Self-Generating Identification...I'm new to QUaltrics | XM Community
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Can a self generating ID code be incorporated in a pre and post- post survey?
I am researching an online health intervention for my dissertation and I need to keep track of the same survey respondents on Day 1, Day 7, and Day 21.
The intervention is continuous over a 21 day period.
( My participants are being asked to participate from an email distribution list.)
Can Qualtrics assign and keep an ID for three surveys from the same email. I do NOT wish to use the email as the identifier.?
Please advise and thank you in advance.

Yes, you can use the ResponseID from the first survey as the identifier. In your workflow or trigger that adds/updates the contact after the first survey make ExternalDataReference (and maybe some other embedded data field if you are using Anonymize) equal to the ResponseID.


Hello Jimmy2650
There are multiple options here,

  • You can include PanelID in the survey flow it is a meta data and since the survey is distributed via email. It will automatically get filled for the user and is unique for the person. You can find more info here (Meta Data Embedded Data). PanelID: This element will give you the ID of the contact list (a.k.a. panel) to which each respondent belongs. Matching Panel IDs can be found in the Qualtrics IDs section of Account Settings.

  • You can include a unique embedded data while uploading the contacts in mailing list and include the same embedded data in survey flow without any value and it will be prefilled from the contacts embedded data value uniquely each time and you can use it to filter out. Add from Contacts: Add one of the embedded data that you have saved in your contact list. See this section to learn how to pull in every one of those embedded data at the same time.

Hope this helps!


So...If I understand...each Individual can add their own Self Generated ID. For example ...
A self-generated identification code can be generated by asking four personal questions of the participant.
first letter of their mother's maiden,
the first letter of the high school they last attended,
the first number of their home address, and the first letter their birth month.
Would this work? Sorry for taking up your time.
And THANK YOU


Jimmy2650
Yes You can ask them those questions and within embedded data survey flow you can pipe those entered text and unique ID will be generated for you.
Hope this helps!


https://community.qualtrics.com/XMcommunity/discussion/comment/50168#Comment_50168Yes, but you run the risk of the IDs not being unique.


TomG & Deepak Thank you so much sharing your expertise with our community! You both are constantly making a positive impact here 👏


Hi @Deepak could you elaborate a bit more on piping the entered texts in the embedded data survey flow?

I created a block for generating participant code, and asked them the questions similar to the ones mentioned above and then I added an embedded data field and in set value I insert the survey texts (which are these questions). At first it did give me a participant code in the reports section but then now when I am trying out again its not generating anything. 

So is this the correct way to approach? Would really appreciate your guidance for the above issue.  


@Smarak 

I believe you did something as below, you can fill in the embedded data with piped texts as below from each of the question and it should have the value. Also make the question as force response so that it always has the value.

If you want Qualtrics ID you can use Response IDs as unique for each.


Hi @Deepak 

I tried the method you suggested above. Its still not working. The Participant Code is still not generating when I am checking in the results section. I even used force response for the questions for the participant code. 

Would really appreciate if you could suggest some other way.


Hi @Deepak 

For a better understanding I have attached a SS of my survey flow. 


@Smarak I see you have included the participant code block below the embedded data element.

It needs to be above it.


Oh yeah, it worked now.

Thank you so very much for your help @Deepak 


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