# Can Survey Respondents Be Identified?

Source: PaperSurvey.io Help Center
URL: https://www.papersurvey.io/help/security/article/can-survey-respondents-be-identified

---

Protecting respondent privacy is fundamental to collecting honest, unbiased survey data. PaperSurvey is designed to keep responses anonymous by default, so neither the survey creator nor anyone else can trace an answer back to a specific person. However, certain survey link configurations can reduce this anonymity, and it is important to understand how they work.

## How PaperSurvey protects anonymity

We protect respondent identities through several key measures:

- **No metadata collection**: We don't collect IP addresses, browser fingerprints, or device information
- **Anonymous by design**: Responses are stored without any connection to individual identities
- **No tracking cookies**: We don't use tracking technologies that could identify participants

This means that even survey creators cannot see who submitted which response in an anonymous survey.

## Important exception: Tagged links

While standard survey links maintain complete anonymity, tagged links work differently:

- **Tagged links** allow survey creators to categorize responses by groups (e.g., location, department, event)
- If each respondent receives a unique tagged link, their responses could potentially be identified
- Tagged links are useful for legitimate research purposes but reduce anonymity

### How to identify tagged links

Look for additional text after the survey URL:

**Tagged links (may reduce anonymity):**
- `papersurvey.io/s/survey/marketing-dept`
- `papersurvey.io/s/survey/event-2024`
- `papersurvey.io/s/testsurvey?tag=1234`
- `papersurvey.io/s/testsurvey?tag=event-2025`
- `papersurvey.io/l/3f2a9c1e` (a named link that carries a preset tag)

**Standard links (fully anonymous):**
- `papersurvey.io/s/survey`
- `papersurvey.io/s/testsurvey`

## Maintaining your anonymity

To ensure your responses remain anonymous:

1. Check if the survey link contains tags or identifiers
2. Avoid providing identifying information in open-text responses
3. Don't include your name, email, or other personal details unless specifically required

## Need to verify a survey's anonymity?

If you are concerned about the anonymity level of a specific survey, contact us through live chat with the survey link. We'll help you determine whether the survey maintains full anonymity or uses features that could identify respondents.

A truly anonymous survey means that no one, including the survey creator, can connect your responses back to you.

---

Need more? The complete PaperSurvey.io help center and blog is available as a single document at https://www.papersurvey.io/llms-full.txt.