---
url: "https://questionstar.com/help/branching-and-display-logic/random-selection/"
title: "Random selection of questions or pages in online surveys"
description: "Show only a subset of the questions or pages from a pool at random — for experiments, short surveys, methodological comparisons."
lastmod: "2026-07-08"
type: "help"
---

# Present a random selection of questions or pages

In this article:

## About the random selection of questions and pages

In many use cases it makes sense **not to show every question or page** of a questionnaire, but instead to present a **random selection** from it. This helps to **shorten the test duration**, **reduce response fatigue** or **avoid unintended influence** from similar content.

Random selection is especially well suited to:

- Knowledge tests with a large question bank
- Experiments where each person should see only one condition
- Modular surveys in which topic blocks are distributed at random
- Learning or training systems with rotating tasks

In **QUESTIONSTAR** you can configure both **individual questions** and **whole pages** specifically for random selection.

In this article we'll show you **when the feature makes sense** and **how to activate it step by step**.

## Random selection of questions

With the **Random Number of Questions** feature you can define that only a certain number of questions is **selected at random** and displayed from a larger set. This is especially useful when you want to:

- create a shortened test that retains the same explanatory power,
- use question pools to make repetitions less predictable,
- or create question variety without showing every question to all participants.

> 💡
> 
> **Example:**
> You have a **block of 20 questions** on general knowledge, but you want each person to answer **only 5 randomly selected questions** from this pool.
> This keeps the test **compact** and yet **variable for each individual**.

![Random selection](/api/media/file/1.-Zufallsauswahl.png)

Here's how to activate the random selection of questions:

1. Open the **Page Settings** in the right-hand panel.
2. Enable the **“Random Number of Questions”** option.
3. Enter the number you want (e.g. *5 of 20*).
4. The **order** of the randomly selected questions can additionally be **randomized** if needed.

> 💡
> 
> **Note:** If you want one or more specific questions – e.g. an instruction or introduction – **to always be displayed**, you can **pin** them. Pinned questions are **not included in the random selection**.

![Pinned Question](/api/media/file/2.-Frage-fixieren.png)

Here's how to pin a question:

5. Open the **Question Settings**.
6. Enable the **“Pinned Question”** toggle.
7. A **pin icon** in the question bar indicates that this question **is always displayed at its fixed position**.

## Random selection of pages

With the **random selection of pages** feature you can have a set number of pages **displayed at random** from several pages, while others are hidden.

This is especially suitable when you, for example:

- have created different scenarios or versions of a test, of which each person should see only one or two selected at random,
- want to distribute different thematic focuses within a survey at random,
- or vary the questionnaire length without losing explanatory power.

> 💡
> 
> **Example:**
> You have created 3 pages with different product variants to be rated. However, each participant should **see only 1 of them**, so that no assessment arises through comparison. Random selection ensures that each person **sees a different page – but never more than one**.

![Randomize Blocks](/api/media/file/3.-Bloecke-randomisieren.png)

Here's how to activate the random selection of pages:

1. Open the **three-dot menu** in the top menu area.
2. Select **“Randomize Blocks”**.

![Random selection of pages](/api/media/file/4.-Zufallsauswahl-Seiten.png)

3. **Group the pages in question** by combining adjacent pages into a block.
4. Enable the **“Present X pages from this list at random”** checkbox.
5. Specify how many pages should be **selected at random** (e.g. *1 of 3*).
6. The **order of the displayed pages** can also be **set at random**.
7. Within a block, individual pages can also be **pinned** or **excluded from the selection**, so that they are **always displayed at their original positions**.