Allocating respondents to survey arms
For surveys requiring allocation of respondents to different arms using segments.
A step-by-step interactive tutorial on allocating respondents to survey arms in SurveyEngine. Preview the live tutorial, then download and upload it to your account to examine the construction.
Ben White, 08.07.2026
What this tutorial covers
For surveys requiring allocation of respondents to different arms using segments.
Each page of the tutorial demonstrates a specific technique. Work through it as a respondent first, then open the editor to see how it was built.
What you will learn
After completing this tutorial you will be able to implement allocating respondents to survey arms in your own SurveyEngine surveys.
Download the tutorial ZIP and upload it to your account to use it as a starting point or template for your own work.
TLDR Quick links
Step-by-step walkthrough
Step 1: Define your survey arms. Determine what variants your study requires - different question versions, different experimental designs, or different topic areas.
Step 2: Create segment variables. Add a segment allocation variable to assign respondents to arms at the start of the survey.
Step 3: Configure allocation logic. Set whether allocation is random, quota-controlled, or based on respondent characteristics.
Step 4: Apply display conditions. Use the segment variable in display conditions to show arm-specific pages and questions.
Step 5: Monitor arm quotas. Track how many respondents have been allocated to each arm during fieldwork to ensure balanced coverage.
Try the live tutorial
The live tutorial is a working SurveyEngine survey. Click through it as a respondent to see the finished result.
Then download the tutorial ZIP file and upload it to your SurveyEngine account to examine how it was built.
Preview the live tutorial or download the ZIP file to load it into your account.
References
Ready to try it? Open a free SurveyEngine account, download the tutorial ZIP and upload it to your account.
Or Contact us at support@surveyengine.com — we're glad to help.