Bucket
A Bucket object manages quotas in your survey, letting you cap how many respondents can fall into each answer group. Once a quota bucket fills up, new respondents who would land in that group get redirected elsewhere — typically to a “quota full” end screen.
Buckets are ideal when you need balanced sampling across demographic groups, product segments, or any other criteria where you want to control how many people from each group complete your survey.
Adding a Bucket
Section titled “Adding a Bucket”Here’s how to add a Bucket object to the survey flowchart:
- Drag the Bucket object from the Toolbox into the survey flowchart, or double-click it
- In the Bucket’s question properties, configure the quota limits via the Controls property
- Set the Quota Exceed Target to the question respondents should be directed to when their quota group is full (typically a “quota full” end screen)
- Optionally, set the Define Filter property to restrict the quota check to respondents who meet specific criteria
- Drag the Bucket card from the Add to survey toolbar into the flowchart, below the questions you want to set quotas on. Or click it to add it at the end.
- Click the more icon (⋮) on the Bucket’s card and select Edit Quota. The Quota Buckets dialog opens.
- Set up the quota:
- Quota type: Interlocked or Non-Interlocked. You can’t change this once the quota exists.
- Questions to include in quota: choose a question in Question 1. Click Add question to add more. Only single and multiple response questions above the Bucket can be included.
- Quota blocks: the number of buckets, from 1 to 8
- Default bucket total: the starting limit for each bucket (new quotas only)
- Least filled check method (Interlocked only): Percentage filled (current % limit) or Total filled
- Quota exceeded target: the question respondents are sent to when their bucket is full. Only questions below the Bucket can be chosen.
- Click Next
- For a new Interlocked quota, enter the Target proportion (%) for each answer, then click Next
- Enter the limit for each bucket (Bucket 1, Bucket 2 and so on). Every cell needs a value.
- Click OK, then save the survey. The quota isn’t saved until you save the survey.
- Optionally, set the Define Filter property to restrict the quota check to respondents who meet specific criteria
To change an existing quota, select Edit Quota again. On the limits step, click View current totals to see how many responses each bucket has so far, and Edit limits to go back to editing.
Appearance
Section titled “Appearance”A Bucket is an event object and is not visible to respondents. The quota check happens behind the scenes when the survey processes the Bucket.
Question format
Section titled “Question format”Quota is the only format available.
Quota — Manages quota limits and redirects respondents when their quota group is full.
Question properties
Section titled “Question properties”| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Question Format | Displays “Quota” — the only available format for a Bucket |
| Variable Name | The unique code used to identify this Bucket in the survey |
| Variable Label | A descriptive label for this Bucket |
| Define Filter | Optional filter criteria — when set, the quota check only applies to respondents who meet the filter conditions |
| Controls | Survey Editor (Legacy) only. Configure the quota settings for this Bucket. In Survey Editor (Beta), use Edit Quota on the card menu instead |
| Scripting Notes | Free-text notes for internal use during survey development |
Why use a Bucket instead of a simple quota?
Section titled “Why use a Bucket instead of a simple quota?”Simple quotas set a limit directly on a question and work well for straightforward cases. A Bucket gives you more flexibility when your needs are more complex:
- Multiple quotas in one survey — Set separate limits for different groups (by age, region, product segment, etc.) using individual Bucket objects.
- Filtered quotas — Apply the quota only to respondents who meet specific criteria using the Define Filter property.
- Visual flow control — Buckets appear in the survey flowchart with quota lines showing exactly where respondents are checked and redirected.
- Custom redirection — Direct respondents who exceed a quota to any end screen or survey branch you choose.
Data structure
Section titled “Data structure”A Bucket is an event object and is not captured in the dataset.
Flowchart indicators
Section titled “Flowchart indicators”Buckets display quota lines on the survey flowchart, showing the connection between the Bucket and its exceed target question.
Page groups
Section titled “Page groups”Bucket objects must be placed outside any page groups.
Related features
Section titled “Related features”- Survey quotas — Full guide to creating and managing quotas
- Manage quotas — Adjust quota limits during data collection, using Manage Quota Buckets
Frequently Asked Questions
Section titled “Frequently Asked Questions”Can respondents see Buckets?
No. Buckets are invisible event objects. Respondents are simply redirected if their quota group is full — they won’t see the Bucket itself.
What happens if I put a Bucket inside a page group?
Buckets must be placed outside page groups. If placed inside one, the quota check won’t work as expected.
Can I use more than one Bucket in a survey?
Yes. Use as many Buckets as needed — one per quota group, or one per set of criteria you want to track separately.
How do I know when a quota is full?
The system tracks quota counts automatically. You can check the current status at any time via Manage Quota Buckets (see Manage quotas).
Do Buckets appear in the dataset?
No. Buckets are event objects and are not captured in the dataset.
Can I change a Bucket’s quota limit after the survey has launched?
Yes. Go to Manage Quota Buckets to update limits at any time. Changes apply immediately to new respondents.
Can I send respondents to different screens depending on which quota is full?
Yes. Each Bucket has its own Quota Exceed Target (Quota exceeded target in Survey Editor (Beta)), so you can route respondents to different end screens or branches per group.
How do Buckets interact with other quota features?
Buckets work alongside question-level quotas. You can combine them for more advanced quota logic.
Common Issues and Solutions
Section titled “Common Issues and Solutions”Bucket is not redirecting respondents
Section titled “Bucket is not redirecting respondents”This usually means the Bucket is misconfigured or placed inside a page group.
- Check placement — Make sure the Bucket is outside all page groups and positioned before the questions it controls in the flowchart.
- Check the Quota Exceed Target — Confirm the exceed target is set to a valid question or end screen.
- Review quota limits — Open Manage Quota Buckets and verify the quota limits are set correctly.
Quota lines are not showing in the flowchart
Section titled “Quota lines are not showing in the flowchart”Turn on quota lines in the flowchart display options. In Survey Editor (Legacy), it’s the Display Quota Lines box in Preferences. In Survey Editor (Beta), it’s Quota under Lines in Display options.
Respondents are completing the survey after a quota should be full
Section titled “Respondents are completing the survey after a quota should be full”- Check the filter — If a Define Filter is set, confirm the filter criteria correctly identify the group you want to cap.
- Check quota limits — Open Manage Quota Buckets and confirm the limit is set to the correct number.
- Check timing — Quota counts update when respondents submit their survey. A small number of over-completes can occur if multiple respondents submit simultaneously.