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What it’s for

A Display question is something the interviewer says rather than asks. Use it for:
  • a transition between topics — “Thanks. Now I’d like to ask about your local council.”;
  • an explanation the respondent needs before the next questions — “For the next few questions, please think about the last twelve months.”;
  • a notice — “Just so you know, this call may be recorded for quality purposes.”
It takes no answer, so nothing is recorded and nothing can branch from it.
For a single line at the start of a section, a section’s Intro line does the same job without adding a question to the outline. See Sections.

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Settings

A Display question has the fewest settings of any type: A Display question has no Required switch, no Alternative phrasings, no Voice panel and no attempt caps — there’s nothing to ask again, confirm or nudge.

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What the respondent hears

The interviewer speaks the voice prompt exactly as written and moves on to the next question.
  • A statement (no question mark) is read and the interview carries straight on.
  • A line that ends with ”?” is treated the same way: the interviewer doesn’t wait for a reply and goes straight on to the next question. Anything the respondent says over it is still listened to for a question about the call (answered from your FAQs), a busy signal or a request to stop (handled by Behaviours).
Write Display prompts as statements. A question mark invites an answer that the interviewer won’t wait for and nothing records.

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Notices the respondent must acknowledge

If you need the respondent to hear a notice and give it a moment — for example a recording notice before the questions start — use a Single choice question instead, with:
  • Statement prompt on, so the notice is spoken exactly as written with nothing added;
  • options that are Volunteered only, so no list is read out;
  • the attempt caps turned down to 0, so the notice is said once and never re-asked.

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Routing

“Display steps take no answer, so nothing branches from here.” A routing rule can’t fire after a Display question — the Logic tab says “Display steps do not take an answer, so no rule can fire after them.” Anchor the rule on the answerable question before it instead. Rules on other questions can still jump past a Display question or hide it.

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What is recorded

Nothing. A Display question writes no survey.* answer variables, has no card on Results → Questions, isn’t in the CSV export, and isn’t offered when you pipe an earlier answer into a prompt.

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Next Steps