> 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/recruit-participants/working-with-participants/best-practices-for-inviting-external-participants.md). # Best practices for inviting external participants When inviting your own participants to Dscout, we have some guidelines and best practices to make their onboarding as smooth as possible. When inviting participants via webpage, participants **will not be required to create a** **Dscout** **account**. They will only need to supply their name, email address, and agree to Dscout's [**Scout Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy**](https://dscout.com/legal/scout-terms). ## Related articles ### Screeners * [Screener webpages](/recruit-participants/what-are-dscout-screeners/screener-webpages.md) * [Private Screener Onboarding Flow for First-Time Scouts](/recruit-participants/what-are-dscout-screeners/screener-flow-for-bring-your-own-participants.md) ### Diary studies * [Inviting first-time scouts to a Diary study](/diary-studies/manage-a-diary-study/inviting-first-time-participants-to-a-diary-mission.md) * [Diary webpages](/diary-studies/what-are-diary-studies-in-dscout/diary-webpages.md) * [Diary Study Onboarding Flow for First-Time Scouts - Scout Profile Required](/diary-studies/manage-a-diary-study/diary-mission-onboarding-flow-for-first-time-participants-profile-required.md) * [Diary Study Onboarding Flow for First-Time Scouts - Scout Profile Not Required](/diary-studies/manage-a-diary-study/diary-mission-onboarding-flow-for-first-time-participants-profile-not-required.md) ### Interview studies * [Enable a webpage for an interview study](/interview-studies/create-an-interview-study/enable-a-webpage-for-an-interview-study.md) * [First-time participant flow in a mobile interview study](/interview-studies/manage-an-interview-study/first-time-participant-flow-in-a-mobile-interview-study.md) * [First-time participant flow in a desktop interview study](/interview-studies/manage-an-interview-study/first-time-participant-flow-in-a-desktop-interview-study.md) ### Usability tests and media surveys * [Bring your own (BYO) participants FAQ](/recruit-participants/bring-your-own-byo-participants-faq.md) * [Participant flow in a usability test](/usability-tests/manage-a-usability-test/participant-flow-in-a-usability-test.md) * [Participant flow in a media survey](/media-surveys/manage-a-media-survey/participant-flow-in-a-media-survey.md) ## Related Articles for Participants * [Participating in Diary studies](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/search/click?data=BAh7DjoHaWRsKwiU5qnBcCA6D2FjY291bnRfaWRpA2LNkDoJdHlwZUkiDGFydGljbGUGOgZFVDoIdXJsSSJoaHR0cHM6Ly9wYXJ0aWNpcGFudGhlbHAuZHNjb3V0LmNvbS9oYy9lbi11cy9hcnRpY2xlcy8zNTY2ODY1NzU2MzI4NC1QYXJ0aWNpcGF0aW5nLWluLURpYXJ5LW1pc3Npb25zBjsIVDoOc2VhcmNoX2lkSSIpZTcwNDYyYTQtNDlmMy00ZjFiLTk1ZDQtYTIyOThmMzk0ZWE1BjsIRjoJcmFua2kGOgtsb2NhbGVJIgplbi11cwY7CFQ6CnF1ZXJ5SSIicGFydGljaXBhdGUgaW4gZGlhcnkgbWlzc2lvbnMGOwhUOhJyZXN1bHRzX2NvdW50aSI%3D--003a2065cd7d57f82248d088c0e8e0db7a439546) * [Participating in interview studies](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/articles/35669420294676-Participating-in-Live-missions) * [Participating in Express missions](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/articles/35669655437460-Participating-in-Express-missions) * [Receiving your reward](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/articles/35730442464660-Receiving-your-reward) * [How to create a PayPal account](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/articles/35730776426900-How-to-create-a-PayPal-account) * [How to add your PayPal email address to your Dscout account](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/articles/35730750753044-How-to-add-your-PayPal-email-address-to-your-Dscout-account) * [Add an alias to your PayPal](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/articles/35730859996564-Adding-an-alias-to-your-PayPal) ## Best practices * **Gauge interest + over-recruit -** If you’ve already recruited or gauged interest from a listserv, we typically see somewhere around \~30-40% drop-off, so make sure to over-recruit to account for this! We always recommend gauging interest or recruiting first, because when it comes to sending a mission invitation straight to a listserv, we see drop-off closer to 90-95%! ***Note:** if you can ask about willingness to share selfie photos/videos + willingness to download the Dscout app at the screener stage, that can help improve participation!