FAQ

Getting Started

I'm not very technical. Can I still set this up?

Absolutely — no technical skills needed at all. The whole setup is designed to be simple and intuitive. If you can send an email, you can launch your first AI interview. Most people are up and running in under 10 minutes.

How long will it take to set up my first interview?

Just 5–10 minutes from start to finish. The AI Research Agent walks you through everything and even suggests your interview topics automatically, so you don't have to figure it all out on your own.

Can I run more than one interview project at a time?

Yes, you can! Run as many projects as you need simultaneously — one for churn research, another for concept testing, a third for post-release feedback. Each project stays neatly separate.

Do I need to start a new project every time I run a research campaign?

Not necessarily. If you're exploring the same topic with the same goals, you can keep using the same project. If your research question shifts (say, from churn to feature discovery), it's a good idea to create a new project so your data stays clean and easy to compare.

Can I see what the interview looks like before sending it to customers?

Yes — and we really encourage it! Just click your interview link and go through it as if you were a customer. You'll see exactly what they'll experience, and you can make any adjustments before sharing it widely.

Interview Formats & Customization

How long should my interview be?

10–15 minutes tends to be the sweet spot for most research goals. Shorter (5 minutes) is great for quick pulse checks or exit surveys. Longer (20–30 minutes) works well for deep discovery — just keep in mind that completion rates are a little lower for longer sessions.

Can I change the interview settings after it's been launched?

Once an interview is live, the settings are locked to keep your data consistent across all responses. If you need to make changes, just stop the current project and create a new one with the updated settings. It only takes a few minutes.

What languages can the AI Interviewer handle?

It supports 30+ languages. Customers can respond in whatever language feels natural to them, and you'll receive translated transcripts in your preferred language automatically.

Sharing & Distribution

Can I share the same link across different channels?

Yes — one link works everywhere. Email, in-app tooltips, social media, Slack, cancellation flows — wherever your customers are, the link will work.

How many people can use the same link?

As many as your plan allows. Everyone who clicks the link completes their own individual interview, so there's no limit to how many responses you can collect.

Does the interview link expire?

No — the link stays active until you decide to stop it. You're always in control of when new participants can join, and you can pause at any time while letting ongoing interviews finish.

Can I restrict who has access to the interview?

Right now, anyone with the link can access the interview. For targeted research, we recommend sharing the link only with your intended audience rather than posting it publicly — that way, you get the feedback from the right people.

What's the best way to invite customers to participate?

Context is everything. Reaching out at the right moment; right after someone cancels, just after onboarding, or immediately after using a new feature; can get you 3 to 5 times more responses than a generic feedback email. Here are a few examples that work well:

• In a cancellation flow: "Mind sharing why you're leaving?"
• After a new feature: "Just tried the new dashboard? Let us know what you think"
• After onboarding: "How was your setup experience?"

Incentives & Participation

Do I need to offer an incentive?

Not at all — it's completely optional. Many customers are happy to share their thoughts, especially when the interview is short, feels relevant, and they can see it might actually improve the product they use.

What kinds of incentives can I offer?

You can send Amazon gift cards directly through the platform, or you can promise discounts, free months, early feature access, or entry into a prize draw. Just make sure to follow through on whatever you offer — it goes a long way.

How much of an incentive is reasonable?

$5–$10 Amazon gift cards work nicely for 10–15 minute interviews. For longer sessions (30 minutes) or harder-to-reach audiences, $15–$25 is a good range. The key is matching the reward to the time you're asking for.

Data & Privacy

Is my interview data safe?

Yes — completely. The AI Interviewer is SOC 2 certified and GDPR compliant. All data is encrypted in transit and at rest, meeting enterprise-grade security standards.

Who can see the interview responses?

Only people with access to your Prelaunch.com account can view the data. Participants can't see each other's responses.

Can participants stay anonymous?

Yes. The interview doesn't ask for identifying information unless you specifically include a question for it. You can run fully anonymous research if that works better for your audience.

How long is my interview data stored?

Data retention depends on your account plan. Check your plan details or reach out to support@prelaunch.com and the team will be happy to clarify.

Results & Analysis

How quickly will I see results?

Immediately. As soon as a participant finishes their interview, the transcript, analysis, and themes show up in your dashboard. No waiting, no batch processing.

How many interviews do I need before the data means something?

Here's a helpful way to think about it:

• 5–10 interviews: Early directional signals
• 20–30 interviews: Patterns start becoming meaningful
• 50+ interviews: You can trust the trends
• 100+ interviews: High confidence, reliable data

We recommend running at least 20 before drawing conclusions.

What if all my interviews say completely different things?

That's actually useful! It might mean your audience is more diverse than you expected, or that your product serves several different use cases. It could also be a signal to segment your analysis by user type — or simply that you need a few more responses before patterns emerge. Aim for 20+ before looking for consensus.

Can I export my interview data?

Yes. You can export transcripts, saved quotes from your Notes, and analysis results. Check the export options in your dashboard.

What's the difference between themes and individual quotes?

Themes show you the big picture — patterns that appear across many interviews (e.g., "pricing concerns" mentioned by 40% of participants). Individual quotes are the specific words customers used that bring those themes to life. Start with themes to understand what's happening, then use quotes to add colour and context.

AI Analytics & Reals

How does the AI Analytics Chat work?

It reads through all your interview transcripts and lets you ask questions in plain language. Something like "What's the #1 reason users churn?" — and it'll search across every interview to give you a structured answer with supporting quotes. No coding, no spreadsheets.

What can I actually ask the AI Analytics Chat?

• Anything about your interview data. For example:
• "What features do users want most?"
• "Show me negative sentiment around pricing"
• "What did users say about onboarding?"
• "Find contradictions in the feedback"

Just type your question like you'd ask a colleague.

What are Reals and why should I use them?

Reals are short audio clips automatically created from the most meaningful moments in your interviews. They're perfect for sharing insights with teammates who won't read full transcripts, getting buy-in from stakeholders, or quickly aligning your team in a standup. No editing required — they're ready as soon as interviews are done.

Can I choose which moments become Reals?

Reals are generated automatically based on emotional significance and key insights. If there's a specific moment or quote you want to save, you can always add it to your Notes to highlight it for later.

Troubleshooting

It says "No interviews collected yet" — is something wrong?

Nothing's wrong at all! This just means your interview is live and ready, but no one has completed it yet. We recommend testing it yourself first, then sharing the link with your audience. Responses usually start coming in within a few hours for engaged users.

My completion rate is lower than I hoped. What can I do?

A few common reasons: the link was shared without much context, the interview felt too long, or the invitation was too generic. Try sharing the link at a natural moment of action (right after onboarding, a cancellation, or a feature use), shortening the interview if possible, making your invitation more personal, or adding a small incentive.

Can I edit an interview after it's been launched?

Not once it's live — settings are locked to keep responses consistent. But it's easy to start fresh: click "Stop Interviews," create a new project with your updated settings, and share the new link. It only takes a few minutes.

The AI Analytics Chat says it can't answer my question. Why?

A few possible reasons: there may not be enough completed interviews yet (try to have at least 5–10 before asking), the question might be too broad, or it covers a topic your interview didn't explore. Try rephrasing your question or waiting for a few more responses to come in.

What if a participant runs into a technical issue?

Just include your support email (support@hifrank.ai) in your interview invitation. The Prelaunch team can help troubleshoot or restart any failed interviews.