About the central participant database

The central participant database (CPDB) keeps participants in one place for all your surveys. You add a person once, with their attributes, and copy them into the participant list of any survey. It also keeps a blocklist, so people who don't want your surveys are not invited again. For a single survey you don't need it: create the participant list in the survey. See Create a participant list.

Open the central participant database

Click Configuration > Users > Central participant management in the top bar.

In the picture: 1 the buttons Display CPDB participants, Summary, Import, Blocklist settings, Attributes, Share panel and Export all participants, 2 Add participant, 3 Blocklisted, 4 the ... menu of a participant.

Add participants

One by one: click Add participant (2), fill in First name, Last name, Email and Language, and click Add.

From a CSV file:

1. Click Import.
2. Choose the file. Character set of file and Separator used are detected automatically. Filter blank email addresses skips rows without an email address.
3. Click Upload.

The first line of the file holds the field names, in any order. email is required. firstname, lastname, blacklisted and language are optional.

Add your own attributes

Attributes are extra fields, for example a department or a customer number. Click Attributes and Add new attribute, and choose the Attribute type: Text box, Drop-down list or Date. email, firstname and lastname are core attributes and always exist.

Copy participants into a survey

1. Select the participants with the checkboxes. A bar appears with Batch edit, Export, Share, Add participants to survey and Delete.
2. Click Add participants to survey. For one person, use Add participant to survey in their ... menu (4).
3. Choose the Survey, decide whether to Display survey participant list after addition, and click Add.

Note: The Survey list starts with the first survey of your site, not with the one you work on. Check it before you click Add.

List active surveys in the ... menu shows the surveys a participant is in.

Share participants with other administrators

Share this participant in the ... menu, or Share in the bar, gives other administrators access to participants you own. Share panel lists what you have shared, with whom, and whether they can edit.

Blocklist participants

Set Blocklisted (3) to Yes for a person who doesn't want your surveys. Blocklist settings decide what that means:

• Blocklist all current surveys for participant once the global field is set
• Blocklist all newly created surveys for participant once the global field is set
• Prevent blocklisted participants from being added to a survey (on by default)
• Hide blocklisted participants
• Delete globally blocklisted participant from the database
• Allow participant to remove himself/herself from blocklist

Click Save after you change them.

See the numbers

Summary counts the participants in the database, the ones you own, the ones shared with you and by you, the blocklisted ones and the attributes.

Next steps

• Create a participant list
• Manage administrators
• Encrypt personal data in your survey

FAQ

Who can use the central participant database?

Administrators with the Central participant database permission. Create lets them add their own participants; View/read, Update and Delete apply to participants of other administrators. See Manage administrators.

Is the central database the same as the participant list of a survey?

No. A participant list belongs to one survey. The central database is shared by all your surveys, and you copy people from it into participant lists.