How to Capture URL Parameters

Carry a respondent ID, recruitment source, class section, study wave, or other useful label from a survey link into your response exports.

The Short Version

Carry a respondent ID, recruitment source, class section, study wave, or other useful label from a survey link into your response exports. A practical way to begin is to publish the survey and copy its respondent URL. A published link might look like https://conjointsurvey.com/s/example-study, then choose a short, stable name for each value you want to capture. Helpful examples include participant_id, source, class_section, and wave. Finish by making sure you keep the same parameter names throughout fielding. If you change source to recruitment_source halfway through, the export will contain two different fields that you will need to reconcile. The full walkthrough below explains each part in order.

Is This Guide for You?

Researchers recruiting through Prolific, MTurk, a panel provider, an LMS, email, or separate audience lists who need to connect each completed survey with a non-sensitive recruitment record.

Follow These Steps

Work through these 7 steps at your own pace. The wording is intentionally practical, and you can return to the checklist at the end when you are ready to review your work.

Publish the survey and copy its respondent URL. A published link might look like https://conjointsurvey.com/s/example-study.
Choose a short, stable name for each value you want to capture. Helpful examples include participant_id, source, class_section, and wave.
Add a question mark after the survey URL, followed by the parameter name, an equals sign, and the value. For example: https://conjointsurvey.com/s/example-study?source=newsletter.
Add more than one parameter with an ampersand. For example: ?source=prolific&wave=pilot. Your recruitment platform may replace a placeholder with each participant's ID automatically.
Open the finished link in a private browser window and complete one test response. Use a clearly recognizable test value so it is easy to find later.
Open Results and download the raw or analysis-ready response data. Confirm that the parameter names appear as fields and that your test values were stored correctly.
Keep the same parameter names throughout fielding. If you change source to recruitment_source halfway through, the export will contain two different fields that you will need to reconcile.

What This Helps You Accomplish

A URL parameter quietly travels with the respondent link, so participants do not have to type an ID or remember which recruitment path they used. This makes merging, panel reconciliation, wave tracking, and duplicate review much easier. It is especially useful when the survey platform and recruitment platform are separate systems.

A Quick Confidence Check

Use anonymous or pseudonymous IDs rather than names, email addresses, access tokens, or other sensitive information.
Remember that URLs can appear in browser history, analytics, screenshots, and server logs.
Use lower-case names without spaces, such as participant_id or class_section.
Test every recruitment link before inviting real respondents.
Confirm that your panel's placeholder syntax is still intact after you paste the link.
Save a copy of the final links and parameter definitions with the study documentation.

Common Questions

Can I use this guide if I am new to this?

Yes. Researchers recruiting through Prolific, MTurk, a panel provider, an LMS, email, or separate audience lists who need to connect each completed survey with a non-sensitive recruitment record. Follow the steps in order, start with a small test, and use the final checklist before you field or report anything important.

What is the simplest way to get started?

Begin by publish the survey and copy its respondent URL. A published link might look like https://conjointsurvey.com/s/example-study. Next, choose a short, stable name for each value you want to capture. Helpful examples include participant_id, source, class_section, and wave. You do not need to perfect every setting before running a small preview or pilot.

How do I know when I am ready?

Use the confidence check above. In particular: Use anonymous or pseudonymous IDs rather than names, email addresses, access tokens, or other sensitive information. Remember that URLs can appear in browser history, analytics, screenshots, and server logs. Use lower-case names without spaces, such as participant_id or class_section. Test every recruitment link before inviting real respondents. When the decision is consequential, keep your study documentation and ask a qualified colleague or methods reviewer to examine the design as well.

Research Pathways

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Product names and fielding platforms mentioned in this guide belong to their respective owners. Conjoint Survey is an independent academic research tool and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by those services.