> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.dscout.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.dscout.com/diary-studies/create-a-diary-study/test-a-diary-study.md). # Test a diary study Because a diary study can't be edited once it's launched, we strongly recommend testing it first. Testing lets you and up to four colleagues go through the study exactly as participants will—on a real device, in the real app—so you can catch confusing instructions, broken logic, and activities that ask for more than people can realistically deliver. A test runs for up to five days and can include up to five testers. All of the data testers create is deleted when the test ends, so your real study data stays clean. ### Before you start a test **To start a test, your study must:** * **Pass all launch validations.** If something's unresolved, clicking **Test study** shows you the unmet requirements instead of starting the test. * **Not have an uploaded consent form.** You can't test a study with an uploaded consent form attached. Remove it to run your test, then re-upload it before you launch. For more information, see [Add informed consent to a diary study](/diary-studies/create-a-diary-study/add-informed-consent-to-a-diary-study.md). **To take part, each tester must:** * Have a Dscout account, or create one from the email invitation. * Have the Dscout mobile app for mobile activities, or a computer running Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge for desktop activities—the same requirements as real participants. {% hint style="info" %} **Note:** Testers won't have access to your project inside Dscout unless you also add them as project members. Being a tester only gives them the participant-side experience. {% endhint %} ### Start a test **To start a test:** {% stepper %} {% step %} On the **Setup** page, click **Test study** in the lower-right corner. A confirmation modal is displayed.
{% endstep %} {% step %} Click **Start Test**.
{% endstep %} {% step %} Enter the **First Name**, **Last Name**, and **Email** of each tester, up to five. Add yourself as one of them if you want to go through the study too.
{% endstep %} {% step %} (Optional) Edit the **Invitation Message** testers receive. {% endstep %} {% step %} Click **Add Testers**. {% endstep %} {% endstepper %} Now your study is in test mode. You'll see a **TEST** badge beside your study's title. At the bottom of the screen, you'll see how many days are left in the test as well as how many testers have been invited.
{% hint style="warning" %} **Important:** While a test is running, your study details and questions are **locked**—you can't edit them until the test ends. Exports are also unavailable during test mode. {% endhint %} Testers receive an email invitation. Ask them to check their spam and promotions folders if they don't see it. ### Add more testers You can add testers at any point during a test, up to the limit of five. **To add more testers:** {% stepper %} {% step %} On the **Setup** page, find the test status bar at the bottom of the screen. {% endstep %} {% step %} Click **x testers** to add more testers, then enter their **First Name**, **Last Name**, and **Email**.
{% endstep %} {% step %} Click **Add Testers**. {% endstep %} {% endstepper %} ### What testers experience Testers see what your participants will see, with one deliberate difference: **Every activity is open to testers from the start**, and they can complete them in any order—regardless of whether your **Activity availability** is set to manual or automatic. That's intentional, so a single tester can review the whole study without waiting. It does mean a test won't show you how activity release feels in practice. For more information, see [Manual vs. automatic diary studies](/diary-studies/what-are-diary-studies-in-dscout/understanding-manual-and-automatic-diary-studies.md). Everything else behaves normally: testers submit entries against your real questions, and those entries appear in your study while the test runs so you can see how the data comes through. Testers are also held to the same device requirements as participants: a mobile activity has to be completed in the mobile app, and a desktop activity on a computer running Chrome or Edge. For more information, see [Device options in a diary study](/diary-studies/what-are-diary-studies-in-dscout/device-options-in-a-diary-study.md). ### End a test A test ends automatically after five days, and Dscout emails you a reminder about a day before that happens. You can also end it yourself as soon as you've seen what you need. **To end a test:** {% stepper %} {% step %} On the **Setup** page, click **End Test** in the lower-right corner. A confirmation modal is displayed.
{% endstep %} {% step %} Click **End Test** to confirm. {% endstep %} {% endstepper %} Your study returns to draft, and you're free to make changes before launching. For more information, see [Launch a diary study](/diary-studies/manage-a-diary-study/launch-a-diary-study.md). {% hint style="warning" %} **Warning:** Ending a test resets more than the data. Make sure you've captured anything you want before you end it, and expect to redo a couple of setup steps afterward: * **All test entries are deleted.** There's no way to recover them, and they can't be exported after the fact. If there's anything in a test entry you want to keep, save it before you end the test—you can save media straight from the entry by right-clicking it. * **Every activity is returned to unpublished.** You'll need to publish them again before you can launch or open them to participants. * **Any participants you'd already added are reset to uninvited.** They aren't removed from your study, but you'll need to invite them again. {% endhint %} {% hint style="success" %} **Tip:** You can start and stop test mode as many times as you like before launching, so it's fine to test, fix something, and test again. {% endhint %} --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters: ``` GET https://help.dscout.com/diary-studies/create-a-diary-study/test-a-diary-study.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.