20+ Attention Check Questions
Build a copyable attention check for your survey in seconds. Free, practical, and ready to paste.
Start with the behavior you want to catch.
Multiple choice is easier to score; open text gives richer quality signals.
Place the check after respondents are already inside the survey flow.
What attention checks catch
Attention checks help separate thoughtful responses from sessions that were rushed, automated, or answered without reading. They work best when the question is obvious to a careful respondent and the scoring rule is written before launch.
Respondents who skim pages and miss plain instructions.
Matrix responses where the same option is selected without reading.
Automated or scripted sessions that fail simple context checks.
Blank, random, copied, or irrelevant open-text responses.
- Use clear instructions that a careful respondent can answer without guessing.
- Place checks where fatigue and speeding are likely, not only on the first page.
- Review failed checks alongside timing, duplicate signals, and open-text quality.
How to use attention checks
Choose whether the check should catch missed instructions, inconsistent answers, or low-effort text.
Use multiple choice for automatic review or open text when you can inspect responses manually.
Add the check after a real question so it measures attention inside the survey experience.
Decide before launch whether failure removes a response or only flags it for review.
Use checks as part of a complete response-quality plan
Attention checks are useful, but they are only one signal. Strong survey quality also depends on clear screeners, duplicate prevention, reasonable survey length, and a review process that treats borderline cases consistently.
One or two well-placed checks are usually enough. Too many checks make the survey feel adversarial and can frustrate good respondents.
The goal is to detect inattention, not to punish respondents for ambiguous wording or cultural assumptions.
Write the exclusion rule before data collection so quality review does not become subjective after seeing results.
Look at duration, duplicate devices, open-text quality, and survey logic before removing borderline responses.
Choose whether the check should catch missed instructions, inconsistent answers, or low-effort text.
Use multiple choice for automatic review or open text when you can inspect responses manually.
Add the check after a real question so it measures attention inside the survey experience.
Decide before launch whether failure removes a response or only flags it for review.
Attention check question categories
Use these examples as starting points, then adapt the wording to your survey context and scoring plan.
- To show you are paying attention, please select Strongly agree.
- Please choose Somewhat disagree for this item.
- Select option C for this question only.
- Leave this question blank if your survey platform allows blank answers.
- Choose the answer labeled Research for this item.
- Earlier you said you own a car. Which answer matches that?
- You selected full-time student earlier. Please confirm your current status.
- Which age band did you choose at the start of the survey?
- Which product category did you say you bought last month?
- Please restate the country you selected in the screener.
- Write one complete sentence about what this survey is about.
- In the box below, type the word attentive.
- Briefly explain why you chose your previous answer.
- Name one topic you remember from this survey.
- Write a short, relevant sentence using the word research.
- Review matrix rows where the same option is selected for every statement.
- Flag responses with identical ratings across reversed statements.
- Check grids completed faster than a normal reading speed allows.
- Compare answer variance across long rating batteries.
- Add one reverse-worded matrix item to catch patterned clicking.
- Flag completions below one-third of the median duration.
- Review sessions that skip every optional open-text question.
- Flag answers submitted faster than the minimum reading time.
- Review responses with repeated nonsense text.
- Combine timing warnings with failed instruction checks before removal.
When to use attention checks
Add checks after dense matrix blocks, repeated rating tasks, or sections where fatigue is likely.
Use clear checks when poor data would waste budget or distort a business decision.
Combine checks with duplicate, speed, and device signals when anyone can access the survey.
Learn more about response quality
View survey tools →Copy examples for instructed responses, consistency checks, open text, and straightlining.
Launch tool →Learn when checks help and how to use them without frustrating good respondents.
Launch tool →Pair attention checks with screeners that confirm respondents match your target audience.
Launch tool →Build a broader quality plan before you launch fieldwork.
Launch tool →Estimate how many responses your study needs.
Launch tool →Reduce duplicate, automated, and suspicious traffic.
Launch tool →Build a survey and send respondents directly to it.
Launch tool →Get paid responses from real survey participants.
Launch tool →Collect cleaner survey responses
Add quality checks to your survey, then collect responses through the free exchange, paid respondents, or SurveySwap Agency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about writing fair survey attention checks.
What is an attention check?
An attention check is a survey question designed to confirm that a respondent is reading instructions and answering thoughtfully.
How many attention checks should I add?
Most short surveys only need one. Longer or higher-risk surveys can use two, especially after dense matrix questions.
Should failed attention checks automatically remove a response?
Only when the rule is clear and unambiguous. For consistency checks and open text, manual review is often safer.
Where should I put an attention check?
Place it after respondents have started the real survey. Checks in the middle often catch more low-effort behavior than checks on the first screen.
Can attention checks stop bots?
They help, but they should be combined with bot detection, duplicate prevention, speed checks, and response-quality review.
Can SurveySwap help with quality control?
Yes. SurveySwap combines screeners, quality checks, anti-bot controls, and respondent collection paths so you can focus on the research.
Quando estiveres pronto
Obtém as respostas de que o teu estudo precisa
Transforma o teu objetivo de tamanho de amostra em respostas concluídas. Usa a troca gratuita, compra participantes ou deixa a SurveySwap Agency tratar da recolha por ti.