Stop the Survey Bots!
Imagine this. You’ve just launched your organization’s annual survey. After just 24 hours, you are thrilled to see you have more responses than ever before! Basking in the glory of your success, you start to skim through the data. But email addresses have unfamiliar handles. And open-ended fields include strange text. And multiple responses are from the same IP address. And then it hits you… Bots took your survey!
Yes, it’s true. Bots or automated scripts/form fillers have made it increasingly difficult to ensure the accuracy and integrity of your survey responses. These bots can skew your data and compromise the validity of your survey results. Need some help preventing this from happening? Check out these 6 tips to stop bots from taking your next survey.
1. Use CAPTCHAs
CAPTCHA stands for "Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart." It's a test that verifies that a human is completing the survey, not a bot. CAPTCHAs are typically a distorted image or a series of letters and numbers that the respondent must enter to complete the survey. This can prevent bots from accessing your survey and ensure that only real people are providing responses. However, some users may find this annoying or difficult to complete, so use it wisely.
2. Limit the Number of Responses per IP Address
Many online survey platforms have an option to limit the number of responses allowed per IP address (your device’s unique identifier). By using this feature, you can prevent bots from submitting multiple responses from the same device. However, this method may not be foolproof, as some bots can switch IP addresses to bypass this restriction.
3. Use Logic and Triggers
Logic and triggers are features that allow you to customize your survey based on the respondent's previous answers. For example, if someone indicates that they are not a resident of a particular state or country, the survey can skip questions that are only relevant to residents of that area. This can make your survey more user-friendly and, as an added bonus, can help prevent bots from taking your survey.
4. Randomize Question and Answer Choices
Bots are often programmed to select the first option or a specific pattern of choices when presented with a list of options. By randomizing the order of the questions and answer choices, you can make it more difficult for bots to predict and select the correct response. This can also help prevent your human respondents from becoming bored or disengaged while taking your survey.
5. Use a Survey Tool with Built-in Anti-Bot Features
A growing number of survey tools have built-in anti-bot features that can help prevent bots from taking your survey. For example, some tools may use behavioral analysis to detect and block bots based on their browsing patterns. Others may use machine learning algorithms to identify and eliminate bot responses. If you're concerned about bots taking your survey, look for a tool that has robust anti-bot features.
6. Be Mindful of the Role Incentives Can Play
While there’s always the risk of bots completing your survey, that risk can increase when monetary incentives are offered. We’re certainly not opposed to appropriate incentives for surveys; however, if you are offering one, build in extra precautions and consider adding a note related to user verification prior to distributing those incentives and/or entering respondents into a raffle.
As you forge ahead with your next survey, we wish you luck in stopping those bots. And if you find yourself needing some extra support, we hope you’ll reach out!