Third Party Sample: Set up redirect URLs

Introduction: How panel integration works

This article explains how respondents are routed between an external panel provider and your Survalyzer survey, and how to set up the required redirect URLs.

When working with a panel provider, there needs to be a continuous data exchange between both systems. This communication is handled through URL links:

• panel providers send respondents into your survey,
• respondent data, such as IDs, is passed into Survalyzer,
• respondents are redirected back to the panel provider after finishing the survey with a defined outcome.

This process ensures that each respondent can be tracked and that their interview status, such as Complete, Screenout, Quotafull, or Bad Quality, is available for review by both sides: you and the third party sample provider.

Important: How respondent IDs are passed

There are two related but different URL variable formats used in this setup:

{{url.var01}} is used in the redirect URLs back to the panel provider. Survalyzer replaces this placeholder with the respondent ID that was received at the start of the interview.

urlVar01= is added to the survey invitation link that you send to the panel provider. The panel provider adds the respondent ID after the equals sign.

Example:

Invitation link sent to the panel provider:

https://education.survalyzer.eu/ufuasmxqpz?l=de&urlVar01=

Redirect URL back to the panel provider:

https://my-panel.com/complete?project_id=m60579&member_id={{url.var01}}

This keeps the respondent ID connected to the interview from start to finish.

Step 1: Get the redirect links from an external panel provider

Before you configure the Third Party Sample in Survalyzer, ask the external panel provider to send you the redirect links.

Usually, that is one URL per status. For example, they send you something like this:

Complete:
https://my-panel.com/complete?project_id=m60579&member_id=%member_id%
Screenout:
https://my-panel.com/screenout?project_id=m60553&member_id=%member_id%
Bad Quality: 
https://my-panel.com/quality?project_id=m60764&member_id=%member_id%
Quota Full:
https://my-panel.com/quotafull?project_id=m60352&member_id=%member_id%

As you can see, even the project ID can be different per status. But one thing they all have in common is the respondent ID placeholder, for example %member_id%.

Step 2: Select Third Party Sample on the Distribute tab after designing your survey

After designing your survey, go to the Distribute tab and select Third Party Sample.

Selecting this option opens a 4-step wizard:

1. Name
2. Quotas
3. Re-directs
4. Summary

Set up the Project name, Sample size and configure Quotas.

Go to the article to learn more:

→ Quota management for Panels

Step 3: Add the Survalyzer URL variable to the respondent ID parameter in URLs from the panel provider

Each redirect URL normally contains a respondent ID parameter, for example member_id.

Keep this parameter in the URL, but replace the panel provider’s placeholder value with the Survalyzer URL variable {{url.var01}}.

Complete:

https://my-panel.com/complete?project_id=m60579&member_id={{url.var01}}

Screenout:

https://my-panel.com/screenout?project_id=m60553&member_id={{url.var01}}

Bad Quality:

https://my-panel.com/quality?project_id=m60764&member_id={{url.var01}}

Quota Full:

https://my-panel.com/quotafull?project_id=m60352&member_id={{url.var01}}

In this example, member_id is the parameter expected by the panel provider. {{url.var01}} is the value Survalyzer sends back.

If the panel provider sends the respondent ID parameter empty, add {{url.var01}} after the equals sign:

Optional: Re-directs for screenouts directly in the questionnaire

You may want to configure screenout forwarding at certain points in the survey. In such a case, the redirect link must be specified in the URL forwarding settings.

Important: Third Party Sample redirects take priority

When a Third Party Sample is used, the final redirect is controlled by the redirect URLs set in the Third Party Sample wizard.

If you add a URL forwarding element in the Survey Builder, the selected interview status, such as Screenout, decides which redirect URL is used. The actual URL entered in the forwarding element is ignored.

To change where respondents are sent, update the redirect URL in the Re-directs step of the Third Party Sample wizard.

If your questionnaire is multilingual, the URL forwarding must also be translated:

Step 4: Paste adapted URLs into 3rd step of the third party sample wizard

Paste each adapted URL into the corresponding field in the Re-directs step of the Third Party Sample wizard.

Make sure that each URL is used with the correct interview status. For example, the Complete URL must be pasted into the Complete field, the Screenout URL into the Screenout field, and so on.

If the panel provider uses a status parameter in the URL, for example status=1, status=2, or status=3, make sure the value matches the correct outcome before pasting the URL.

Use additional URL variables if needed

If more fields are individual per respondent, you can use additional URL variables.

See here for more information:

→ URL variables

Step 5: Copy and adjust the survey invitation link

The invitation link is only created when the Third Party Sample is created. So you have to go through the process of creating a Third Party Sample before you find the link in the Summary step.

The summary page of the wizard gives you the survey link for the panel provider:

If the panel provider needs to pass a respondent ID, add the URL parameter urlVar01= to this invitation link. The external panel provider can then add the respective participant ID after the equals sign.

Example:

https://education.survalyzer.eu/ufuasmxqpz?l=de&urlVar01=

This is different from the redirect URL placeholder:

• urlVar01= is added to the survey invitation link that you send to the panel provider.
• {{url.var01}} is used in the redirect URLs back to the panel provider.

This keeps the respondent ID connected to the interview from start to finish.

Multilingual surveys invitation links setup

For multilingual surveys, a separate invitation link is available for each language. Each language-specific link can be extended with urlVar01= if the external panel provider wants to pass a participant ID.

It is also possible to create separate Third Party Samples for different languages. This is recommended if the data collection is staggered in the different languages, if there are different re-direct links per language, or if at least two different external panel providers are used.

Step 6: Share the survey link with the panel

Send the adapted survey invitation link to the panel provider, for example by email.

You can also share the education page:

External Panel Provider: How to forward to Survalyzer?

This helps the panel provider understand how to forward respondents to your survey and what to do with the link.

Additionally, ask them to provide 3 to 5 test links, so you can test your setup before going live.

Step 7: Test your setup

Before going live, test the full setup to ensure everything works as expected.

Activate the survey and check if:

• respondents enter the survey correctly,
• the respondent ID is captured properly,
• each outcome redirects to the correct URL,
• the ID is included in the redirect back to the panel provider.

If everything works correctly, the setup is ready for launch.

For detailed testing instructions, see the article below:

→ Third Party Sample: Test your setup

Preventing duplicate participation with Third Party Unique ID URL Variable (tpuid)

If you want to ensure that each respondent can only complete the survey once when distributing through a third-party panel, you can use the tpuid (Third Party Unique ID) URL variable. For configuration details, see: Unique Participation by Third Party Unique ID (tpuid).

What’s next

Once you understand how link exchange and redirects work, you can move on to the next steps in the setup process:

Create and configure a Third Party Sample in the wizard
→ Third Party Sample: Create and configure a sample

Test whether links and participant IDs work correctly
→ Third Party Sample: Test your setup

Launch recruitment and monitor interview statuses and completes during fieldwork
→ Third Party Sample: Monitor fieldwork and quotas