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Contributor networks comparison table

This article provides a snapshot of the three primary types of contributor network options used in UserTesting tests.

This article applies to: ut logo tiny.pngUserTesting 

 

For a more detailed explanation of the participant networks, see our article.

 

On this page:

 

UserTesting Network, Custom Network, and Invite Network

 

UserTesting Network

Custom 
Network

Invite 
Network

What subscription do I need? Available on all subscription plans Ultimate or Premium Flex plan and Professional and Premium subscriptions
Who are the participants? Where do they come from? Members of the UserTesting Network

Though a Custom Network is created through the UserTesting platform, participants do not come from the UserTesting Contributor Network.

Rather, the customer recruits the participants, who can be employees, partners, fans of the customer, and so on.

As with the Custom Network, you recruit whomever you want to participate in a test. Generate a link to the test in the UserTesting platform and send it to the participants. 
Who recruits the participants? UserTesting  Customer Customer 
Who manages the onboarding process for the participants? UserTesting  UserTesting Customer
Who collects demographic information (e.g., age, gender, job) from participants? UserTesting UserTesting Customer
Who compensates the participants? UserTesting  UserTesting* Customer* 
Use when you want to...
  • Get immediate feedback from participants.
  • Recruit participants from around the world.
  • Have UserTesting handle the recruiting process for you.
  • Tests with participants are not readily available on the UserTesting Network.
  • Continuous testing should be done with the same group of participants.
  • Test with niche audiences that you’ve already identified.
  • Send a one-time test to a specific group of people.
  • Be in charge of how you communicate with and pay your participants.
How do I create...? Use the Create a test > Build Audience > Select Audience path in the Platform and select the UserTesting Contributor Network option on the Build Test Plan page (see image). Choose the Custom Network option from the Build Test Plan page (see image). Use the Create a test > Create Link > Customize Invite path in the UserTesting platform.
  Screen_Shot_2022-10-02_at_9.54.54_PM.png  

*Alternatively, the customer could opt for an unpaid network. 

The platform also offers two recruitment features—Favorite contributors and Specific contributors—that help you target particular participants you wish to reuse for future tests.

 

 

Favorite contributors and specific contributors

 

Favorite contributors

Specific contributors
Where do the participants come from? The UserTesting Network. You create your own network of participants you want to reuse and add participants to that network.

Also from the UserTesting Network.

  • They can be a part of a Favorite contributors network but don't have to be. 
  • You can pull specific participants from different Favorite Networks to make up a single audience for a specific test.
Use when you want to...
  • Locate participants who are hard to find.
  • Run longitudinal studies (e.g., diary studies). 
  • Conduct a follow-up test, and you know of participants who would be an ideal fit to take that test.
  • Reuse participants who possess the domain and/or technical knowledge that would best serve your test objectives.

The same reasons are seen under "Favorite participants."
How do I access the feature and recruit/add participants?

Click the Favorite contributors button on the Select Audience page.
Screen_Shot_2022-10-02_at_10.38.26_PM.png

Add new participants to a Favorite network at the Session page for a specific test. See here for instructions. 

 Click the Specific contributors button on the Select Audience page (see image).

Note: The Fuel Cycle community option is at the bottom of the Contributor network options list. Learn more about how to add the Fuel Cycle integration, and how to use Fuel Cycle community members to participate in a UserTesting test.

 

 

Browser extension and recorder

Invite Network contributors may be asked to install either a browser extension or a mobile/desktop app, depending on the type of test they are completing.

Browser extension: The main purpose of the extension is to track button clicks and page views on webpages. This data is what enables certain types of results and visualizations to be generated.

App (desktop or mobile): Beyond capturing clicks and page views, installing an app allows for full test recordings (including screen, microphone, and camera) when these are required.

For some test types, the extension or app may be optional, while for others it is required to ensure all expected data is captured. The table below outlines the details for each test type and what Invite Network contributors can expect.

Test type Audience Browser extension required? Mobile app required?
Survey UserTesting Network, Invite Network ❌ Optional
Interaction test UserTesting Network, Invite Network

✅

(UserTesting Browser Recorder Extension)

 ✅
Think-out-loud (classic) UserTesting Network

✅

(UserTesting Browser Recorder)

 ✅
Think-out-loud (classic) Invite Network

Optional

(Seamless recorder)

 ✅
Think-out-loud (new experience beta) UserTesting Network, Invite Network ✅ ✅
Live Conversation UserTesting Network, Invite Network

❌

(uses Zoom)

 ❌

 

 

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