---
url: "https://questionstar.com/help/branching-and-display-logic/random-order/"
title: "Random order — shuffle answer options or questions"
description: "Avoid order effects: randomize answer options, questions or pages. Configure per question or globally."
lastmod: "2026-07-08"
type: "help"
---

# Random order of answer options, questions, pages and blocks

## Why random order?

Randomizing questions or answer options (often called *randomization* in technical terms) in online questionnaires helps to **avoid various biases** and **improve data quality**.

For one, it reduces **position or order effects**: respondents tend to choose answers at the beginning or end of a list disproportionately often — regardless of the content.

For another, it lessens what are known as **spillover effects**: here, the answer to an earlier question unconsciously influences the subsequent answers, especially when they're closely related in content. Randomization minimizes this influence.

QUESTIONSTAR offers flexible settings for randomizing **answer options, questions, pages** and **page groups**.

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> 
> **Note:**
> When the randomization features are enabled, a **random order** of answer options, questions, pages or blocks is generated when a respondent opens the link. This order stays constant **throughout the entire completion** for that person, so that navigating back and forth in the questionnaire **doesn't cause confusion**. The specific order does, **however, vary between different respondents**.

## Random order of answer options

Randomizing answer options is especially useful when there's **no natural or logical order** to the options. This reduces answer tendencies (e.g. always choosing the first option).

![Randomizing answer options](/api/media/file/1.-Randomisierung-von-Antwortalternativen.png)

Here's how to enable random order:

1. Select the question in question.
2. In the settings panel on the right, open the **Question Settings**.
3. Enable the **“Randomized options enabled”** option.
4. Once enabled, two indicators appear:In the **top bar** of the question**To the left of the answer options**These indicators show at a glance that randomization is enabled.

> 💡
> 
> Open the demo questionnaire to see how randomization works:
> [Open demo questionnaire.](https://survey.questionstar.com/71637cf8)

## Random order of items and scale points in matrix questions

In matrix questions, both the **order of the items (rows)** and the **scale points (columns)** can be randomized — especially helpful when all answer options are equivalent and don't require a fixed order.

![Randomization in matrix questions](/api/media/file/2.-Randomisierung-in-Matrixfragen.png)

Here's how to enable randomization:

1. Select the matrix question.
2. Open the **settings panel on the right**.
3. Enable:**“Randomize Question Order” for rows** (items)**“Randomize Question Order” for columns** (scale points)
4. Once enabled, visual cues appear:Icon in the **top bar** of the questionIndicator **to the left of the rows**Indicator **above the column labels**These elements show **whether and which type of randomization** has been enabled.

## Pinning answer options

In certain cases, individual answer options should **not be randomized** but instead **displayed in a fixed position**. This applies, for example, to options like **“Other”**, **“Miscellaneous”** or **“None of the above”**, which usually appear **at the end of a list**.

![Pinning items](/api/media/file/3.-Alternativen-fixieren.png)

Here's how to pin an answer option:

1. Click into the text field of the relevant answer option. This opens the helper menu.
2. Select the **“Pin item”** option.
3. A **pin icon** then appears to the left of the answer option. This icon indicates that the item is **pinned** and is **not affected by** the randomization.

## Random order of questions

Randomizing the question order serves to **avoid influence effects between questions** — particularly when the answer to one question could be biased by the previous one. This method is often used in **knowledge checks or test situations** to encourage **unbiased and independent answers**.

![Randomizing questions](/api/media/file/4.-Randomisierung-von-Fragen.png)

Here's how to enable randomization of questions within a questionnaire page:

1. Open the **Page Settings**.
2. Enable the **“Randomize Question Order”** toggle.
3. An **indicator in the sidebar** shows that the questions on this page are displayed in random order.

## Pinning questions

Some questions — such as **introductions, instructions or notes about the test procedure** — should **not be randomized** but instead remain **in a fixed position** in the questionnaire.

![Pinning questions](/api/media/file/5.-Fragen-fixieren.png)

Here's how to pin a question:

1. Open the **Question Settings**.
2. Enable the **“Pinned Question”** toggle.
3. A **pin icon** in the question bar indicates that the question is **pinned** and is **not included in the random order**.

## Random order of pages

Randomizing the page order is especially useful when **order effects are to be avoided** — for example in **product tests, knowledge checks or experimental designs**. By arranging the pages randomly, each respondent sees the content in a **different order**, which reduces bias caused by position effects.

![Randomize Blocks](/api/media/file/6.-Bloecke-randomisieren.png)

Here's how to enable random order of pages:

1. Open the **three-dot menu** in the top menu bar.
2. Select the **“Randomize Blocks”** option.
3. Combine **two adjacent pages** that you want to randomize into a block.

![Grouping pages](/api/media/file/7.-Seiten-gruppieren.png)

4. Extend the block if needed **upward or downward** until all the desired pages are included.

![Extending the group](/api/media/file/8.-Gruppierung-erweitern.png)

5. Enable the **“Randomize pages in this block”** checkbox.

![Randomizing pages](/api/media/file/9.-Seiten-zufaellig-anordnen.png)

6. If a page within the block is to be **pinned**, click the **pin icon** to the left of the page.
7. A block created by mistake can be removed again via the **“Ungroup”** button.

## Random order of page groups

If your questionnaire consists of several **thematically related pages**, you can group them into **blocks** and **randomly vary their order**. This lets you avoid order effects between topic areas while preserving the **content structure within each block** — ideal for **personality, attitude or topic-module questions**.

![Randomizing page groups](/api/media/file/10.-Randomisierung-von-Seitengruppen.png)

Here's how to enable randomization of blocks:

1. First create the desired blocks by following steps 1 to 4, as described in the **“[Random order of pages](#zufallige-reihenfolge-von-seiten)”** section.
2. Enable the **“Randomize groups”** toggle to display the blocks in random order.
3. By clicking the **pin icon** to the left of a block, you can fix its position and exclude it from the randomization.
4. A block created incorrectly can be dissolved again via the **“Ungroup”** button.