Screen-Outs

Filter out ineligible respondents early in your survey. Screen-out questions automatically end the survey for respondents who do not meet your criteria, saving time and ensuring data quality.

Quick Start

Set up a screen-out in three steps:

1. Create a screening question - Add a Single Choice, Multiple Choice, or Dropdown question that determines eligibility
2. Configure the screen-out value - In the question's Advanced Settings, enter the answer value that should end the survey
3. Test the flow - Use Preview to verify respondents with that answer are screened out

How It Works

Screen-outs work at the question level:

1. Respondent answers a screening question
2. If the answer matches the screen-out value, the survey ends immediately
3. The respondent sees a "screened out" message ("Thank you for your interest. Unfortunately, you do not qualify for this survey.")
4. The response is marked as "Screened Out" in your data
5. If a panel integration is configured with a screenout URL, a "Continue" button appears to redirect the respondent

Screen-Out vs. Branching Logic

Setting Up Screen-Outs

Adding a Screen-Out Question

1. Open the Section Manager for your survey and click into a section
2. Click on a question (Single Choice, Multiple Choice, or Dropdown)
3. Expand Advanced Settings in the question modal
4. In the Screen-out Value field, enter the answer value that should end the survey
5. Save the question

The screen-out value must match exactly with one of your answer option values.

Screen-Out Redirect with Panels

When using research panels, configure platform-specific redirect URLs for screened-out participants:

1. Go to your survey's Panel Integrations settings
2. Enable the platform you are using (e.g., Prolific, MTurk)
3. Enter the Screenout URL for that platform
4. Save changes

When a respondent is screened out, they will be automatically redirected to the platform's screenout URL.

Platform-specific URLs:

• Prolific: Use the "Return without code" URL from your study settings
• MTurk: Use the rejection URL format
• CloudResearch: Use the screenout redirect URL

Real-World Examples

Example: Age Eligibility

Scenario: Survey requires participants to be 18 or older.

Q1: Are you 18 years of age or older?
    - Yes
    - No  [SCREEN-OUT]

If "No" is selected:
    Survey ends with message:
    "Thank you for your interest. This study requires
    participants who are 18 years of age or older."

Example: Product User Screening

Scenario: Research study about a specific product.

Q1: Have you used ProductX in the past 6 months?
    - Yes, regularly
    - Yes, occasionally
    - No  [SCREEN-OUT]

If "No" is selected:
    Survey ends and redirects to Prolific with rejection code

Example: Multiple Eligibility Criteria

Scenario: Need to screen for multiple criteria.

Q1: What is your country of residence?
    - United States
    - Canada
    - Other  [SCREEN-OUT]

Q2: Do you work in the technology industry?
    - Yes
    - No  [SCREEN-OUT]

Q3: Are you a decision-maker for software purchases?
    - Yes
    - No  [SCREEN-OUT]

Research Panel Integration

When using research panels (Prolific, MTurk, CloudResearch, etc.), configure proper handling for screened-out participants in the Panel Integrations settings for your survey.

Each platform has its own screenout URL format. Set the appropriate URL in the panel configuration to ensure participants are properly returned to the platform when screened out.

See Research Panel Integrations for detailed setup.

Plan Availability

Screen-outs require the Pro plan or above.

Troubleshooting

Issue: Screen-out not triggering

Symptoms: Respondent selects the screen-out value but survey continues.

Solutions:

• Verify the screen-out value matches the option value exactly (values are case-sensitive)
• Check that you entered the option value (e.g., no), not the label (e.g., "No")
• Ensure the screen-out configuration is saved
• Preview the survey and test the specific path

Issue: No redirect button appearing

Symptoms: Screen-out message appears but no redirect button for panel participants.

Solutions:

• Go to Panel Integrations settings for your survey
• Enable the correct platform (Prolific, MTurk, etc.)
• Enter the screenout URL for that platform
• Save and test again

Issue: Panel not recording rejections

Symptoms: Screened-out participants are not properly returned in the panel platform.

Solutions:

• Verify the screenout URL matches the platform's required format
• Check that the panel integration is enabled
• Test the full flow with the platform's preview mode

Best Practices

• Screen early - Put eligibility questions at the beginning of your survey
• Be transparent - Explain criteria in your survey description
• Keep messages friendly - Thank respondents even when screening them out
• Use multiple screens - Better to have several simple questions than one complex one
• Track screen-out rates - High rates may indicate targeting issues
• Test thoroughly - Verify each screen-out path works correctly