Managing your Custom Network: Best practices

Learn best practices for managing your Custom Network.

This article applies to: UserTesting 

On this page:

• About Custom Network
• Establish a consistent engagement cadence
• Communicate clearly and professionally
• Segment your contributors for better targeting
• Monitor and maintain data quality
• Maintain compliance and contributor trust
• Build long-term engagement strategies

 

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About Custom Network

• A custom network on UserTesting allows you to build and maintain your own network of contributors, ensuring that you get insights from the right audience every time you run a test.
• However, managing a custom network requires thoughtful engagement strategies to keep contributors active, motivated, and responsive.
• Here are some best practices to help you effectively manage your custom network.

 

 

Establish a consistent engagement cadence

• To maintain an engaged network, it’s important to reach out at the right frequency.
• Too many test invitations can overwhelm contributors, while too few can lead to disengagement.

Tips: 

• Conduct monthly check-ins to keep contributors aware of opportunities.
• Base invitations on contributor activity and availability, ensuring they’re not overburdened.
• Rotate participation to prevent overuse of the same contributors.

 

 

Communicate clearly and professionally

• Your contributors are a key part of your research success, so effective communication is essential.
• Set expectations upfront – Clearly outline what participants can expect, including the type of tests, estimated time commitment, and compensation.
• Personalize outreach – Address contributors by name and tailor messages based on their past participation.
• Provide timely reminders – Send follow-ups before and after tests to encourage participation and provide closure.

 

 

Segment your contributors for better targeting

• Not all contributors should receive the same invitations.
• Segmenting your network based on different factors can improve response rates and feedback quality.
• Engagement level – Identify highly active contributors versus those who need more encouragement.
• Demographics and expertise – Ensure that specific tests reach the right audience.
• Recency of participation – Rotate contributors to balance fresh perspectives with experienced testers.

 

 

Monitor and maintain data quality

To ensure your custom network remains reliable, implement quality control measures.

• Track contributor engagement and response quality over time.

• Remove inactive or low-quality contributors to maintain a strong network.

• Encourage honest feedback and discourage speeders or inattentive participants.

 

 

Maintain compliance and contributor trust

Ethical network management ensures that contributors feel valued and respected.

• Obtain clear consent for participation and data usage.

• Provide an easy way for contributors to opt-out at any time.

• Be transparent about how their feedback will be used.

 

 

Build long-term engagement strategies

Sustaining an active and engaged network requires ongoing efforts beyond individual tests.

• Send periodic thank-you messages or newsletters to keep contributors informed.

• Share high-level insights or impact stories from their contributions.

• Conduct satisfaction surveys to gather feedback on their experience with your network.

 

 

Related content

Want to learn more? Check out these Knowledge Base articles...  Custom Network: Overview Create a Custom Network Custom Network: FAQs Invite people to your Custom Network	Interested in growing your skills? Check out our University courses... Managing participants in a Custom Network Audience recruitment options with UserTesting
Need hands-on training? Find a live, virtual class that fits your needs. Enroll in one of our UserTesting certification programs.	Can't find your answer? Check out our CommUnity forums. Reach out to Support or our Professional Services team.