* * **Send an email from a familiar address with details on what to expect -** sending it from a familiar address, whether that’s the recruiter or the client, will improve participation. See a sample email template for what details to include below. * **Customize your mission invite message -** this will be the first information participants see from Dscout, so make sure your invite message includes key details about your project like the overall objective of the study, deadlines, length of study, and incentive! * **Tell participants to allow or add to their email contacts -** making sure participant email clients don’t block or send critical Dscout emails to spam will help everyone stay on top of comms. ## Email copy ### Screeners *Hello,* *I hope this message finds you well. We are reaching out to invite you to participate in a research study to gain deeper insights into **\[INSERT RESEARCH STUDY TOPIC]**.* *In order to capture this information, we are partnering with a platform called Dscout. To start, we’d love to invite you to apply to the study to see if you are a good fit.* *Click here **\[INSERT LINK]** to access the application and create your Dscout account. Add your name and email address, and agree to the Dscout terms and conditions.* *You will then be able to fill out your responses to the application.* *If you are a good fit for the study, you can expect an invitation with additional information to follow.* *Have questions or need technical support? Take a look at this* [*Knowledge Base article about Applying on Dscout*](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/articles/35668107016340-Applying-to-missions)*. If you get stuck, reach out to the scout support team at* [***help@dscout.com***](mailto:help@dscout.com) *with a clear description of the problem. If you have any questions about the project itself, feel free to reach out to me at **\[INSERT EMAIL]**.* ### Diary #### Diary mobile mission *Hello,* *Thank you so much for agreeing to participate in this project!* *Over the next **\[INSERT TIMEFRAME]**, we are going to ask you to complete **\[XX NUMBER OF]** research activities so that we can learn **\[INSERT PROJECT OBJECTIVES]**. In order to capture this information, we are using a smartphone app called Dscout that will allow you to easily provide us with a glimpse into your life. In each research activity (what we’ll refer to as a "mission activity"), you will be asked to answer a set of questions and submit a photo and/or video of yourself.* *Click here **\[INSERT LINK]** to access the mission and create your Dscout account.* *Then, download the Dscout app onto your smartphone from* [***Google Play***](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vokal.dscout\&hl=en) *or the* [***App Store***](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dscout/id395563123?mt=8)*. Use the account information you just created to sign in.* *Once you log in to the Dscout app on your smartphone, look out for the **\[INSERT MISSION NAME]** mission on the 'Missions' tab, under the ‘Invites’ section, which contains additional details about the project.* *Accept the mission, read the instructions, and select 'new entry' so you can open the set of questions you will need to answer.* ***Payment information:** Dscout process payments through PayPal (more info* [*here*](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/articles/35730442464660-Receiving-your-reward)*). In order to receive your reward please make sure you create a PayPal account or use your PayPal email to sign up for Dscout. You can also add an alias to your PayPal account if you would prefer to sign up for Dscout with a different email.* *\*Please note: You must have an iPhone with iOS14+ or an Android phone with Oreo/8.0+ to download the Dscout app. Learn more about device compatibility* [*here*](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/articles/35668393762196-Minimum-device-requirements)*.* *Have questions or need technical support? Take a look at the* [*Dscout Diary help center*](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/categories/34520632367124-Diary-missions)*. If you get stuck, reach out to the scout support team at* [***help@dscout.com***](mailto:help@dscout.com) *with a clear description of the problem. If you have any questions about the project itself, feel free to reach out to me at **\[INSERT EMAIL]**.* #### Diary desktop mission *Hello,* *Thank you so much for agreeing to participate in this project!* *Over the next **\[INSERT TIMEFRAME]**, we are going to ask you to complete **\[XX NUMBER OF]** research activities so that we can learn **\[INSERT PROJECT OBJECTIVES]**. In order to capture this information, we are using a platform called Dscout that will allow you to easily provide us with a glimpse into your life. In each research activity (what we’ll refer to as a "mission activity"), you will be asked to answer a set of questions and submit a photo and/or video of yourself.* *Click here **\[INSERT LINK]** to access the mission and create your Dscout account.