> 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/study-basics/question-types/question-settings-and-organization/question-stimuli.md).
# Question stimuli
Study type
Availability
Screeners (images only)
true
Usability tests
true
Media surveys
true
Intercept studies (images only)
true
AI moderated studies
true
Diary studies (images only)
true
You can attach images, videos, and GIFs to questions in your Dscout studies to gather participant feedback on visual assets, concepts, and more. When a question includes stimuli, participants must view all attachments before they can proceed. With video stimuli, participants must watch each clip in its entirety. You can also randomize stimuli to help prevent bias in your responses.
{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** This article covers question stimuli in unmoderated studies. For information on adding stimuli to a task question, see [Task questions](/study-basics/question-types/activity-questions/task-questions.md). For information on adding stimuli to an interview study, see [Add stimuli to an interview study](/interview-studies/create-an-interview-study/add-stimuli-to-an-interview-study.md).
{% endhint %}
### Stimuli limitations
When working with stimuli in Dscout, some limitations apply:
* Up to 5 pieces of stimuli can be added to a single question.
* Supported **image file types** include `.jpg` and `.png`.
* Supported **GIF and video file types** include `.gif`, `.mov`, `.mp4`, `.mpeg`, and `.webm` **(available on desktop usability tests, media surveys, and AI moderated studies only)**.
* Audio-only files (such as `.mp3` and `.wav`) aren’t supported. To share audio with participants, add your audio to a video file alongside a still image, then upload the video.
* Recommended maximum file size is **1 MB** (for images) and **250 MB** (for videos).
* **(Mobile)** Recommended file dimensions are 1080 x 1920 with a portrait aspect ratio.
* **(Desktop)** Recommended minimum width of 1300 pixels. (Lower resolutions may appear pixelated to participants.)
* Images are resized to fit within **4000 pixels** on their longest side. The resize is proportional, so avoid very tall or very wide images. An extremely long image ends up only a few hundred pixels across. Split long images into several separate pieces of stimuli instead.
* Stimuli is not available in Partner Panels screeners.
* Stimuli does not support text captions. If you’re designing for participants who use assistive technology, see [Inclusive research guidelines](/getting-started/research-basics/inclusive-research-guidelines.md).
### Add stimuli to a question
You’ll add stimuli at the question level. Once you’ve uploaded a piece of stimuli, you can attach it to additional questions in the builder without having to re-upload it.
{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** Stimuli cannot be added to card sort, tree testing, or screen recording questions. For information on adding stimuli to task questions, see [Task questions](/study-basics/question-types/activity-questions/task-questions.md).
{% endhint %}
{% stepper %}
{% step %}
Click the question in the builder. The question’s settings are displayed.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
Click **Add** or **+ Add stimuli**. The add stimuli modal is displayed.
**Screeners, usability tests, media surveys, intercept studies, and AI moderated studies:**
**Diary studies:**
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
Drag and drop files to upload them. Or, click to browse for files on your device. Uploaded files are displayed on the right of the modal.
{% hint style="success" %}
**Tip:** Files you’ve already uploaded are displayed on the right of the modal. You can select existing files here without re-uploading them.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
Choose the files to attach to your selected question. Use the checkboxes to the left of your stimuli. Your selections populate the question’s five allowed pieces of stimuli at the top of the modal.
{% hint style="success" %}
**Tip:** Click **Untitled image** to give your uploaded stimuli a participant-facing name. Participants will never see stimuli file names.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
Click **Insert** once you’ve finalized your selection.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}
Now, the selected stimuli is added to the question. When participants reach this point in your study, they’ll have to view all pieces of stimuli before they can provide a response or proceed to the next question in your study.
You can preview any stimuli by clicking on it in the builder:
{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** The thumbnails shown in the builder and on the question are smaller, compressed versions of your file. Participants see your full-resolution file when they expand it. If a thumbnail looks soft, check the expanded view before re-exporting your file.
{% endhint %}
To edit a question’s stimuli, simply return to the **add stimuli** modal from the builder.
### Videos and GIFs
{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** Video and GIF stimuli aren’t supported in:
* Studies set to **Mobile**.
* **Screener** questions.
* **Intercept studies**.
* **Diary studies**.
These study types and surfaces continue to support image stimuli (`.jpg` and `.png`).
{% endhint %}
You can attach GIFs and videos to questions in **usability tests** and **media surveys** that are set to **Desktop**, and in **AI moderated studies**. Supported file types are `.gif`, `.mov`, `.mp4`, `.mpeg`, and `.webm`. You’ll add them exactly the way you add images, following the steps above.
Videos and GIFs count toward the same five-stimuli-per-question limit as images, and you can mix them with images on the same question.
{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** We recommend keeping video files under **250 MB**. There’s no limit on video length, but remember that participants have to watch each video all the way through before they can respond. Longer videos add to the time your study takes to complete.
{% endhint %}
#### What participants see
In studies that include videos or GIFs:
* **GIFs** behave like images. Participants open the GIF to mark it as viewed, and it counts as viewed as soon as they open it.
