Display logic shows or hides a specific question based on conditions you define - prior answers, embedded data values, quotas, or scoring results. Unlike skip logic, display logic is applied to the question that should conditionally appear, not to the question that triggers the routing. It is the most flexible and preferred conditional logic type in Qualtrics.
Display Logic vs Skip Logic: Which to Use
Qualtrics has two conditional logic types that are frequently confused. Understanding the difference prevents the most common survey logic errors.
Display logic is applied to the question you want to conditionally show. Set on Question 8: "Only show this question if Q3 = Yes." The question exists in the survey but is invisible to respondents who do not meet the condition. All other questions before and after Q8 display normally for all respondents.
Skip logic is applied to a question that triggers forward movement. Set on Question 3: "If the answer is No, skip to Q12." The respondent jumps forward - they do not see questions 4-11. Skip logic is blunter and less flexible than display logic.
Best practice: Use display logic by default. It is more precise, easier to audit, and supports multi-condition AND/OR logic. Reserve skip logic for end-of-survey routing and simple "if No, end survey" conditions.
Setting Up Display Logic Step by Step
Select the question to conditionally show
Click the question you want to display conditionally. In the question editor, click the gear icon (question settings) and select Add Display Logic from the dropdown.
Select the condition type
Choose what the condition is based on: Question (a prior survey question), Embedded Data (a value passed in from outside the survey), Quota (a defined quota status), Score (a calculated survey score), or Loop & Merge (loop iteration data).
Define the condition
Select the source question, the operator (Is Equal To, Is Not Equal To, Contains, Greater Than, etc.), and the comparison value. For Multiple Choice questions, select the specific answer choice. For Text Entry questions, use Contains or Matches Regex for text-based conditions.
Add multiple conditions if needed
Click + Add a Condition to add another condition. Choose All of the above are true (AND logic) or Any of the above are true (OR logic) to combine conditions. Mix question-based and embedded data conditions in the same logic block.
Test with Preview
Click the Preview button (eye icon) to test the survey as a respondent. Select the triggering answer and verify the conditional question appears. Deselect it and confirm the question is hidden. Test every path before launch.
Display Logic Condition Types in Detail
Question conditions reference a prior survey question's answer. Works with all closed-ended question types. For Matrix questions, you can condition on a specific row's answer (e.g. "show this if the respondent rated Q4 Row 2 as 4 or 5"). For Multiple Answer questions, you can check whether a specific choice was selected.
Embedded data conditions reference values passed into the survey from outside - via URL parameters, XM Directory contact attributes, or values set in the Survey Flow. Example: "Show this question only if the embedded data field 'CustomerTier' equals 'Enterprise'." This enables routing based on CRM data without asking respondents additional questions. See our complete embedded data guide.
Quota conditions reference whether a defined quota has been met. Example: "Show this question only if the 18-24 age quota is not yet met." Useful for dynamic survey experiences that adapt based on sample composition during fieldwork.
Score conditions reference calculated scoring results from the Qualtrics Scoring feature. Example: "Show this question only if the respondent's risk score exceeds 15." Enables personalised survey paths based on aggregated prior responses.
Block Display Logic
Display logic can be applied at the block level as well as the question level. Block display logic shows or hides an entire block of questions based on conditions - more efficient than applying the same condition to every question in a block individually. Access block display logic from the block header options. Block conditions support the same condition types as question-level display logic.
Display Logic After Pirai AI Import
When you import a survey from Pirai AI's QSF output, the question structure, types, and answer options are all populated. Display logic is configured in Qualtrics after import - it is a platform-level configuration that references the specific question IDs created during the import, which are not known in advance. Most import workflows add display logic as a post-import step that takes a fraction of the time it would take to also manually build the question structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Display logic is applied to the question you want to conditionally show - it hides or shows a question based on prior conditions. Skip logic is applied to a question that triggers forward movement - it jumps respondents past questions they should not see. Display logic is more flexible and precise; skip logic is better for simple end-of-path routing.
Yes. Display logic supports embedded data conditions. Set the condition type to 'Embedded Data,' enter the field name, and define the comparison value. The embedded data field must be defined in the Survey Flow before the question that uses it in display logic.
Yes. Click '+ Add a Condition' to add multiple conditions. At the top of the logic block, select 'All of the above are true' for AND logic or 'Any of the above are true' for OR logic. For nested conditions (e.g. A AND (B OR C)), use multiple logic blocks at different condition levels.
Pirai AI converts the question structure, types, and answer options from your document. Display logic is configured in Qualtrics after import because it references question IDs that are assigned during the import process. For complex surveys, Pirai AI's output notes which questions in the source document had conditional presentation, to guide post-import logic setup.
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