* *Then, download the* [*Dscout browser extension*](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/articles/35668866016916-Installing-the-Dscout-browser-extension) *and install it in your Chrome or Edge browser. Use the account information you just created to sign in.* *Once you have the Dscout browser extension installed, click the extension to open the window. Tap “Missions” and look out for **\[INSERT MISSION NAME]**.* *Accept the mission, read the instructions, and follow the prompts to complete your very first desktop entry.* ***Payment information:** Dscout process payments through PayPal (more info* [*here*](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/articles/35730442464660-Receiving-your-reward)*). In order to receive your reward please make sure you create a PayPal account or use your PayPal email to sign up for Dscout. You can also add an alias to your PayPal account if you would prefer to sign up for Dscout with a different email.* *Have questions or need technical support? Take a look at the* [*Dscout Diary help center*](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/categories/34520632367124-Diary-missions)*. If you get stuck, reach out to the scout support team at* [***help@dscout.com***](mailto:help@dscout.com) *with a clear description of the problem. If you have any questions about the project itself, feel free to reach out to me at **\[INSERT EMAIL]**.* ### Interview studies #### Mobile interview study *Hello,* *Thank you so much for agreeing to participate in this project!* *Over the next **\[INSERT TIMEFRAME]** we are going to ask you to complete an interview with us so that we can learn **\[INSERT PROJECT OBJECTIVES]**. In order to capture this information, we are using a smartphone app called Dscout that will allow you to easily provide us with a glimpse into your life.* *Click here **\[INSERT LINK]** to access the mission, create your Dscout account, and choose a time slot that works for your schedule.* *Then, download the Dscout app onto your smartphone from* [***Google Play***](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vokal.dscout\&hl=en) *or the* [***App Store***](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dscout/id395563123?mt=8)*. Use the account information you just created to sign in.* *Once you log in to the Dscout app on your smartphone, look out for the **\[INSERT MISSION NAME]** mission on the 'Missions' tab, under the ‘Invites’ section, which contains additional details about the project.* *Check out these* [***guidelines and walkthrough***](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/articles/35669283142036-Live-Mobile-Participation-Guidelines-Walkthrough) *at least 24 hours before your session. Then talk to a researcher one-on-one and get paid for your opinion.* ***Payment information:** Dscout process payments through PayPal (more info* [*here*](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/articles/35730442464660-Receiving-your-reward)*). In order to receive your reward please make sure you create a PayPal account or use your PayPal email to sign up for Dscout. You can also add an alias to your PayPal account if you would prefer to sign up for Dscout with a different email.* *\*Please note: You must have an iPhone with iOS14+ or an Android phone with Oreo/8.0+ to download the Dscout app. Learn more about device compatibility* [*here*](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/articles/35668393762196-Minimum-device-requirements)*.* *Have questions or need technical support? Take a look at the* [***Dscout Live help center***](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/categories/34520634103444-Live-missions)*. If you get stuck, reach out to the scout support team at* [***help@dscout.com***](mailto:help@dscout.com) *with a clear description of the problem. If you have any questions about the project itself, feel free to reach out to me at **\[INSERT EMAIL]**.* #### Desktop interview study *Hello,* *Thank you so much for agreeing to participate in this project!* *Over the next **\[INSERT TIMEFRAME]** we are going to ask you to complete an interview with us so that we can learn **\[INSERT PROJECT OBJECTIVES]**. In order to capture this information, we are using a platform called Dscout that will allow us to chat.* *Click here **\[INSERT LINK]** to access the mission, create your Dscout account, and choose a time slot that works for your schedule.* *Add **\*\*** to your email address book or allowlist so you can receive messages and reminders from your researcher.* *Make sure you have Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge installed on a computer with a microphone and a webcam. Download* [***here***](https://www.google.com/chrome/)*.* *Accept the mission and complete your interview pre-test by clicking on the session link in your invitation email. Follow the prompts there to test your connectivity, camera, microphone, and speakers to make sure your set-up is good to go for your call.