Qualtrics skip logic moves respondents forward past questions they should not see, based on their answer to a specific question. It is applied to the question that triggers the skip, not to the questions being skipped. For most conditional question scenarios, display logic is the better choice. Skip logic is most appropriate for end-of-survey routing and simple forward-jump scenarios.
When to Use Skip Logic vs Display Logic
| Scenario | Best Logic Type |
|---|---|
| Show Q8 only if Q3 = Yes | Display Logic on Q8 |
| If Q5 = No, end the survey | Skip Logic on Q5 → End of Survey |
| If Q2 = Option C, jump to Q15 | Skip Logic on Q2 (simple forward jump) |
| Show a block only for Premium users | Block Display Logic (embedded data condition) |
| Show Q10 if Q3=Yes AND embedded data = "Enterprise" | Display Logic on Q10 (multi-condition) |
| After section A, route to different sections by segment | Branch Logic in Survey Flow |
How to Set Up Skip Logic in Qualtrics
Click the question that triggers the skip
Skip logic is applied to the question whose answer determines where the respondent goes next. Click the question in the survey editor.
Open Skip Logic settings
Click the gear icon on the question (question settings). Select Add Skip Logic from the dropdown menu.
Set the condition
Select the answer choice that should trigger the skip. Then select the destination: a specific question number, the end of the block, or End of Survey. Multiple skip logic rules can be added for different answer choices.
Test every path
Preview the survey and test each skip path. Verify that the correct questions are skipped and that the destination question or end-of-survey screen appears correctly for each triggering answer.
End-of-Survey Routing with Skip Logic
The most common skip logic use case is ending the survey early for ineligible or out-of-scope respondents. Set skip logic on the screening question: if Q1 = "No" (not eligible), skip to End of Survey. Configure the End of Survey element in Survey Flow to show a custom message for screened respondents rather than the standard completion message.
For surveys with multiple potential end points - respondents who complete the full survey vs those who are screened out vs those who fall into a specific segment - configure separate End of Survey elements in Survey Flow with different messages and redirect URLs for each outcome.
Branch Logic vs Skip Logic
For complex routing at the block level - routing entire blocks of questions based on respondent characteristics - use Branch Logic in the Survey Flow rather than skip logic. Survey Flow Branch Logic is more powerful: it supports embedded data conditions, quota conditions, and multi-condition AND/OR logic at the block level. Skip logic in question editors is limited to forward movement within a block based on a single question's answer.
Access Branch Logic by opening Survey Flow (from the Survey tab, click Survey Flow). Click "Add a New Element Here" and select "Branch." Define the condition and drag question blocks into the branch to create separate paths.
Common Skip Logic Mistakes
Skipping back instead of forward. Qualtrics skip logic can only move respondents forward - to a later question or end of survey. It cannot send respondents to an earlier question. For repeating question patterns, use Loop and Merge instead.
Using skip logic when display logic is more appropriate. If you want to show a question to some respondents and hide it from others, display logic is cleaner. Skip logic jumps past questions but those questions still exist and appear blank in the data for respondents who skipped them.
Not testing all skip paths. Every skip condition must be tested in Preview mode with the triggering answer before launch. Untested skip logic is the most common cause of mid-field survey errors that require a survey restart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Skip logic in Qualtrics moves respondents forward past questions they should not see, based on their answer to a specific question. It is configured on the question that triggers the skip. For showing or hiding individual questions based on conditions, display logic is generally more appropriate.
Skip logic is applied to the question that triggers forward movement - the respondent jumps past subsequent questions. Display logic is applied to the question that should conditionally appear - it shows or hides based on conditions without moving the respondent. Display logic supports multi-condition AND/OR logic; skip logic conditions are based on a single question's answer.
Yes. Set skip logic on a screening question to route ineligible respondents to 'End of Survey.' Configure the End of Survey element in Survey Flow to display a custom message for screened respondents. This is the most common application of skip logic in screening surveys and eligibility checks.
No. Qualtrics skip logic can only move respondents forward - to a later question or to the end of the survey. To create repeating question paths, use the Loop and Merge element in Survey Flow.
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