Across surveys of different sizes and complexity, Attest surveys fill in around three days on average, with many completing within a day.
Actual fill time depends on how your survey is set up. Some surveys will complete much faster, while others may take longer depending on audience constraints and survey design.
With every survey, as soon as it is live you can see results in real-time in the results dashboard, you don't need to wait for the survey to fill to start looking at the results.
What affects how quickly a survey fills
Survey fill speed is primarily influenced by how easy it is to find eligible respondents.
Surveys tend to fill faster when they have:
a smaller sample size
broad demographic targeting
few or no quotas
no or minimal qualifying questions
Surveys typically take longer to fill when they have:
large sample sizes
narrow or niche targeting
multiple demographic quotas
qualifying questions that screen out many respondents
longer or more complex survey flows
If you need results within a short timeframe, reducing constraints where possible can significantly improve fill speed.
When responses slow down
It’s normal for response rates to slow as a survey progresses, especially once easier-to-reach respondents have already completed it.
A common reason for slower fill is a low incidence rate, meaning:
fewer respondents meet the combined targeting criteria
many respondents are screened out by qualifying questions
This is more likely when demographic filters, quotas, and qualifying questions are used together.
What to do if your survey is slow
If you notice that responses have slowed significantly or no new responses have come in for several hours, it may be worth reviewing your setup.
Possible actions include:
relaxing non-essential demographic filters
simplifying qualifying criteria
adjusting sample size expectations
In some cases, changes can be made while the survey is live to improve fill speed.
If responses have stalled completely, or you are unsure which changes would have the biggest impact, get in touch with your Customer Research Manager or contact us via the in-platform chat. The team can review your setup and advise on next steps to help improve fill speed where possible.