* *Once you complete your tech check, schedule your session. If you don’t see this option, your mission leader will be in touch.* *Complete* [***this checklist***](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/articles/35669348346388-Your-Live-Desktop-To-Do-List) *at least 24 hours before your session. Then talk to a researcher one-on-one and get paid for your opinion.* ***Payment information:** Dscout process payments through PayPal (more info* [*here*](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/articles/35730442464660-Receiving-your-reward)*). In order to receive your reward please make sure you create a PayPal account or use your PayPal email to sign up for Dscout. You can also add an alias to your PayPal account if you would prefer to sign up for Dscout with a different email.* *Have questions or need technical support? Take a look at the* [***Dscout Live help center***](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/categories/34520634103444-Live-missions)*. If you get stuck, reach out to the scout support team at* [***help@dscout.com***](mailto:help@dscout.com) *with a clear description of the problem. If you have any questions about the project itself, feel free to reach out to me at **\[INSERT EMAIL]**.* #### Mobile usability test or media survey *Hello,* *Thank you so much for agreeing to participate in this project!* *Over the next **\[INSERT TIMEFRAME]**, we are going to invite you to participate in a research study so that we can learn **\[INSERT PROJECT OBJECTIVES]**. In order to capture this information, we are using a smartphone app called Dscout. In this study, you will be asked to answer a set of questions and may be asked to submit a photo and/or video.* *Click here **\[INSERT LINK]** to sign up and access the study.* *Then, download the Dscout app onto your smartphone from* [***Google Play***](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vokal.dscout\&hl=en) *or the* [***App Store***](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dscout/id395563123?mt=8)*. Use the account information you just created to sign in.* *Once you log in to the Dscout app on your smartphone, look out for the **\[INSERT MISSION NAME]** mission on the 'Missions' tab, under the ‘Invites’ section, which contains additional details about the project.* *Accept the mission, read the instructions, and get started.* *\*Please note: You must have an iPhone with iOS14+ or an Android phone with Oreo/8.0+ to download the Dscout app. Learn more about device compatibility* [*here*](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/articles/35668393762196-Minimum-device-requirements)*.* *Have questions or need technical support? Take a look at the* [***Dscout Express help center***](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/categories/34520645550484-Express-missions)*. If you get stuck, reach out to the scout support team at* [***help@dscout.com***](mailto:help@dscout.com) *with a clear description of the problem. If you have any questions about the project itself, feel free to reach out to me at **\[INSERT EMAIL]**.* #### Desktop usability test or media survey *Hello,* *Thank you so much for agreeing to participate in this project!* *Over the next **\[INSERT TIMEFRAME]**, we are going to ask you to complete **\[XX NUMBER OF]** research activities so that we can learn **\[INSERT PROJECT OBJECTIVES]**. In order to capture this information, we are using a platform called Dscout. In this study, you will be asked to answer a set of questions and may be asked to submit a photo and/or video.* *Click here **\[INSERT LINK]** to access the mission and create your Dscout account.* *Then, download the* [*Dscout browser extension*](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/articles/35668866016916-Installing-the-Dscout-browser-extension) *and install it in your Chrome or Edge browser. Use the account information you just created to sign in.* *Once you have the browser extension installed, click the extension to open the window. Tap “Missions” and look out for **\[INSERT MISSION NAME]**.* *Accept the mission, read the instructions, and get started.* *Have questions or need technical support? Take a look at the* [***Dscout Express help center***](https://participanthelp.dscout.com/hc/en-us/categories/34520645550484-Express-missions)*. If you get stuck, reach out to the scout support team at* [***help@dscout.com***](mailto:help@dscout.com) *with a clear description of the problem. If you have any questions about the project itself, feel free to reach out to me at **\[INSERT EMAIL]**.* --- # 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. 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