Branching and Skip Logic for Research Surveys

Branching and skip logic send respondents through different survey paths based on answers, variables, quotas, or experimental assignments. Use branching when an academic research survey has eligibility rules, treatment paths, follow-up sections, early exits, or respondent-specific blocks.

“Skip logic” on this page means routing a whole block on the Flow canvas. For a jump driven by a single question’s answer — hide this question, send the respondent to another block, or end the survey — use Skip Rules on the question itself in Block Builder. A Skip Rule redirect takes effect once the respondent finishes the rest of the block that holds the question, so put the deciding question in its own block when the jump must happen immediately.

1. Step 1: Create every destination block first. In Block Builder, add the blocks for eligible, ineligible, treatment, follow-up, quota-full, and completion paths before wiring the route.

   Step 1: Add blocks in Block Builder

2. Step 2: Collect the routing variable before the split. Put the screener, answer, quota status, or custom variable in a block that respondents reach before the branch.

   Step 2: Name the routing variable

3. Step 3: Open Flow. Select the Flow tab in the survey editor and locate the block where the route should split.

   Step 3: Open Flow canvas

4. Step 4: Add the condition set. Use Random Assignment for experiments or By Variable when a previous answer should choose the path.

   Step 4: Add a condition set

5. Step 5: Connect each outcome. Link every condition arm to the next block respondents should see, including fallback or ineligible routes; use quotas when full cells need their own path.

   Step 5: Connect condition arms

6. Step 6: Preview each path. Open Preview and test every major route before publishing.

   Step 6: Preview each branch path

• Eligibility screening: route ineligible respondents to an end screen.
• Experimental treatments: send respondents to control or treatment blocks.
• Follow-up questions: show additional questions only for relevant answers.
• Quota management: route respondents when a quota is open or full.
• Language paths: send respondents to translated blocks when the study supports multiple languages.
• Longitudinal modules: route returning participants to wave-specific follow-ups when a tracking variable is available.

Make routing variables easy to find in the export. Use stable answer labels and clear variable names so the path a respondent took can be audited later. For randomized designs, export condition assignments with the response data.

• Place source variables early: do not branch on a question that appears after the split.
• Create fallback paths: decide what happens when an answer is missing, a quota is full, or no condition matches.
• Name end screens clearly: separate completion, ineligible, quota-full, and debriefing endings.
• Retest after edits: changing answer labels, recodes, or block order can change how a branch behaves.

• Create and Manage Follow-Up Questions for conditional questions inside one block
• Create Experimental Conditions
• Set Survey Quotas
• Multiple Choice Survey Questions
• Preview and Pilot Test a Survey