Live Conversation: New experience (beta)

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. Choose your session type: Scheduled or Instant

   NOTE: Both can be added to your test by selecting the + Add button in the Audience tab. You'll get both links, a session booking link and an instant session link from the same launch screen.

4. Set up your audience:

• Choose your audience criteria
• Add or customize screeners
• Select the number of participants
• Set confidentiality terms

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

1. Review your session setup
   • Go to the 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.

1. Start an Instant session
   • Go to the Monitor tab 
   • Click Run instant 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
     

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

1. There are several ways to join a session:
   • Join via the email notification, sent an hour before the scheduled start time
   • Go to the Scheduler page, select the session, and click Start session
   • Or by navigating to the Monitor tab and clicking the Join button in the Scheduled section of the Session list.
2. Follow the on-screen prompts to join
3. Ensure your device, camera, and microphone are set up before joining
    

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. Add availability to meet the required amount.
3. 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.
   

FAQ

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. Add availability, and 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.

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

• 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.

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

What is the Sessions List?

The Sessions List is a real-time view of all sessions in your study, located on the Monitor tab of your Live Conversation study. Sessions are organized by status, and each one shows only the actions that make sense for where it is in the process—so you always know what you can do next.

Finding the Sessions List

Open your Live Conversation study and go to the Monitor tab. The Sessions List appears there, organized into three tabs:

• Scheduled — sessions that are booked and upcoming.
• Follow up — sessions that need your attention, such as those waiting on a participant to confirm a new time.
• Completed — sessions that have finished.

Each row shows the participant, the session time, the duration, and the current status. Statuses update instantly as sessions are booked, rescheduled, or completed, so what you see is always current.

What you can do from the Sessions List

The Sessions List surfaces the right actions for each session based on its status. Common actions include:

• Join a session. Jump straight into your next session without hunting for the link.
• Reschedule a session. Move a session to a new time. Your change updates automatically everywhere it needs to, including your Scheduler Calendar.
• Cancel a session. If a participant can't make it, cancel with a confirmation step so nothing is cancelled by accident.
• Report a problem. If something went wrong during a session, flag it right from the list.
• Track and cancel pending reschedules. See which sessions are waiting on a participant to confirm a new time in the Follow up tab.

Good to know

• Reschedule and Cancel lock 10 minutes before a session starts. Within 10 minutes of the start time, these actions are disabled to protect sessions that are about to begin. This rule applies consistently across both the Sessions List and the Scheduler Calendar.
• Everything stays in sync. Any change you make in the Sessions List—rescheduling, cancelling, and more—is reflected the same way on your Scheduler Calendar, so your tools never fall out of step.

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

1. Pause your test
   • Go to the Monitor tab
   • Click the Actions (...)menu
   • Select Pause test and confirm
     
     
2. Resume your test
   • 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 Session settings (applies to new participants)

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