Custom Quota Logic allows users to place quotas in surveys outside of the Target Market page — based on specific demographic requirements or survey answers. To use Custom Quota Logic on DIY surveys, users must complete the Custom Quota Logic course in the Lighthouse Academy.
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About Custom Quota Logic
With Custom Quota Logic, you can build quotas outside of demographic traits, based on respondents' answers. Like terminate logic, custom quota logic must be used within either Prequalification questions or the first three standard questions of a survey.
Within the question or answer option fields, type [quota (reference) max N] where N is the maximum number of respondents you'd like who selected that answer option. This number must be the actual number of respondents, not a percentage.
This logic can be entered into the question text or into the answer option text. When entering quotas into answer option text, you can enforce quotas per answer option. If you're using multiple maximums in a checkbox question, or a maximum for some but not every answer option, the total sum of all maximums must be less than or equal to the sample size. Once the maximum is fulfilled for a particular answer option, anyone who selects that answer will be terminated.
⚠️ Note: Quota logic must be written in questions that all relevant respondents will see — questions that do not contain hide or skip logic — in order for the commands to be accurately enforced.
Setting Maximum Quotas
A maximum quota allows no more than a specified number of respondents to meet a criterion.
- Type [Quota Q1A1 MAX #] within the question or answer option fields, where # is the maximum number of respondents you want to select that answer option.
⚠️ Note: This number must be the actual number of respondents, not a percentage. If using multiple maximums in a checkbox question, or a maximum for some but not all answer options, the total sum must be ≤ the sample size.
Setting Minimum Quotas
Type [Quota Q1A1 MIN #] within the question or answer option fields, where # is the minimum number of respondents you want to have selected that answer option.
⚠️ Note: This number must be the actual number of respondents, not a percentage.
Minimum quotas are more complex than maximums. To determine when a minimum quota needs to trigger a termination, you must account for the number of respondents already collected who meet the criteria across the total sample, and how many open spots remain. With multiple minimum quotas — especially on a checkbox question where overlap is possible — this can become complicated quickly.
Setting Reverse-Maximum Quotas
A Reverse-Maximum quota is an alternative way to enforce a minimum. It can be especially useful for checkbox answer choices, and helps clarify how quotas work under the hood.
The method works by enforcing the opposite of a maximum — where N is the total sample size minus your minimum quota, and the logic reference uses NOT to target the opposite of the minimum criteria.
For example: you need a minimum of 300 "yes" responses out of a sample of 1,000.
1000 - 300 = 700
700 is the maximum number of non-"yes" responses you can accept. In the question text, type [quota NOT Q1A1 MAX 700]. This tells the system that out of 1,000 respondents, a maximum of 700 can answer something other than "yes" — ensuring the remaining 300 select "yes". If the 700 non-yes slots fill first, any new respondent who doesn't select "yes" will be terminated.