Live Conversation: New experience

This article applies to: UserTesting 

On this page:

Next Gen vs. Classic: What's changed

Create a Live Conversation

Follow these steps to create your Live Conversation session:

Create your session 

1. From your dashboard, click Create test
2. Select Live Conversation

3. Add your session details:

   • Enter a name
   • Select the device participants will use
   • Choose the language

   Note: Transcripts will be generated in the selected language.
   
   

4. Click Create

Add participants

Add participants to your Live Conversation by selecting or creating an audience.

1. Open the Audience tab 
   • Go to the Audience tab 
   • Click Add audience
     
      
2. Choose your audience
   
3. Set up your audience
   • Choose your audience criteria
   • Add or customize screeners
   • Select the number of participants
   • Set confidentiality terms

Schedule sessions

Schedule your Live Conversation sessions by setting availability and selecting time slots.

1. Open the Scheduler tab
   • Go to the Scheduler tab
     
      
2. Set your availability
   • Set the date and time range
   • Add availability by clicking or dragging on the calendar
     
     Tip: Make sure your availability aligns with your participants’ time zones.
     
      
3. Configure session settings
   • Adjust the session length
   • Add buffer time between sessions
   • Set booking preferences as needed
4. Review and confirm
   • Click Review

   • Confirm your session schedule

      

Launch and share 

Launch your Live Conversation and share session links with participants.

1. Review your session setup
   • Go to Review tab
   • Confirm your test details, availability, and audience
     
     
      
2. Launch your session
   • Click Launch and get links
   • If prompted, adjust audience settings as needed
3. Share session links
   • Copy the session links
   • Send them to your participants

Note: You can also access and manage session links from the Monitor tab after launching.
 

Handle unscheduled sessions

Use unscheduled sessions to start a session immediately without scheduling in advance.

Note: Unscheduled sessions are only available when using the Invite Network with participants. If there is an upcoming scheduled session, you can switch to it from the session lobby by clicking Switch Session.
 

1. Start an unscheduled session
   • Go to the Monitor tab 
   • Click Start an unscheduled session
     
      
2. Share the session link
   • Copy the session link 
   • Send it to your participant 
3.  Begin the session
   • Once both you and the participant join, the session will begin automatically
     
      

Manage notifications

Participants receive notifications and reminders based on the session schedule.

Note: Notifications are sent for key session events, including:

• When sessions are scheduled or updated 
• Session reminders before the session begins 
• Updates when sessions are booked or changed

Join a session

Participants can join a session using the link shared with them.

• Open the session link
• Follow the on-screen prompts to join
• Ensure your device, camera, and microphone are set up before joining

Reschedule a session

• Rescheduling lets you move a scheduled Live Conversation session to a new time with the same participant, directly from the Scheduler/Calendar. 
• The system cancels the original session, holds the quota slot, emails the participant a link to pick a new time, and confirms the new session automatically once they do.
• There are two ways to initiate a reschedule:
  • In your Live Conversation test
  • In the Confirmed session email, use the Reschedule link found in your confirmation email.

To reschedule a session, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Scheduler/Calendar and find the session you want to reschedule.
2. Click the Reschedule button on the session.
   
3. Review the reschedule modal and confirm that your availability is sufficient. If you don't have enough availability, the modal will tell you exactly how much you need to add. See the note below.
4. Submit the reschedule request. 
   
   The original session is canceled immediately, and a Pending Reschedule banner appears on the Scheduler tab.
   
5. Your participant receives an email with a link to pick a new time. Once they select a slot, you'll get a confirmation email with the new session details and a calendar invite.
   

Important: The Reschedule button is disabled within 10 minutes of a session's start time. If the button is unavailable, a message will explain why.

What to do if you don't have enough availability 

If your current availability isn't sufficient, the reschedule modal will block you from submitting and show you exactly how much availability you need to add. 

To add more availability, follow these steps:

1. Close the reschedule modal.
2. Pause your test.
3. Add availability to meet the required amount.
4. Resume your test.
5. Return to the Scheduler/Calendar and re-initiate the reschedule from the session.
    

Rescheduling is with the same participant only

• In Live Conversations, rescheduling keeps your original participant. 
• There's no option to swap to a new participant. This is intentional: most reschedules are due to a timing conflict, not a change in who you want to talk to.
• If you need a different participant, cancel the session instead. 
• Your quota slot will be released, and you will automatically re-enter  (UserTesting Network), or you can invite a new participant (Invite Network).
   

What happens after you reschedule

• Immediately after submitting: You'll receive a confirmation email with session details and an ICS Calendar event that removes the original session from your calendar.
  
• When your participant confirms a new time: You'll receive another email with the new session time and a new calendar invite.
  
• If your participant hasn't responded after 24 hours, they'll automatically receive a single reminder email. No further reminders are sent after that.
   

