Advanced Targeting and User Interviews

On this page:

• Use Advanced Targeting in UserTesting
• Advanced Targeting vs. recruiting in User Interviews
• Choose the right recruitment workflow
• Participant experience
• Important considerations
• FAQ

Use Advanced Targeting in UserTesting

Before you begin:

• Advanced Targeting is available for eligible accounts only.
• Advanced Targeting currently supports US-based recruitment only.
• Only auto-sourced audiences are supported.

To use Advanced Targeting:

1. Create a study.
2. Go to the audience section.
   
   
    
3. Select an auto-sourced audience.
4. Turn on Advanced Targeting.
   
   
    

Once enabled:

Advanced Targeting employs sophisticated filtering criteria to connect with niche or hard-to-reach participants. This is separate from the standard criteria, which target the general population.

Available filter categories include:

• Personal
• Professional - including industry, seniority, company size, work setting, and more
• Products and services
• Technical

You can search across 40+ criteria and apply multiple selections.

Custom incentives can be added.




Participants are sourced through User Interviews.


 

Advanced Targeting vs. recruiting in User Interviews

Advanced Targeting lets you manage participant recruitment and testing entirely within UserTesting, rather than setting up a separate recruitment project in User Interviews. Here's how the two approaches compare:

Choose the right recruitment workflow

Use Advanced Targeting (via User Interviews) when you want to:

• See screener responses in the UserTesting results tab
• View participant demographics in the participant details modal
• Keep recruitment and testing in one workflow

Create your audience directly in User Interviews and use a UserTesting link when you want to:

• Manually approve participants before they take the study
• Run moderated research workflows

Participant experience

• Complete the study using the standard UserTesting experience 
• Have demographics displayed in participant details 
• Can still be assigned usernames

Important considerations

Advanced Targeting currently supports:

• US participants only
• Auto-approved audiences only

The following features are not currently supported:

• Live Conversation studies
• Specified audiences
• Non-US recruitment
• Manual incentive distribution
• Real-time screener response syncing

• In-product upgrade purchasing

   

FAQ

Is Advanced Targeting a new study type?

No. Advanced Targeting is an audience option available during study setup.

 

Can I offer custom participant incentives?

Yes. Advanced Targeting supports custom participant incentives.

 

How are participant incentives paid?

Incentive costs are deducted from your prepaid balance (PPB) at launch and reconciled once the study is closed. Participants are paid automatically 14 days after participation.



How does the prepaid balance work?

Incentive costs are deducted from your prepaid balance (PPB) at launch and reconciled once the study is closed. If your prepaid balance is insufficient at the time of recruitment, participant sourcing will pause until funds are added. To avoid interruptions, make sure your balance covers the total incentive cost shown during study setup before launching.If your balance runs low, recruitment may be interrupted. To top up your balance, reach out to your account manager.
 

What pricing information is displayed during setup?

During study setup, you'll see:

• Cost per participant 
• Total incentive cost 
• Handling fee 
• Your available prepaid balance
  
   

Are session credits still used?

Yes. Session credits still apply to premium audience studies.

 

How long does participant recruitment take? 

Recruitment timelines vary depending on your targeting criteria. Studies with broader criteria are typically fulfilled faster than highly specific ones. For estimated timelines based on your configuration, contact your account team.

 

What happens if my account does not have access?

Advanced Targeting options are only available to eligible accounts. If you see them locked during study setup, contact your account team for more information.

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