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List Survey Sample Validations Reference

When you field a List Survey, the Options section of the Target Market page lets you control how many times your survey can be taken—by network, by device, or by respondent ID—and whether respondents can go back to earlier questions.

In This Article

Before You Begin

  • These options appear only for List Surveys. Find them in the Options section of the Target Market page, below Privacy jurisdiction. 
  • The internet connection, device, and UUID limits are available on higher plans. If you see an Upgrade to… banner in their place, contact our Customer Support team. 

Which Option Should I Use?

Option What it does Keep in mind
Limit answers from the same internet connection Caps the number of sessions from one IP address Counts every session started, including screen-outs and abandoned partials. Can block people on a shared network.
Limit answers from the same device Caps the number of times the survey can be taken from one browser Clearing cookies or using a private window gets around it.
Allow only 1 answer from the same UUID? Allows one finished attempt per UUID Only checks links that include a UUID. Links without one still get in.
Don't record responses without UUID? Blocks any link that has no UUID Every link you send must include a UUID.
Back button enabled Lets respondents return to previous questions Best for surveys without branching logic.

When a respondent hits one of these limits, or opens a link without a UUID when one is required, they're sent to your survey's closed page. If you've set a custom closed redirect, they go to that URL instead.

💡 Tip: To stop the same person from taking your survey twice, the most reliable setup is a unique UUID on every link with both UUID options checked. Internet connection and device limits are most useful when you share one open link and can't personalize it.

Limit Answers from the Same Internet Connection

Set an IP limit to reduce the chance of one person taking your survey multiple times from the same location, or to spread responses more evenly across locations.

  1. In Options, check Limit answers from the same internet connection. 
  2. Choose how many sessions to allow per IP address, from 1 to 5. The number defaults to 5 when you check the box, so change it if you want a tighter limit.

This limit counts every session started from that IP address for your survey—including screen-outs and partial responses that were abandoned—not just completed answers.

⚠️ Note: A tight IP limit can block people who share a network, such as an office, campus, or café.

 

Limit Answers from the Same Device

This option uses browser cookies to limit how many times your survey can be taken from the same browser. When it's unchecked, there's no limit—useful when you're collecting responses at a kiosk or shared device.

  1. In Options, check Limit answers from the same device (by browser cookies).
  2. Choose 1 to allow one response per browser. The number defaults to 5 when you check the box. Choose 2–5 only if several people will take the survey on the same device.

Because this limit relies on cookies, a respondent who clears their cookies, switches browsers, or opens a private window can get around it. Pair it with a UUID limit if you need stricter control.

Allow Only 1 Answer from the Same UUID

A unique user identifier (UUID) is a value you add to the end of a survey link after ?uuid=—for example, https://aytm.com/fHm6juj?uuid=A. To learn how to build UUID links, see Tracking Respondents with UUIDs.

When Allow only 1 answer from the same UUID? is checked:

  • Once someone with a given UUID finishes the survey—whether they complete it, screen out, or are terminated—anyone opening the link with that UUID is blocked.
  • If the earlier session with that UUID is unfinished, the respondent picks up where they left off instead of being blocked.
  • Links without a UUID aren't checked, so they can still be used with no limit. To block them, also check Don't record responses without UUID?

With this option on or off, UUIDs let respondents resume interrupted sessions. For example, if someone starts the survey on their phone during a commute, they'll land on the last unanswered question when they open the same link on their home computer.

Don't Record Responses Without UUID

When Don't record responses without UUID? is checked, every survey link must include ?uuid= followed by a value. Anyone who opens a link without a UUID is blocked.

UUID is a special type of pass-through variable. Other pass-through variables don't count, even if they contain a unique value:

  • https://aytm.com/example?uuid=person@email.com—passes the check.
  • https://aytm.com/example?var_email=person@email.com—is blocked, because var_email is a pass-through variable, not a UUID.

⚠️ Note: Turn this on only after you've confirmed that every link you're sending includes a UUID. Reach out to our Customer Engagement team if you'd like help with your setup.

Enable the Back Button

Check Back button enabled to let respondents return to previous questions while taking your List Survey. We recommend it only when your survey has no logic that sends respondents down different paths.