The three formats
Chat
Participants type their answers in a text conversation. This is the lowest-friction option. There’s nothing to allow or set up, and it works anywhere a browser does. Participants can take their time composing an answer, which suits detailed or technical questions and anyone answering in a second language. The trade-off is that typed answers tend to be shorter and flatter than spoken ones. You lose hesitation, emphasis, and the moment someone talks themselves into a different opinion.Voice
Participants speak and hear the moderator, like a phone call. This is the workhorse format. Spoken answers run longer and reveal more than typed ones, and a twenty-minute conversation isn’t tiring in the way twenty minutes of typing would be. You get tone, hesitation, and the moment someone changes their mind. Participants can also share their screen in voice interviews, which is enough for most walkthroughs. You see what they’re doing without needing them on camera.Video
Participants speak on camera, and can share their screen. Use video when you need to see the person or what they’re looking at: reactions to a concept, watching someone work through an interface, or research where facial expression is part of the finding.Video interviews require the camera. Participants can’t start until they allow camera access in their browser. Anyone who won’t or can’t turn their camera on can’t take part.
Permissions and privacy
Chat needs no device access at all. Voice and video ask for the microphone, and for video the camera, before the interview starts. Participants decide on permissions up front, and consent is handled before any recording begins. Voice and video studies also get a consent screener added automatically. It tells participants the format, that the moderator is AI, and roughly how long the interview takes. Anyone unwilling to take part is screened out, and for video, so is anyone without a webcam they’re willing to use. If a participant’s device or browser can’t support the format, or they block the permission, they see an error before the conversation starts.Cost
Interviews are billed in credits, and the format sets the multiplier: chat 0.5, voice 1, video 2. A video interview costs four times a chat interview. If you don’t need the camera, voice gets you most of the depth at half the price.Billing and credits
What a credit costs on each plan.
When a format isn’t available
Two study settings narrow your choice:- Concept links rule out chat. A study with concept links needs a screen-capable interview, so Chat is disabled. Use voice or video.
- Synthetic respondents are chat only. Choosing Synthetic as the recruiting method switches the study to chat.
Choosing a format
Start with voice. It’s the best depth-per-credit trade in the platform and suits most research. Move to video when seeing the participant is part of the finding, and accept that requiring the camera will turn some participants away. If you only need to see their screen, voice with screen sharing gets you there. Use chat when speaking isn’t practical: participants in open-plan offices, sensitive topics people would rather type, or audiences where typing lowers the barrier enough to matter for your response rate.Frequently asked questions
Can I change the format after launch?
Can I change the format after launch?
Yes, from Actions → Edit Study, but responses collected before and after won’t be directly comparable. If you’re partway through, duplicate the study instead.
Does the moderator appear on camera in video interviews?
Does the moderator appear on camera in video interviews?
No. The moderator speaks and listens; there’s no on-camera avatar. Participants see themselves and their own screen share.
Does the voice selection matter in chat studies?
Does the voice selection matter in chat studies?
No. Participants never hear the moderator in chat, so the voice applies only to voice and video. The moderator’s personality is the same across all three.
Next steps
Study Types
Pick between an interview, a concept test, and a prototype test.
Setup Interview
Where you set the format, voice, and language.