> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.dscout.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.dscout.com/study-basics/question-types/closed-ended-questions/number-questions.md).

# Number questions

<table><thead><tr><th>Study type</th><th data-type="checkbox">Availability</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Screeners</strong></td><td>true</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Usability tests</strong></td><td>true</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Media surveys</strong></td><td>true</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Intercept studies</strong></td><td>true</td></tr><tr><td><strong>AI moderated studies</strong></td><td>false</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Diary studies</strong></td><td>true</td></tr></tbody></table>

Number questions let participants answer by typing a number. Use a number question when you want an exact quantity instead of a rating or a choice, such as an age, the amount someone paid, or how many times they did something. Dscout calculates statistics across everyone's answers, so you can see the typical answer and how much answers vary.

Participants type their answer into a number field. Answers must be whole numbers up to 9 digits long, so the largest answer a participant can enter is 999,999,999. Participants can't enter decimals, negative numbers, commas, or symbols. On phones, the keypad shows digits only.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** Number questions aren't available in AI moderated studies.
{% endhint %}

### Number question settings

The settings available on a Number question depend on which type of study you're building. Select your study type below for more information.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Screeners" %}
Add number questions to a screener in the **Additional questions** section of the **Screener** tab.

| Setting                   | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Prompt**                | The question applicants answer. Specify the unit of measurement, such as USD or inches. You can format the prompt with `*bold*`, `_italic_`, and `[link text](http://example.com)`. Type @ to recall a closed-ended response from earlier in your screener.               |
| **Stimuli** (optional)    | Attach up to 5 images for applicants to react to. For more information, see [Question stimuli](/study-basics/question-types/question-settings-and-organization/question-stimuli.md).                                                                                      |
| **Stimuli randomization** | Presents attached stimuli in a random order to each applicant. This setting appears once the question has more than one stimulus attached.                                                                                                                                |
| **Skip logic** (optional) | Route applicants to a later question or end the screener after they answer. Every applicant who answers goes to the same place, whatever number they enter. For more information, see [Skip logic in screeners](/study-basics/design-a-study/skip-logic-in-screeners.md). |

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** On Partner Panels screeners, a Number question doesn't support skip logic, stimuli, prompt formatting, or recalling earlier responses. For more information, see [Recruit from Partner Panels using a screener](/recruit-participants/partner-panels/recruit-from-partner-panels-using-a-screener.md).
{% endhint %}
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Usability, intercept, and media surveys" %}
Add number questions on the **Usability test**, **Study**, or **Media survey** tab of your builder.

| Setting                   | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Prompt**                | The question participants answer. Specify the unit of measurement, such as USD or inches. You can format the prompt with `*bold*`, `_italic_`, and `[link text](http://example.com)`. Type @ to recall a closed-ended response from earlier in your study.                                                                      |
| **Stimuli** (optional)    | Attach up to 5 pieces of media for participants to react to. For more information, see [Question stimuli](/study-basics/question-types/question-settings-and-organization/question-stimuli.md).                                                                                                                                 |
| **Stimuli randomization** | Presents attached stimuli in a random order to each participant. This setting appears once the question has more than one stimulus attached.                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| **Skip logic** (optional) | Route participants to a later question, question group, or the end of the study after they answer. Every participant who answers goes to the same place, whatever number they enter. For more information, see [Skip logic](/study-basics/design-a-study/skip-logic-in-usability-tests-media-surveys-and-intercept-studies.md). |
| {% endtab %}              |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |

{% tab title="Diary studies" %}
Add number questions to a diary study on the **Questions** tab of your builder.

| Setting                   | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Prompt**                | The question participants answer. Specify the unit of measurement, such as USD or inches. You can format the prompt with `*bold*`, `_italic_`, and `[link text](http://example.com)`.                                                                                          |
| **Stimuli** (optional)    | Attach up to 5 images for participants to react to. For more information, see [Question stimuli](/study-basics/question-types/question-settings-and-organization/question-stimuli.md).                                                                                         |
| **Stimuli randomization** | Presents attached stimuli in a random order to each participant. This setting appears once the question has more than one stimulus attached.                                                                                                                                   |
| **Skip logic** (optional) | Route participants to a later point in the activity after they answer. Every participant who answers goes to the same place, whatever number they enter. For more information, see [Skip logic in diary studies](/study-basics/design-a-study/skip-logic-in-diary-studies.md). |
| {% endtab %}              |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| {% endtabs %}             |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |

### Add a number question to a study

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** In a screener, number questions go in the **Additional questions** section. They can't be knockout questions, and they aren't available on the screeners of auto-recruit studies, which support only multiple choice questions. For more information, see [Question types in screeners](/recruit-participants/what-are-dscout-screeners/question-types-in-screeners.md).
{% endhint %}

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
Navigate to the tab of your builder where you want the question—**Questions**, **Usability test**, **Study**, **Media survey**, or **Screener**, depending on your study type.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Click **+ Add** in the center of the builder or in the left sidebar. (**+ Add question** in diary studies, or **Add additional question** in screeners.)
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Select **Number**.

