When building an In-Platform Survey, you’ll need to select a Date Range to define when the purchase behavior occurred. The Date Range prompt lets you choose from predefined time periods or create a custom range based on your research needs.
Latest N Weeks
Verified Voices includes several built-in Latest N Weeks time period options:
Latest 52 Weeks
Latest 26 Weeks
Latest 12 Weeks
Latest 4 Weeks
Latest Week
The Latest Date preset options operate on a two-week data lag. This grace period allows panelists time to upload receipts from recent purchases. The lag is calculated by going two weeks back from the start of the current week (Sunday). While including the two week grace period is best practice, custom date ranges are also available if you’d prefer to use a different timeframe.
Prior N Weeks (Pre-Period)
To support analysis of behavior changes over time, the platform also offers Prior N Weeks (Pre-Period) date ranges:
Prior 52 Weeks
Prior 26 Weeks
Prior 12 Weeks
Prior 4 Weeks
Prior Week
These periods represent the immediately preceding time window of the same length as the selected Latest period.
Example:
Latest 4 Weeks: 12/8/2025 – 1/4/2026
Prior 4 Weeks: 11/10/2025 – 12/7/2025
Prior periods are especially helpful when creating quota groups that compare behavior over time, such as:
Lapsed Shoppers
New Shoppers
Retained Shoppers
Expanders vs. Contractor
A combination of Latest and Prior Date Ranges are used to build out the quota groups in Specialty Survey types that use a builder tool to create quota groups.
Year to Date
The Year to Date option includes data from January 1 of the current year through the latest available date, accounting for the same two-week data lag.
Example:
If the latest available date is January 4, 2026, selecting Year to Date would return data from 1/1/2026 – 1/4/2026.
Custom Date Range
You also have the ability to use a Custom Date Range.
When selected, you’ll be prompted to:
Enter a start and end date manually, or
Select dates using the calendar
Once selected, the platform will automatically populate the date range based on your inputs.
Point Forward Date Ranges (Continuously Fed Surveys)
A Continuously Fed or Point Forward survey collects responses over time from panelists who become eligible after your selected start date. Instead of fielding only from the sample pool available at launch, the system refreshes eligible panelists automatically each day and continues collecting until the quota is met or the survey reaches its shut-off window.
Available Point Forward options:
Latest 26 Weeks Forward
Latest 12 Weeks Forward
Latest 4 Weeks Forward
Latest Week Forward
Today Forward
Custom Point Forward Period
Key Considerations for Point Forward Surveys
Continuously Fed surveys remain open for up to 90 days.
Point Forward dates are calculated directly from the calendar and do not apply the standard two-week upload lag used by Latest/Prior date ranges.
The platform will check for and add newly eligible panelists each day until quota or the 90-day limit is reached.
Like all In-Platform Surveys, you’ll receive an email when your survey’s status is Active (once at least 30 responses have been collected and you can start reviewing results in the platform) and again when the survey is Complete. Learn more about Post-Launch: What to Expect.
When to Use Point Forward Date Ranges
Point Forward Date Ranges are recommended when:
The available panelists count is low and you see a yellow “low sample warning” box when you validate your sample. Point Forward date ranges will allow the system to capture new eligible shoppers as they appear.
A new item launches and you want to collect feedback from shoppers as they begin buying the product.
Any case where sample may grow over time and you prefer the survey to remain open to capture that sample.
Avoid using Point Forward Date Ranges when:
The quota groups being targeted require clearly defined pre- and post-periods to assess behavior changes over time. (e.g., Lapsed Shoppers, Expanders vs Contractors). These analyses require discrete, non-overlapping time periods for accurate classification.
You need immediate, predictable completion dates based on the sample present at launch.
The selected quota group already has an abundant sample (e.g., a large retailer with many buyers). While you can use a Point Forward date range, it is often unnecessary since the survey will fill immediately and act like a standard launch.
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Last Updated 2/3/2026