Attest allows you to target surveys to specific groups of respondents using pre-set and custom demographic filters. Demographic targeting is applied when sending surveys to Attest panels and helps ensure your research reaches the right audience from the outset.

This article explains how demographic targeting works, which filters are available, and how to decide when to use demographics, quotas, or qualifying questions.

How demographic targeting works

Demographic targeting is set up on the Audience page when creating a survey.

You can:

select the country and language you want to survey
apply demographic filters to control who can take part
see how targeting affects the available sample in real time

Only respondents who match the selected demographics will be able to complete the survey.

Demographic targeting is available when sending surveys to Attest panels. If you are sending a survey to your own audience, demographic filters are not applied in the same way.

Adding a custom audience

Once you have completed your survey draft, move to the Audience page. You can choose between Attest panels, own audience or hybrid audiences.

Select Add audiences in Attest panels, then choose whether to:

create a new audience from scratch, or
Load an existing preset audience

You can add multiple audiences to the same survey, for example when running multi-market research.

When creating an audience from scratch:

Select a country and language.
Select Add targeting to apply demographic filters.

Available demographics vary by country, but typically include age and gender, with additional categories available in many markets. As you add filters, the Available sample figure updates to reflect how many respondents currently meet your criteria.

Demographic quotas can also be applied, to specify what percentage of each demographic you want to target.

What demographic filters are available

Attest offers a range of demographic filters that can be applied when setting up your audience. The exact set of available demographics varies by country.

Commonly available demographic categories include:

Region (such as country, state, or county)
Age (select specific ages, not just predefined bands)
Gender
Household income
Home ownership and housing type
Parental status, including age and gender of children
Pets owned
Education level
Relationship status
Employment type
Employment sector
Professional experience

Additional demographics are available in some markets only, for example:

DMA (United States only)
Ethnicity (United States only)
Hispanic or Latino origin (United States only)

You can apply one or more demographic filters depending on your research needs and combine them with quotas if required.

Demographic targeting vs qualifying questions

Use demographic targeting when the attribute you need is already available in the Audience page.

For example:

targeting by gender, age, or region
selecting nationally representative samples

Use qualifying questions when the attribute you need is not available as a demographic filter.

For example:

pet ownership in markets where it is not a listed demographic
specific behaviours, usage patterns, or experiences

Qualifying questions should be placed at the start of the survey to screen respondents in or out. They also affect feasibility and fill speed.

Using Compass to help with targeting

Compass can help you think through your audience setup by:

suggesting which demographics to target based on your research goal
highlighting where demographic targeting is sufficient versus where qualifying questions may be needed
helping balance precision with feasibility

Compass can suggest and add targeting to your survey draft, but demographic availability and feasibility should always be reviewed in the Audience page before launch.

If you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to chat with your Customer Research Manager or get in touch with us using the in-platform live chat.

FAQ

Are all demographic filters available in every country?

No. Available demographics vary by country. Always check the Audience page for the selected market.

Can I create custom demographics?

You cannot create new demographic categories, but you can achieve more specific targeting by combining available demographics with qualifying questions or quotas.

Why don’t I see some demographics in my results?

Demographics only appear in results if they were selected during audience setup. If you need a demographic for analysis, make sure it is included when building the survey.