> 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/usability-tests/manage-a-usability-test/participant-flow-in-a-usability-test.md).
# Participant flow in a usability test
If you’re inviting your own participants to a study, you might be wondering what their experience will look like. This article outlines how things look from their perspective, including which emails and reminders they’ll receive.
## Begin a usability test
Depending on your study's **Participant sign-up** selection, the participant flow to begin a usability test looks slightly different:
{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Sign-up required" %}
If your study requires participant sign-up, here’s how participants will begin:
{% stepper %}
{% step %}
Access the study’s share link.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
Create a Dscout account.
Participants will provide their name and email, agree to Dscout’s [Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy](https://www.dscout.com/legal/scout-terms), and agree to share the above information with you (the researcher).
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
Read the study’s instructions. Then, click **Begin activity**.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
Complete the required hardware setup.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}
{% hint style="info" %}
If you chose not to require the Dscout Chrome extension for your study, this won’t show as a requirement for participants. For more information, see [Manage participant experience in a usability test](/usability-tests/create-a-usability-test/manage-participant-experience-in-a-usability-test.md).
{% endhint %}
Once the hardware check is complete, they’ll proceed to the first question of your study.
{% endtab %}
{% tab title="No sign-up required" %}
If your study doesn’t require participant sign-up, here’s how participants will begin:
{% stepper %}
{% step %}
Access the study’s share link.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
Read the study’s instructions. Then, click **Begin activity**.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
Complete the required hardware setup.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}
{% hint style="info" %}
If you chose not to require the Dscout Chrome extension for your study, this won’t show as a requirement for participants. For more information, see [Manage participant experience in a usability test](/usability-tests/create-a-usability-test/manage-participant-experience-in-a-usability-test.md).
{% endhint %}
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}
## Emails and notifications
{% hint style="warning" %}
If you choose to skip participant sign-up when building your study, your participants won’t receive any email notifications. You are responsible for inviting your participants and reminding them to complete their submissions. For more information, see [Manage participant experience in a usability test](/usability-tests/create-a-usability-test/manage-participant-experience-in-a-usability-test.md).
{% endhint %}
Over the course of a single usability test, participants receive various emails and reminders to ensure they complete your study on time. Select your study’s recruitment approach to view a list of what your participants will receive:
{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Dscout Scout Panel" %}
Participants recruited from the Dscout Scout Panel receive the following emails over the course of your usability test:
{% hint style="info" %}
In addition to the following emails, participants from the Dscout Scout Panel receive notifications through the Dscout app (if they have notifications enabled).
{% endhint %}
| Email | Sent | Description |
| --------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Invitation** | At study launch (or immediately after the participant is added to a launched study) | Informs the participant they’ve been invited to the study. This email includes device requirements and a link to begin the study.
Note: If enrolled in SMS updates, Scouts will also receive a text invitation for manual-recruit studies.
24 hours after invitation
Note: Participants only receive this email if they’ve yet to complete the study.
Reminds the participant to complete the study, whether they’ve yet to begin or are still in progress.
Note: If enrolled in SMS updates, Scouts will also receive a text invitation for manual-recruit studies.
Up to 4 hours after submission
Note: Participants only receive this email if they’ve yet to complete the study.
Informs the participant that their submission is incomplete. This may be due to an error during the session upload or because the participant thought they’d reached the end of the study but hadn’t.
Participants are encouraged to return to the study and try their upload again.
|
| {% endtab %} | | |
{% tab title="Partner Panels" %}
Correspondence with Partner Panels participants is managed by our third-party partners like Respondent. Any emails participants receive are dependent on how they’ve configured their notification settings on those platforms.
{% endtab %}
{% tab title="Bring-your-own" %}
Participants invited using a share link receive the following emails over the course of your usability test:
{% hint style="info" %}
Participants do not receive any emails from Dscout if you choose to skip participant sign-up when building your study. For more information, see [Manage participant experience in a usability test](/usability-tests/create-a-usability-test/manage-participant-experience-in-a-usability-test.md).
{% endhint %}
| Email | Sent | Description |
| ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Missing media alert** | Up to 4 hours after submission
Note: Participants only receive this email if there was an issue uploading their submission. Informs the participant that their submission is incomplete.
This may be due to an error during the session upload or because the participant thought they’d reached the end of the study but hadn’t.
Participants are encouraged to return to the study and try their upload again.
|
| {% endtab %} | | |
{% tab title="Private Panels" %}
Participants added to your study from Private Panels receive the following emails over the course of your usability test:
| Email | Sent | Description |
| -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Invitation** | At study launch (or immediately after the participant is added to a launched study)
Note: If you add participants to a Dscout study from within Private Panels (not from within your Dscout study), you’ll need to send invites manually through Private Panels as well.