Tip: You can check the status of a pending reschedule at any time from the Pending Reschedule banner on the Scheduler tab. 
 

How to cancel a pending reschedule

If you change your mind after submitting a reschedule, you can cancel it at any time using the Cancel action in the Pending Reschedule banner on the Scheduler tab.

When you cancel a pending reschedule:

• The quota hold is released, and new participants can join the test.
• Your participant is notified automatically, and their reschedule link is immediately invalidated.
   

Frequently asked questions

Can I reschedule with a different participant?
No. Rescheduling is with the same participant only. If you no longer want your existing participant, cancel the session instead. Your quota slot will be released and re-enter recruitment automatically (UT Network) or you can invite a new participant (Invite Network).
 

What happens to my original session when I reschedule?
The original session is canceled and removed from the Scheduler/Calendar immediately. A Pending Reschedule banner appears on the Scheduler tab, and you'll receive a confirmation email and an ICS file removing the session from your calendar.
 

What if I don't have enough availability when I try to reschedule?
The reschedule modal will show you exactly how much availability you need to add and won't let you submit until that requirement is met. Pause your test, add availability, resume it, then re-initiate the reschedule from the Scheduler/Calendar.
 

When can I reschedule a session with a participant?
You can reschedule any scheduled session up until 10 minutes before the session time. After that, the Reschedule button is disabled.
 

What if my participant doesn't respond?
A single reminder email is sent to your participant 24 hours after the reschedule request. No further reminders are sent. You can cancel the pending reschedule from the Scheduler tab banner at any time.
 

Is there a guarantee my participant will accept the new time?
No. For UserTesting Network sessions, there's no guarantee your participant will be available for the new time. This is clearly communicated in the reschedule modal before you submit.



 

Cancel a session

1. Go to the Scheduler tab
2. Select the session and click Cancel session
   Participants will receive a notification confirming the cancellation.

Handle no-shows

Participants are marked as a no-show if they do not join the session within 10 minutes of the scheduled start time.

• If a participant does not join within 10 minutes, the session is marked as a no-show
• If you are more than 10 minutes late, you may also be marked as a no-show
• If the session is ended after the participant enters but does not join, it may be marked as complete

Note: You may be charged for no-show sessions. Contact support if you need assistance.

Important: If a participant enters the lobby but does not join and you end the session, it will be marked as complete. To request a refund, you’ll need to report a problem.

Participant payments

The following table outlines how sessions are charged based on different scenarios.
 

Track participant progress

After launching your session, you can monitor participant activity from the Monitor tab.

• View session status, including scheduled, in progress, and completed sessions
• Track participant progress and identify where participants may drop off
  
  
  

View and export results

After your session is complete, you can review recordings and export session data from the Results tab.

1. Open the Results tab
   • Go to the Results tab
   • Select the session you want to review
     

2. Review session recordings

   • Click a recording to watch the session 

   • View transcripts and summaries to understand participant feedback
      

3. Take action on recordings

   • Click the Actions (...) menu to:

     • Share recordings
     • Download videos for offline viewing
     • Download transcripts for analysis or documentation
     • Mark sessions as viewed
     • Report a problem if there are issues with the recording
       
4. In the video recording, you see an AI-generated summary of the session, the ability to generate clips, search the transcript, create highlight reels, and more. 
    

Export the data

1. Click Export in the Results tab
   • Choose the data you want to download, such as:

     • Participant ID 

     • Session status 

     • Study time 

     • Start and end times 

     • Transcripts 

     • Audience name

Manage your session after launch

After launching your session, you can pause it or make limited updates as needed.

 Note: When a test is paused, participants cannot join scheduled or unscheduled sessions because the test is offline. Be sure to resume the test before any upcoming sessions to avoid no-shows.

1. Pause your session
   • Go to the Monitor tab
   • Click the Actions (...)menu
   • Select Pause test and confirm
     
     
2. Resume your session
   • Go to the Review tab
   • Click Resume test
3. Make updates after launch
   You can make limited changes after launching
   • Audience: Update audience details and recruitment criteria (applies to new participants)
   • Scheduler: Adjust availability and time slots (applies to future sessions)

Note: Changes made after launch do not affect participants who have already joined or completed sessions.

FAQs

Are observers and co-moderators (note-takers) hidden in this version?

• Observers are hidden and can watch the session without being visible to participants
• Co-moderators are not hidden and join the session like moderators and participants

Co-moderators can:

• Turn their camera and microphone on or off

• Participate in chat
• Share their screen
• Speak during the session

Note: A dedicated note-taker role is not currently supported in this version.
 

What happens when a Live Conversation is paused?

• Recruitment is paused and new sessions cannot be booked
• Ongoing sessions are stopped
• Participants cannot access the study

Which Zoom license does UserTesting use for Live Conversations?

UserTesting uses a Zoom API Partner account.

 
 

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