> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developers.respondent.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Targeting audiences effectively

> Configure filters and signals to reach the right participants

<Note>
  Need to target lifestyle, professional, technology, or product attributes — languages, employment, devices, software used, and more? See [Advanced targeting attributes](/docs/Projects/advanced-targeting-attributes).
</Note>

## Determining how many participants to target

`targetNumberOfParticipants` sets how many participants a researcher plans to interview. Respondent attempts to deliver 3× `targetNumberOfParticipants` qualified applicants; once that target is reached, recruitment is paused and new applicants are no longer sourced — though participants with your direct invite link can still apply. We also do not restrict inviting or paying more participants if a researcher's needs grow during the course of research.

## Audience features

Audience features have 2 different implementations to ensure projects can be filled appropriately. Some features are used as filters while others are used as signals. Most features are available to both B2C and B2B projects — see [B2C-only and B2B-only features](#b2c-only-and-b2b-only-features) for the exceptions.

**Filters**

Filter-type audience features restrict who can apply — a participant can only apply if their profile matches the selected feature. Filters give you the most accurate, on-target sample, so reach for a filter whenever a criterion genuinely needs to be met.

**Signals**

Signal-type audience features influence which participants Respondent contacts via a fuzzy match, but **do not stop off-target participants from applying**. Exact-match participants are still the first we contact, before recruiting expands to fuzzier matches over time until your project is filled.

Promote a signal to a hard filter by adding its key to your project's `keyQualifiers`. The one exception is `targetJobTitles`, which is handled differently from both filters and signals — see [Job title targeting](#job-title-targeting).

<Tip>
  **We strongly recommend making an attribute a hard filter whenever it genuinely needs to be met** — add its key to [`keyQualifiers`](/docs/Guides/b2b-participant-qualification-and-filters). Leave it as a signal only when you want a soft preference and broader reach.
</Tip>

The table below covers every audience feature and whether it acts as a **filter** or a **signal** by default. The **Personal** through **Shopping** groups are advanced attributes set via the `advancedTargeting` object, shown in the same groups as the researcher dashboard — see [Advanced targeting attributes](/docs/Projects/advanced-targeting-attributes) for the allowed values on each.

| Feature                                                                     | Filter | Signal |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------ | ------ |
| **Standard audience**                                                       |        |        |
| targetCountries                                                             | ✅      |        |
| targetCities (used with countries only)                                     | ✅      |        |
| targetLocationRespondentInPerson (in person project only)                   | ✅      |        |
| targetGenders                                                               | ✅      |        |
| targetAgeGroups                                                             | ✅      |        |
| targetEthnicities                                                           | ✅      |        |
| filterPastParticipation                                                     | ✅      |        |
| targetEducation                                                             | ✅      |        |
| targetHouseholdIncome                                                       |        | ✅      |
| targetProjectTopics                                                         |        | ✅      |
| targetProfessionalIndustries                                                |        | ✅      |
| targetCompanySize                                                           |        | ✅      |
| seniority                                                                   | ✅      |        |
| targetJobFunctions                                                          | ✅      |        |
| targetJobTitles (special — see [Job title targeting](#job-title-targeting)) |        |        |
| targetAudienceSkills                                                        |        | ✅      |
| **Personal**                                                                |        |        |
| relationshipStatus                                                          |        | ✅      |
| languages                                                                   |        | ✅      |
| numberOfChildren                                                            |        | ✅      |
| numberOfChildrenLiveAtHome                                                  |        | ✅      |
| childrenBirthYears                                                          |        | ✅      |
| livingSituation                                                             |        | ✅      |
| pets                                                                        |        | ✅      |
| homeOwner                                                                   |        | ✅      |
| nationality                                                                 |        | ✅      |
| areaType                                                                    | ✅      |        |
| **Professional**                                                            |        |        |
| militaryServiceStatus                                                       |        | ✅      |
| workSetting                                                                 | ✅      |        |
| employmentStatuses                                                          |        | ✅      |
| cloudPlatforms                                                              |        | ✅      |
| codingAITools                                                               |        | ✅      |
| designPrototypingTools                                                      |        | ✅      |
| productivitySoftware                                                        |        | ✅      |
| **Technology & Devices**                                                    |        |        |
| browsers                                                                    | ✅      |        |
| computerOS                                                                  | ✅      |        |
| programmingLanguages                                                        | ✅      |        |
| tabletOS                                                                    | ✅      |        |
| smartphoneOS                                                                | ✅      |        |
| webcam                                                                      | ✅      |        |
| mobilePhoneWithInternet                                                     | ✅      |        |
| headsetWithMicrophone                                                       | ✅      |        |
| **Products & Services**                                                     |        |        |
| streamingServices                                                           |        | ✅      |
| foodDeliveryServices                                                        |        | ✅      |
| onlineBankingTools                                                          |        | ✅      |
| onlineLearningPlatforms                                                     |        | ✅      |
| onlineMarketplacePlatforms                                                  |        | ✅      |
| onlineTravelBooking                                                         |        | ✅      |
| smartHomeDevices                                                            |        | ✅      |
| socialNetworkPlatforms                                                      |        | ✅      |
| vehicleBrands                                                               |        | ✅      |
| **Health**                                                                  |        |        |
| healthWellnessApps                                                          |        | ✅      |
| **Shopping**                                                                |        |        |
| onlineShoppingFrequency                                                     |        | ✅      |

