Learn how User Interviews uses time zones to schedule moderated sessions, and how to set yours so participants join at the right time.
This article is for all researchers (admins and users) who schedule moderated sessions, such as 1-on-1 interviews and focus groups, on any User Interviews plan.
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How time zones work
You set a time zone in two places: your account and each project.
| Account time zone | Project time zone | |
|---|---|---|
| What it controls | The working hours you use for smart availability in 1-on-1 interviews | The project calendar, the times your team views, and the times you add as manual time blocks |
| Where to find it | Account settings > Availability | Research design > Research activity > Availability, attendees and location |
| When you can change it | Anytime | Only while the project is a draft |
Participants view session times in their own time zone. Their time zone is based on the city on their participant profile.
For example, you're in San Francisco and set a session for 2 pm PT. A participant in New York views the same session as 5 pm ET.
Set your account time zone
- In the navigation bar, click your initials to open Account settings.
- Click the Availability tab.
- Under Timezone, select your time zone. If the field shows Select timezone..., you haven't set a time zone yet.
- Click Save. Your working hours now use this time zone.
You can set your time zone before you connect a calendar.
Your account time zone applies to smart availability. Smart availability uses your working hours and connected calendar to show participants when you're free. Learn more in Set smart availability or manual time block scheduling for your projects.
Set your project time zone
Set your project time zone before you launch. After launch, you can't change it yourself.
Check the project time zone on every new project, even if your account time zone is correct. A new project doesn't use your account time zone automatically. When you duplicate a project or use a project template, the copy keeps the time zone of the original. If a teammate in another time zone created the original, the copy uses their time zone.
- Open your draft project and go to Research design > Research activity.
- Under Availability, attendees and location, click Edit. The scheduling calendar opens.
- Open the time zone list on the calendar, and select your time zone. Time zones are listed by city with their offset, such as (-05:00) America/New York.
- Click Save before you close the drawer. If you close the drawer first, your changes aren't saved.
Choose a city that follows the same daylight saving time rules as your location. America/Phoenix and America/Denver are both in the list of US time zones, and they show the same offset for part of the year. Phoenix doesn't change for daylight saving time. If you choose it by mistake, your sessions are one hour off for part of the year.
Keep your account and project time zones the same
Use the same time zone for your account and your project. We convert times automatically, so participants always see the correct times in their own time zone. We don't show a warning when your account and project time zones are different. If they're different, these problems can happen:
- Your working hours look shifted. If your account uses PT and your project uses ET, your 9 am–5 pm working hours show as 12–8 pm on the project calendar.
- Manual time blocks use the project time zone. If you think in your own time zone while the project uses another one, each block you add is off by the difference.
Before you launch: Time zone checklist
- You checked the project time zone yourself. Don't assume the time zone already selected is correct.
- If you duplicated a project or used a template, you updated the time zone. The copy keeps the original project's time zone.
- Your project time zone matches your account time zone.
- Both match where the moderator will be during sessions. The moderator is usually the project owner.
- You chose a city that follows your daylight saving time rules.
- Any required attendees have their working hours set. Their working hours also limit when participants can book.
- You previewed your availability. In the scheduling drawer, open the Save menu and select Save and preview. The preview opens in a new tab.
Change your project time zone after launch
You can't change the project time zone after launch. To change it, contact our team.
Changing the time zone doesn't move confirmed participants to a new status or notify anyone. Each session keeps its clock time but shows in the new time zone. For example, a session at 2 pm ET shows as 2 pm PT. That's three hours later than the time your participant agreed to.
Confirmed participants stay confirmed on the same session. Before you ask us to change the time zone:
- Message each confirmed participant to tell them about the change. Learn how in How does the messages tool work?
- Reschedule anyone who can't make the new time. Cancellation fees may apply. Learn more in Cancel or reschedule a confirmed participant.
Troubleshoot time zone issues
A participant joined at the wrong time
The most common cause is the city on the participant's profile, which sets their time zone. This can happen when a participant moves and doesn't update their city. It can also happen when their time zone doesn't update correctly after they change their city. A difference of exactly one hour often points to daylight saving time.
- Message the participant and ask them to check that the city on their profile is where they live now.
- Confirm the session time with them, including the time zone. For example, "Your session is at 2 pm PT (5 pm ET)."
- If their city is correct but their session time still looks wrong, ask them to contact our support team.
We can't change the time zone for every participant in a project.
If the session time in User Interviews is correct but your own calendar shows a different time, check your calendar app. Moving an event in your calendar app doesn't change the session in User Interviews.
Your working hours look shifted on the project calendar
Your account and project time zones are probably different. We convert your working hours into the project time zone, so the times can look shifted. Participants still view the correct times. To avoid confusion, use the same time zone for both.
Proposed times don't match your availability
Participants can propose times between 7 am and 9 pm in the project time zone, Monday through Friday, at least 30 hours ahead. Learn more in How can participants propose alternate session times?
No times show for participants to book
Check your limits, such as the maximum sessions per day and the minimum scheduling notice. Learn more in What is the minimum scheduling notice and how can I change it?
Still need help? Contact our team.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Does a duplicated project keep the original time zone?
A: Yes, a duplicated project keeps the time zone of the original project. So does a project created from a template. Check and update the time zone before you launch the copy.
Q: Which time zone should I use if a collaborator moderates from another time zone?
A: Use the moderator's time zone. The moderator is usually the project owner, who then adds collaborators. If a collaborator in another time zone runs the sessions, set the project time zone to match their location.
Q: Can I change a participant's time zone?
A: No, you can't change a participant's time zone, and we can't set one time zone for every participant in a project. A participant's time zone is based on the city on their profile. If their time looks wrong, message them and ask them to check their city.
Q: Do participants get a calendar invitation?
A: Yes, participants get a calendar invitation for their session. If the time zone on their profile is wrong, the invitation shows the wrong time.
Q: Can a time block go past midnight?
A: No, a time block can't continue past midnight into the next day in the project time zone.
Q: Which time zone do scheduled Hub invitations use?
A: Scheduled invitations for Hub projects use the project time zone. Learn more in Schedule automated participant invitations for your Hub project.