There's no hard limit on how many screener questions you can add to a study, but generally fewer is better. For 1:1 interview studies we recommend 3 to 5 questions. For unmoderated studies and surveys, focus on the one or two attributes that truly define your audience.
Why fewer questions work better
Long screeners may actively hurt recruitment:
Applicants drop off and abandon the application.
Answer quality decreases as people work through a long list.
Applicants start skimming instead of reading.
Stacking many criteria also shrinks your pool. Each extra must-have makes your perfect participant rarer, which could slow recruitment down. Generally when studies struggle to fill, the screener is usually the reason.
Screen, don't survey
Screener questions exist to identify the right people, and should not be used to collect data. If an answer is nice-to-have rather than a deciding factor, ask it inside your session, task or survey instead.
Remember: Screener Questions are built to screen participants, not collect information OR ask questions which you would be able to ask in a Session or Survey instead.
Remember that only multiple-choice options marked approve or reject affect an applicant's eligibility score. Open-text questions add length without adding any screening power, so they're the first thing to cut. See how custom screeners work.
Can I have zero screener questions?
You can, and for broad audiences the Recruit tab demographic filters are sometimes enough. If you submit with no screeners, it may be flagged to our team to review. We may make a suggestion to you about screeners, however, ultimately it is up to you to decide how to set up the screeners.
Still think you need a long screener?
If you consider it beneficial to have many screeners, you may message support on live chat to seek guidance. We may provide some guidance on your screeners, however, it is up to you to ensure that the screeners meet the needs of your study.