> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.voxworks.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # First name > The First name question type: collecting or confirming the respondent's first name. Covers the Collect settings, confirming a name you already hold, spelling back, look back, what the respondent hears, and what is recorded. ## What it's for A **First name** question collects the respondent's first name — or confirms a name you already hold — so you know who you spoke to and can use their name later in the call. Names are hard to hear correctly over the phone, so this type is built around checking: it reads the name back by default, can spell it back letter by letter, and asks for a spelling when it gets the name wrong. *** ## Settings Alongside the settings every question shares ([Question settings](/surveys/question-settings)), a First name question has a **Collect** group: | Setting | What it does | Default | | -------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | | **Contact field** | Read-only: `first_name`. *"Set by the type."* The collected name is written to the call's `contact.first_name` variable. | `first_name` | | **Skip it when the contact already has one** | When **Value we already hold** gives a name, the name is saved without asking anything. | Off | | **Value we already hold** | A name to confirm instead of asking for one — usually a variable, such as `{{contact.first_name}}` or a name a lookup or an earlier question filled in. *"Confirmed instead of asked for, and it wins over the contact record."* | Empty | | **Spell the name back letter by letter** | Reads the name back with its spelling — *"J-A-R-E-D"* — rather than just the name. | Off | | **Move-on line** | *"Said when the field cannot be collected and the survey moves on."* | *"That’s okay, let’s move on."* | In the **Voice** panel: | Setting | What it does | Default | | ---------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- | | **Read every answer back** | Reads the name back for a yes before recording it. *"Off, the name is written straight through. A denial turns spelling on by itself, whatever this says."* | **On** | | **Look back for it before asking** | If the respondent has already said their name in this question, reads it back instead of asking. | Off | In the **Behaviour** panel, First name has an extra attempt cap, **Spell** — how many times the interviewer asks for or checks a spelling (default 5). See [Attempts and step levels](/surveys/attempts-and-step-levels). A First name question has no answer options, format or screen-out settings. ### Confirming a name you already hold To confirm the name on the contact record, enter `{{contact.first_name}}` in **Value we already hold**. With the field empty, the respondent is asked for their name. | Value we already hold | Skip it when the contact already has one | What happens | | ----------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Empty (or empty on this call) | Either | The respondent is asked for their first name. | | Gives a name | On | The name is saved silently — nothing is asked. | | Gives a name | Off | The name is read back for a yes (spelled back if **Spell the name back letter by letter** is on), whatever **Read every answer back** says. | *** ## What the respondent hears **The ask.** The voice prompt — for example *"Could I start with your first name?"* When the interviewer has to ask again, it uses lines such as *"What's your first name?"* or *"Can I get your first name?"* **Confirmation** (on by default). *"Jared — have I got that right?"* With spelling on: *"I have your first name as Jared, J-A-R-E-D — is that right? If any of it's wrong, just spell it out for me using phonetics that suit you, like B for Bob."* **Getting it wrong.** * A "no" to the read-back asks for the right name — *"Apologies for that — what should it be?"* — and moves to spelling. * A second ask requests a spelling — *"Sorry, that didn't come through right — could you spell your first name out for me, letter by letter?"* * A correction replaces the whole name, not just the part that was wrong. **Don't know and refusal.** Each gets one nudge through a re-ask; after that the question is skipped and the **Move-on line** is said. **Timing.** The interviewer waits longer for a name than for other answers, because people pause mid-spelling. You don't need to change **Eagerness** for this. Silence, FAQs, busy and stop work as on any question — see [Question settings](/surveys/question-settings#what-happens-when-the-interviewer-asks). *** ## What is recorded | Variable | Type | Example | Notes | | ---------------------------------------- | ---- | ---------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `{{survey..result}}` | text | `Jared` | The confirmed name. Empty when skipped. | | `{{survey..status}}` | text | `captured` | `captured`, `skipped`, `invalid`, `abandoned`, or empty if never reached. | | `{{survey..termination_requested}}` | text | `false` | Always `false` — a First name question never screens. | | `{{contact.first_name}}` | text | `Jared` | Set to the collected name for the rest of the call, so later prompts can use it. | The name is written to the call's `contact.first_name` variable for the rest of the call. To update your contact list in **Contacts**, use the recorded answer from Results or the export. In the CSV export, the name is in the `answer` column. See [Responses and export](/surveys/responses-and-export). *** ## Next Steps * [Phone number](/surveys/question-types/phone-number) — the other data-collection type. * [Answer confirmation](/surveys/answer-confirmation) — read-back across question types. * [Survey variables and piping](/surveys/survey-variables) — using the name in a later prompt.