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Your question guide controls everything the AI moderator says and shows during an interview. You can build one from a blank slate, import a guide you’ve already written, or let Strella’s AI draft it for you based on your research goals. Once the guide is created, you can refine every section, question, and element before you go live.

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1. Starting Your Question Guide

Choose the creation method that fits your workflow best.
1

Open the Question Guide tab

Navigate to your project in Strella and click the Question Guide tab.
2

Choose how to create your guide

You have three options:
  • Start from Scratch — Begin with a blank guide and build every section and question manually.
  • Paste an Existing Guide — Copy and paste a pre-written question guide. Strella will parse it and draft a structured guide automatically.
  • Generate with AI — Let Strella draft a complete guide based on your research objectives. This is the fastest way to get started.
3

If using Generate with AI: select an interview type

Pick the type of interview that best matches your goals:
4

Confirm your research objectives

Strella will propose a set of research objectives based on your chosen interview type. Review them, make any edits, then click Submit. The more accurate your objectives, the better the AI-generated guide will be.
5

Review the generated guide

Strella drafts a structured guide with sections and questions. Use the sections below to refine it before publishing.

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2. Enhancing Your Question Guide

Once your guide is drafted, you can reorganize it, remove unnecessary steps, and add powerful AI-driven follow-ups.

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Re-ordering and Deleting Sections

  • Re-order: Click and hold a section title, then drag and drop it to the desired position.
  • Delete: Hover over a section until the three-dot menu appears to the right of the title, click it, and select Delete. The entire section and all its questions will be removed.
Deleting a section removes all questions and elements inside it. This action cannot be undone, so double-check before deleting.

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Re-ordering and Deleting Questions

  • Re-order: Click and hold a question, then drag and drop it to its new position within the section.
  • Delete: Hover over a question until the three-dot menu appears, click it, and select Delete.

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Dynamic Follow-Up Questions

Dynamic follow-ups allow the AI moderator to ask relevant probing questions based on exactly what each participant says—so no two interviews are identical. When you generate a guide with AI, Strella automatically enables dynamic follow-ups on the questions most important to your research goals. A comment bubble icon on the right side of a question indicates that dynamic follow-ups are active for that question. To turn dynamic follow-ups on or off:
1

Click the question text

Select the question in the left panel to open its settings in the right-hand panel.
2

Toggle Dynamic follow-ups

Switch the Dynamic follow-ups toggle on or off.
3

Set follow-up depth (optional)

Adjust the depth slider to control how many follow-up questions the AI moderator can ask before moving on.
4

Add follow-up instructions (optional)

Enter context or guidance for the moderator in the Follow-up instructions for moderator text box. For example: “Focus on emotional reactions rather than functional descriptions.”
Use follow-up instructions to steer the AI moderator toward the specific themes or behaviors you care most about—without locking the conversation into rigid scripts.

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Adding Question Guide Elements

To add a new element anywhere in your guide, scroll to the bottom of the left panel and click Add a step. A menu of all available element types will appear—click the one you want to insert.

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3. Understanding Question Guide Elements

