We've added three new screener question types: File upload, Ranking, and Matrix. To use them, open your project, go to the Screener step, add a question, and pick the type from the question type dropdown. This article covers how to set each one up, what participants see when they answer, and which of the three can screen people out.
Which type do you need?
Type | Choose it when you want to | Screens participants out? |
File upload | Collect files such as screenshots, resumes, photos, or short videos | No |
Ranking | Have participants put options in order of preference | No |
Matrix | Ask the same scale about several items in one grid | Yes |
Only Matrix can screen people out. Every valid answer to a File upload or Ranking question qualifies, so use those two to gather context rather than to filter your audience. If you do need to filter on what someone uploaded or how they ranked their options, review the responses yourself before inviting anyone.
File upload
Add a question, set the type to File upload, write your prompt, and choose whether it's required. There's nothing else to configure. The editor just confirms "Participants can upload up to 5 files."
Required on. Participants can't continue until a file finishes uploading.
Required off. Participants can skip and still qualify.
Either way the question never disqualifies. The answer is recorded as Uploaded or Skipped. If you need to filter on what someone sends, review the files before inviting.
Limits: 5 files per question, 200 MB per file. Accepted formats are images (JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP, HEIC), documents (PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT), presentations, spreadsheets, video (MP4, WebM, MOV, M4V), and audio (MP3, M4A).
What participants see
Participants get a drop zone and can attach an optional note to give you context.
Tip: state the format you want in the question text, for example "Upload a screenshot (PNG or JPG) of your dashboard."
Ranking
Add a question, set the type to Ranking, and enter your options.
2 to 10 options. Five to seven works best, since the bottom of a long ranking is mostly noise.
Randomize options is on by default, so each participant sees a different starting order. Turn it off only when the options have a natural sequence, like age bands.
Always qualifies. No skip logic.
What participants see
Options are numbered from Most preferred to Least preferred. Participants reorder them by dragging the handles or using the arrows on each row.
Tip: name the criterion in the question, such as "rank these from most to least important when choosing a bank," rather than just "rank these."
Matrix
A matrix asks the same answer choices (columns) about several items (rows) in one grid, replacing five or six near-identical questions. You can use 2 to 10 rows and 2 to 7 columns.
Building the grid
Set Selection mode above the grid, then use Add row and Add column to build it out. The grid itself is the qualification editor: "Edit qualification logic by clicking on the cells within the grid."
Single select per row (default) lets participants pick one column per row. Each cell is either Qualify (green) or Disqualify (red).
Multiple selections per row lets participants tick several columns. Cells cycle from May Select to Must Select to Disqualify.
All vs. Any
Once two or more rows have qualification set, a control appears below the grid:
Qualifies if [All | Any] configured rows match a qualifying answer
All (default) means every configured row must be answered with a qualifying column. Any means at least one must be.
Careful with All: five rows that each cut half your audience leave you very few people.
Three things to watch
A row where every cell is green doesn't screen at all. It becomes informational. That's the default for a new row, and it's the state in the screenshot above. It's also why the All/Any control isn't showing there: no row is configured yet.
Switching selection mode changes your grid. Going from multiple to single drops all Must Select settings. Check your cells after switching.
Deleting a column can turn a row informational if it removes the row's only qualifying column. Re-check your rows after deleting a column.
Skip logic and randomization
Matrix questions support skip logic. Conditions read If [row] is [column], combined with AND/OR, then skip to a later question or to the end of the screener. File upload and Ranking don't support skip logic.
Randomize rows (off by default) shuffles row order per participant. Column order never changes.
What participants see
One radio button per row and column. On a required matrix, Submit stays disabled until every row is answered.
Small matrices stay compact and readable.
Tip: keep row labels short and parallel, and make columns unambiguous. "2 to 3 times a week" beats "often."
Before you launch
Preview your screener and answer it as a participant, especially with a matrix. The combination of per-row rules and the All/Any setting is easier to see than to reason about.
If your screener won't launch, check for a matrix row with a column set to both Must Select and Disqualify, or a row with every column set to Disqualify. Both block launch.
FAQ
Can file upload or ranking questions disqualify anyone?
No. Only Matrix and the select question types screen people out.
Do these count toward my question limit?
Yes, one question each, however many rows, columns, or options it has.
Why isn't the All/Any setting showing?
It appears only once at least two rows have qualification configured. All-green rows don't count.
Can I convert an existing question to Matrix or Ranking?
Answer options don't carry across, so expect to re-enter them.