## Job title targeting

`targetJobTitles` differs from other attributes because job title data is often ambiguous, leading to variations and differing interpretations across companies. A strict filter may disqualify many qualified participants, while a pure signal could allow too many off-target applicants.

Because of this special handling:

* `targetJobTitles` is **not** promotable through `keyQualifiers` — there is no way to restrict it to only the exact titles you provided. If you need to narrow further, use a screener question to confirm role specifics.
* To restrict by broader role category instead of by title, use `targetJobFunctions` (a hard filter) or `seniority` (a hard filter).
* Listing more representative titles helps Respondent infer the right job family. If the titles you list span multiple families, participants from any of those families may match.

## B2C-only and B2B-only features

Most audience features — including every [advancedTargeting attribute](/docs/Projects/advanced-targeting-attributes) — are available to **both** B2C and B2B projects. Only these are specific to one audience:

**B2C only**

* `targetProjectTopics` — required for B2C

**B2B only**

* `targetProfessionalIndustries` — required for B2B
* `targetCompanySize`
* `seniority`
* `targetJobFunctions`
* `targetJobTitles`
* `targetAudienceSkills`

## Filter past participants

The `filterPastParticipation` field allows you to control whether participants who have previously participated in your research can apply to new projects. This is a filter-type audience feature that restricts participant access based on their participation history.

### How it works

When `filterPastParticipation` is set, the system checks if a participant has previously been paid for research conducted by the same organisation or based on the `externalResearcher` object for API.

### Using filterPastParticipation via API

Include the `filterPastParticipation` field in your [project creation request](/projects/create-a-project):

```json theme={null}
{
  "publicTitle": "New Product Feedback Study",
  "targetMarketType": "b2c",
  "filterPastParticipation": {
    "hasNeverParticipated": true,
    "months": "3"}
  "externalResearcher": {
    "researcherId": "researcher_123",
    "teamId": "team_456",
    "companyId": "company_789"
  },
  // ... other project fields
}
```

### Using filterPastParticipation on the DIY platform

When creating a project through the Respondent platform:

1. Navigate to the project creation flow
2. In the **Audience Targeting** section, locate the **Past Participation** filter
3. Select your preference:
   * **Has never participated in a project** - Only new participants can apply
   * **Has never participated in a project in the last X months** - Only new participants can apply within X months
   * **N/A** - No restriction

<Note>
  Past participation is tracked at the payment level. A participant is only considered a "past participant" if they were marked as attended and paid for a previous project associated with the organisation.
</Note>

### Working with your participant database

If your organisation has the participant database feature enabled, you can also:

* Search past participants using the [Search past participants](/team-respondents/search-past-participants) endpoint
* Retrieve specific participant profiles with [Retrieve past participant profile](/team-respondents/retrieve-past-participant-profile)
* Invite multiple past participants directly using [Invite multiple past participants](/team-respondents/invite-multiple-past-participants)

## Audience qualification

Screener responses are qualified across the participant's profile and their actual responses to screener questions to be determined qualified or not. Answering all screener questions with qualifying answers makes them qualified on a screener, but profile qualification can be achieve by matching all filter type audiences features.

Respondent will treat participants that match all audience features with preferential treatment when actively recruiting, but will qualify participants that are not direct matches for signal type audience features.

**Example**

If a participants qualified via the screener AND they match selected `targetAgeGroups` and `targetCountries` but not `targetHouseholdIncome`, their response will be considered qualified by default. Partners or researchers can choose to disqualify these responses to narrow the number of participants and keep recruiting open.

***