Your guide can include a mix of the following element types. Each one shapes how the AI moderator interacts with participants.
What it is: An open-ended question that invites participants to answer in their own words. The AI moderator asks the question and listens, then uses any dynamic follow-up instructions you’ve set to probe deeper.When to use it✅ When you need qualitative insights, opinions, or personal stories.✅ When you want to understand the “why” behind a behaviour or attitude.Best practices👍 Ask one clear question at a time—avoid compound questions.👍 Avoid leading language that signals a “right” answer.Example
Can you describe a time when you struggled to complete a purchase online?
What it is: An action prompt that asks participants to do something—navigate a site, test a feature, or complete a scenario. The AI moderator reads the instructions and waits for the participant to confirm completion before continuing.When to use it✅ Usability testing or interactive exercises.✅ When you need participants to engage directly with a product or prototype.Best practices👍 Keep instructions short and unambiguous.👍 Set one task at a time to avoid overwhelming participants.👍 Follow up with an open question to capture what the participant noticed or felt.Example
Use the search function and try to find the customer support contact details.
What it is: A piece of information the AI moderator reads aloud to the participant—no response is required. Use it to set context, give instructions, or transition between sections.When to use it✅ To provide background or framing before a question or task.✅ To ensure clarity in multi-step or complex flows.Best practices👍 Keep statements brief—long blocks of text lose participant attention.👍 Use only when necessary to avoid disrupting the interview’s natural rhythm.👍 Write in a natural, conversational tone.Example
Open the link and take a moment to review the page without clicking on anything.
What it is: A question with predefined answer options. Participants select one or more choices, giving you structured, quantifiable data alongside your qualitative responses.When to use it✅ When gathering structured responses that can be analyzed quantitatively.✅ For screener-style questions embedded mid-interview (also enables conditional logic downstream).Best practices👍 Limit the number of options to avoid overwhelming participants.👍 Make answer choices mutually exclusive when using single-select.👍 Keep the question itself concise.Example
How often do you shop online?
  • Daily
  • Weekly
  • Monthly
  • Rarely
What it is: A question that asks participants to drag and reorder a list of items by preference or importance. The AI moderator presents the list on screen.When to use it✅ To understand relative priority or preference among a set of options.✅ When the items have meaningful differences in importance to participants.Best practices👍 Keep lists manageable—aim for 3–7 items.👍 Ensure the items are genuinely comparable.👍 Follow up with an open question to understand the reasoning behind the ranking.Example
Prioritize these app features in order of importance to you.
  • Dark mode
  • Offline access
  • Faster load times
  • Auto-save
What it is: A structural divider that groups related questions or elements under a common heading. The AI moderator reads the section title aloud when transitioning, so it acts as a natural signal to participants that a new topic is beginning.When to use it✅ To separate distinct topics for clarity in longer guides.✅ To improve pacing and flow.Best practices👍 Write section titles that are clear and descriptive—they will be read aloud.👍 Avoid jargon or technical terms that might confuse participants.👍 Use sections sparingly; too many can fragment the conversation.
What it is: An interactive Figma prototype embedded directly in the interview. Participants can click through your design mockup while the AI moderator prompts them and asks follow-up questions.When to use it✅ UI/UX usability testing and design feedback.✅ Concept validation before development begins.Best practices👍 Ensure the prototype is set to public or anyone with the link can view in Figma.👍 Provide a clear task so participants know what they should do in the prototype.👍 Add a follow-up open question to capture qualitative reactions.Example
Navigate to the checkout flow and note any points of confusion.
What it is: Custom content—such as a third-party widget, a survey form, or an instructional video—displayed directly inside the interview screen. The AI moderator shows the content before asking follow-up questions.When to use it✅ When you need participants to react to custom or proprietary content.✅ To present content types that aren’t covered by the Image or Video element.Best practices👍 Provide a brief verbal context so participants know what they are looking at.👍 Follow up with a question to capture their reaction.Example
Watch this instructional video and describe your initial reaction.
What it is: A static image displayed on screen for participants to review. Use it to show logos, wireframes, ad concepts, product packaging, or any other visual stimulus.When to use it✅ When you need direct visual feedback.✅ To present a concept, wireframe, or design for reaction.Best practices👍 Use high-resolution images so details are clear on screen.👍 Provide context so participants know what they are looking at.👍 Follow up with an open question to capture their impressions.Example
Look at this new logo concept and describe your initial impressions.

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4. Getting Suggestions

After you finish building your guide, run Strella’s built-in suggestions to catch common issues before you launch.
1

Click Suggestions

In the top-right corner of the Question Guide view, click Suggestions. Strella will analyze your guide.
2

Review the suggestions

A panel on the right side of the screen lists any recommendations. Common suggestion types include:
  • Avoid leading questions
  • Ensure a media element is placed before a related task or question
  • Focus a question on observable behaviour rather than hypothetical feelings
  • Avoid hypothetical questions
3

Navigate to the flagged element

Click any suggestion to jump directly to the question or element it refers to.
4

Revise and mark complete

Update the element as needed, then mark the suggestion as complete to track your progress.
You don’t have to act on every suggestion—use your judgment. Suggestions are recommendations, not requirements.