select “Filing Status”
• Review the displayed table. Surveys with an entry in the “Date Received” column have been received by the Census Bureau. Blanks in this column indicate the survey is not yet received.
• It takes 1 or 2 business days for the filing status to be updated after submitting surveys.
• Return to the “Report Now” button to access the electronic reporting instrument to complete and submit any missing surveys.

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• Click “Options” on your survey card.
• Select “Send Message” to email the Census Bureau.

OR

• Click “Options” on your survey card.
• Call the Census Bureau at the telephone number listed.

OR

• Refer to your letter and/or email for the appropriate telephone number to call.

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• Select “Message Status”
• Click on “Active” to view your emails that have not yet been resolved by the Census Bureau.
• Click on “Resolved” to view your emails that have been resolved by the Census Bureau.

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Registering for a Census Bureau account will give you access to a Respondent Portal that continues to provide a secure means of reporting, and adds a more seamless manner in which you can communicate with the Census Bureau. The information provided during registration is never sold to third parties, and used only by the Census Bureau to conduct the survey(s) for which you have been selected.

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No, the survey selection process is performed independently and has no relationship to having a Census Bureau account. If you have been selected into multiple surveys, over time you will be able to access each of them through your one account.

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