The screener is a short questionnaire participants fill out before they can join. Only people who pass become eligible for sessions.
Question types
- Multiple choice — single or multi-select
- Open text — free-form responses
- Number — numeric input with optional range
- Yes/No — binary
Disqualification
Mark specific answers as disqualifying. Anyone who picks a disqualifying answer gets screened out automatically and can’t join sessions.
For example: if you’re researching a mobile app, you might disqualify people who answer “I don’t own a smartphone.”
Tips for writing screeners
Keep it under 5 questions. Every extra question loses you participants. Ask only what you genuinely need to filter on.
- Don’t lead with your criteria. If you need dog owners, don’t ask “Do you own a dog?” Ask “Which pets do you currently have?” with multiple options. People figure out the “right” answer when questions are too obvious.
- Add an attention check. Something like “Please select the third option” catches people who aren’t reading. Sounds basic, but it works.
- Use disqualification sparingly. You’re balancing sample quality against recruitment speed. Disqualify on dealbreakers only, not nice-to-haves.
- Test your screener before launching. Walk through it yourself. If any question is confusing, participants will answer randomly.
The screener can’t be changed once participants start responding. Get it right before you launch.
