Audience tests

For every survey you design with one or more screening questions, we automatically run a short test that establishes incidence rate for that survey. Based on this incidence rate, which provides us with an estimate of the size of your available audience, we calculate the price per completed response and send you an email with this price and a link to purchase the survey.

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How do I submit my survey for an audience test?

To create your survey, follow all the same steps as you would normally and select the appropriate screening questions and threshold answers during setup. When you're ready to submit your survey for an audience test, follow these instructions:

1. Create your survey and select the appropriate screening questions and threshold answers.
2. When your questions are ready, click CONFIRM.
3. On the Confirm survey page you will see a description of the audience-test process.
4. Click START TEST.

The test runs for up to 24 hours and determines the number of users that screen through. You are not charged for this test. After the test is complete, you receive an email with the price per completed response, and a link to purchase the survey.

What is the minimum incidence rate required for my survey to run?

The minimum incidence rate required for surveys to run via Google Surveys is 5%. This incidence rate is based on the rate of the last screening question in the survey (when there is more than one screening question).

Why does my survey need to meet a minimum required incidence rate?

In an effort to provide the highest quality market research data to our survey creators, we require surveys to meet a minimum required incidence of 5%. This is so we can ensure that your target audience is large enough to provide valid data and enough responses.

Why did two similar surveys receive different prices per completed response?

When running audience tests for a survey, the following factors may impact the price per completed response:

1. The time of day the audience test ran
2. The completion rate of the respondents
3. The mix of publisher sites that were used for the survey

How do audience tests affect my recurring surveys?

If you want to include screening questions in a recurring survey, you still select the survey frequency in the last step of the survey creator, and we run the audience test. When the test is complete, you are presented with the price per completed response. If you choose to run your survey at this price per completed response, all future occurrences of the survey are priced at the same rate for the life of the survey, every time it is run.