* **Videos** open in a player, begin playing automatically, and include standard playback controls. Participants must watch the video to the end before they can respond or move on. If they close the player before the video finishes, they’ll see **Please watch the full video before proceeding**.
* Zoom and pan controls aren’t available on video stimuli.
* If a video can’t be loaded for a participant, they’ll see **This video couldn’t be loaded. You can continue without it** and won’t be blocked from responding.
#### Before you launch
Videos need to finish processing before your study can launch. If you try to launch while a video is still uploading or processing, launch is blocked with **Video upload in progress**. Wait for processing to finish and try again. The launch check refreshes on its own once the video is ready.
### Display or hide stimuli titles to participants
Depending on your research needs, you may not want your participants to see the titles you give your stimuli. Titles are displayed by default, but you can control this from the builder using the **Hide titles** and **Show image titles to Scouts** toggles:
**Screeners, usability tests, media surveys, intercept studies, and AI moderated studies:**
**Diary studies:**
### Randomize stimuli
To avoid bias, you can randomize stimuli at the question level. This presents any stimuli attached to that question to each participant in a random order. During analysis, you’ll be able to see the order in which each participant saw your stimuli from the **Participants** view.
{% hint style="warning" %}
**Warning:** Changing this setting on a launched screener or study will create a new version of the associated question during analysis. For more information, see [Edit a launched screener or study](/study-basics/edit-close-or-relaunch-studies/edit-a-launched-screener-or-study.md).
{% endhint %}
{% stepper %}
{% step %}
Click the question in the builder. The question’s settings are displayed.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
Set the **Stimuli randomization** toggle to **ON**.
**Screeners, usability tests, media surveys, intercept studies, and AI moderated studies:**
**Diary studies:**
{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** This setting is only displayed when two or more pieces of stim are added to a question.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}
Now, the stimuli for that question will be displayed to participants in a random order. To display stimuli to participants in the order they appear in the builder, set this toggle to **OFF**.
{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** Stimuli will not be randomized when previewing your study. However, stimuli will be randomized when viewing your study in test mode.
{% endhint %}
Questions with stimuli randomization enabled show a chip letting you know:
### Download stimuli
You can download stimuli that’s been added to your study directly from the builder. This is helpful if another researcher uploaded stimuli but you want to keep a copy handy for yourself.
{% stepper %}
{% step %}
Click **Add** or **+ Add stimuli** on any question in your study. The add stimuli modal is displayed.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
Click the **Download** icon beside any piece of stim. Or, click **Download all** to download everything that’s been added to the study.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}
Now, stimuli downloaded individually is automatically saved wherever your device stores downloaded files. If you download all stimuli at once, a progress bar is displayed at the top of the builder. When prompted, click **Download** to download a ZIP file of all your study’s stimuli.
### Troubleshooting
Stimuli looks blurry or pixelated to participants
This is almost always an image dimensions issue rather than a file size or file type issue.
Images are resized to fit within 4000 pixels on their longest side, and that resize is proportional. An image that’s very tall or very wide therefore ends up far narrower than you’d expect. A 750 x 15,000 pixel image is scaled down to roughly 190 pixels across, then stretched back up to fill the participant’s screen.
**To fix it:**
* Split long images into several separate pieces of stimuli, and attach each one to the question (up to 5).
* Aim for an aspect ratio close to the device your participants are using: 9:16 for mobile, landscape for desktop.
* Confirm you’re meeting the recommended minimum width of 1300 pixels on desktop.
Re-exporting the same image at a higher resolution or a different file type won’t help if the aspect ratio is the cause.
Stimuli looks lower quality in the builder than the original file
The thumbnails in the builder and on the question are smaller, compressed versions of your file, generated when you upload it. They’re meant for quick reference, not for judging quality.
Click the stimuli to expand it. The expanded view uses your full-resolution file, and that’s what participants see when they open it. If the expanded view looks right, your stimuli is fine.
You can’t upload a video or GIF
Check each of the following:
* Your study is a **usability test** or **media survey** set to **Desktop**, or an **AI moderated study**. Video and GIF stimuli aren’t supported on mobile studies, screener questions, intercept studies, or diary studies.
* Your file is a `.gif`, `.mov`, `.mp4`, `.mpeg`, or `.webm`. Audio-only files aren’t supported.
* You’re adding the stimuli to a question on the study itself, not to a screener question.
Your study won’t launch after you add a video
If launch is blocked with **Video upload in progress**, your video is still processing. Wait for it to finish and try again. The launch check refreshes on its own once the video is ready. Large files take longer, which is one reason we recommend staying under 250 MB.
A participant says a video won’t play
Participants who can’t load a video see **This video couldn’t be loaded. You can continue without it**, and they aren’t blocked from responding. A failed video won’t stall their session.
If this is happening to more than one participant, re-upload the video as an `.mp4` and confirm the new file plays in your study preview.
---
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