Configure survey quota
Decide how often the same person can hit submit
- You need admin access to do this. About roles
Survey Quota controls repeat submissions. Let respondents answer once, unlimited times, or again after a cooldown period. It is available on Link and Widget Streams -- channels where you cannot physically control who walks up next (unlike an ExpressTab in a shop).
How It Works
When a respondent submits a response, the system records one or more unique identifiers -- browser history, email, phone, or a custom ID. On their next visit, those identifiers are checked. If a match is found within the quota window, the submission is blocked.
The quota lives in the Settings tab of your Stream, inside the distribution channel section.
Set the Frequency
- Open your Link or Widget stream and go to the Settings tab.
- Under How often should they be able to respond?, choose one of three options:
- If you chose Every, set the cooldown using the four inline dropdowns: Weeks (0--52), Days (0--6), Hours (0--23), Minutes (0--59). The total must be greater than zero.
- Choose your unique identifiers (see below).
Choose Your Identifiers
When you select Only one time or Every [interval], you need at least one identifier to recognize returning respondents. Four options are available as toggle switches:
| Identifier | How it works | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Browser history | Uses cookies and local storage to recognize the browser. On by default. | Silent and frictionless, but respondents can bypass it with private browsing or a different device. Best for "good enough" deduplication. |
| Asks the respondent to enter their email address before submitting. | Reliable identification, but adds friction. Some people will abandon the survey rather than hand over an email. | |
| Phone | Asks for a phone number. | Same reliability-vs-friction trade-off as email. Use whichever your audience is more comfortable sharing. |
| Custom ID | A custom identifier field. | Useful when you already have an ID for your respondents (e.g. a membership number). Pass it via URL parameter -- see Customize Your Survey URL. |
For most use cases, Browser history alone strikes the right balance. Add Email or Phone only when you genuinely need stronger deduplication -- every extra field is a reason for someone to close the tab.
At least one identifier must remain enabled. If you try to toggle off the last one, it stays on -- a tooltip explains why.
Set the Priority Order
When more than one identifier is enabled, a drag-and-drop list appears under Evaluate the identifiers in the following order. The system checks identifiers top to bottom and blocks the submission on the first match.
Put your most reliable identifier at the top. If you have both Browser history and Email enabled, placing Email first means a recognized email address takes precedence -- even if the respondent is on a new browser.
Good to Know
Survey Quota is a Link and Widget feature. ExpressPod and ExpressTab streams handle repeat responses differently -- physical devices control access through their placement and reset behavior.
Private browsing, cleared cookies, or a different device will bypass browser-based identification. For anonymous feedback where you want to discourage (not prevent) repeat responses, that is an acceptable trade-off. If you need airtight deduplication, combine it with Email or Phone.
If you set a quota of "Every 1 Week", a respondent who submits on Monday at 10:00 can submit again the following Monday at 10:00 -- not at midnight on Sunday.
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