<div align="left"><figure><img src="https://3976082747-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FIKfn7RcT4CW9XaIbqAdd%2Fuploads%2FTK94TXLgTHAhf0fkJh7b%2FNumber_question.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=78b5a48c-ab80-4768-9429-25fe98186cc9" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Enter your **Prompt**, including the unit you want participants to use.

<div align="left"><figure><img src="https://3976082747-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FIKfn7RcT4CW9XaIbqAdd%2Fuploads%2FtvFBFZg8w2dWsmxHZnmf%2FNumber_question%20(1).jpg?alt=media&amp;token=8c9b7517-776b-4ecb-b11c-1cdd6db0b7ee" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

{% hint style="success" %}
**Tip:** Use a Number question only when the answer is a single number. If you want an explanation or a reaction, use a [typed response](/study-basics/question-types/open-ended-questions/typed-response-questions.md) question instead.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Configure the remaining settings. For details, see [Number question settings](#number-question-settings) above.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Click **Done**.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

#### Group and randomize number questions

Number questions work with Dscout's question-organization features:

* [**Question groups**](/study-basics/question-types/question-settings-and-organization/question-groups.md) keep related questions together and can randomize the order they're presented in.
* [**Multi-variate testing**](/study-basics/question-types/question-settings-and-organization/multi-variate-testing.md) presents different concepts or design variants to different participants.
* [**Question banks**](/study-basics/question-types/question-settings-and-organization/question-banks.md) let you save a Number question and reuse it across studies.

### Analyze a Number question

#### Screeners, usability tests, intercept studies, and media surveys

In the **Questions** view, a number question shows one card with statistics calculated from everyone's answers:

* **Lowest:** The smallest number entered.
* **Median:** The middle number when all answers are put in order.
* **Highest:** The largest number entered.
* **Mean:** The average of all the numbers entered.
* **Mode:** The number entered most often.
* **Standard deviation:** How spread out the answers are. A small number means most answers are close to the mean.

<figure><img src="https://3976082747-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FIKfn7RcT4CW9XaIbqAdd%2Fuploads%2FeyCrNLm2vDmWe3BBjbsE%2FNumber_question%20(3).jpg?alt=media&amp;token=92b4c701-1532-4124-ba49-0ea067a859ae" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

The card also shows how many participants answered. The statistics update when you apply filters.

#### Diary studies

In diary study analysis, number questions live on the **Closed-ended responses** view and show the same statistics as described above.

<figure><img src="https://3976082747-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FIKfn7RcT4CW9XaIbqAdd%2Fuploads%2FOBSk6O7rgw9DiF7yKIIR%2FNumber_question%20(2).jpg?alt=media&amp;token=2f4a81d3-9abc-4151-950b-7f2e66f9676d" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### View individual responses

Open a participant's entry or session to see the number they entered.

#### Export Number responses

Use the download button on the question's card to save the breakdown as an image (PNG) or CSV.

The CSV export of your study's response data has one column for each number question with the number each participant entered.

### Frequently asked questions

<details>

<summary>What numbers can participants enter?</summary>

Participants can enter whole numbers from 0 to 999,999,999. Answers can be up to 9 digits long. Decimals, negative numbers, commas, and symbols aren't accepted. This is true on the web and in the Dscout mobile apps.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can participants enter negative numbers or decimals?</summary>

No. Number questions accept whole numbers only. If a participant has a negative or decimal answer, such as a temperature below zero or a price with cents, they may enter a different number to fit, which makes your results inaccurate. To collect these answers, use a [typed response](/study-basics/question-types/open-ended-questions/typed-response-questions.md) question and tell participants how to format their answer. Typed responses don't get Number statistics, so you'll need to analyze them yourself after export. To avoid decimals, ask for a smaller unit, such as cents instead of dollars.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I ask participants to split points or percentages across several items so they total 100?</summary>

No. A number question collects a single number, and Dscout can't require that answers across several Number questions add up to a total. You can ask for each item in its own Number question and check the totals in your exported data.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I send participants to different questions based on the number they enter?</summary>

No. Skip logic on a number question sends every participant to the same place after they answer, no matter which number they entered. To branch on a number, use a [multiple choice](/study-basics/question-types/closed-ended-questions/multiple-choice-questions.md) question with ranges as the answer options, such as "0 to 5" and "6 or more."

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I use a Number question to knock participants out of a screener?</summary>

No. Knockout logic works only on multiple choice questions, so number questions go in the **Additional questions** section of a screener. To disqualify applicants based on a number, ask a multiple choice question with ranges as the answer options and set knockout logic on the ranges you want to exclude.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why can't I add a Number question to my AI moderated study?</summary>

AI moderated studies support only multiple choice and scale questions for closed-ended responses. If you need a numeric answer in an AI moderated study, use a scale question for ratings, or ask a talk out loud question and have participants say the number. For the question types AI moderated studies offer, see [Question types in AI moderated studies](/ai-moderated-studies/what-are-ai-moderated-studies/question-types-in-ai-moderated-studies.md).

</details>


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