AI probing questions are automatic follow-ups the AI generates based on participant responses. They extract deeper insights from interview questions.
How AI Probing Works
- Participant answers main question
- AI analyses response
- AI generates relevant follow-up question (if probing enabled)
- Process repeats for number of probes set (0-3)
Probing Levels
0 Probes - No Follow-Up
- Use for factual questions requiring no exploration
- Examples: job title, demographics, simple yes/no answers
1 Probe - Light Exploration
- Use for questions needing slight additional detail
- Examples: factual questions with context, simple clarifications
2 Probes - Moderate Depth
- Use for important topics requiring decent exploration
- Examples: experience questions, problem discovery, feature feedback
3 Probes - Deep Dive
- Use for critical research questions requiring thorough understanding
- Examples: complex decision-making, exploratory topics, deep problem exploration
Selecting Probing Level
Number of probes per question:
- Selected via dropdown in question box
- Options: 0, 1, 2, 3
- Can be changed anytime before publishing
Probing Guides
What they are:
- Optional text field to guide AI follow-up questions
- Only available when probing is set to 1, 2, or 3
- Toggle on/off with "Add Probing Guide" button
When to use:
- Focus AI on specific aspects of topic
- Avoid certain areas in follow-ups
- Align probing with research objectives
- Guide AI toward specific insights
When to skip:
- AI's natural probing is sufficient
- Question is self-explanatory
- You want broad, open exploration
Example Probing Guides
Focus on specific features:
Question: "Describe your experience using our platform."
Probing guide: "Focus follow-ups on the dashboard and reporting features specifically. Ask about what works well and what's confusing."
Avoid sensitive topics:
Question: "Tell me about your team's collaboration challenges."
Probing guide: "Focus on tools and processes, not interpersonal conflicts or management issues."
Explore decision factors:
Question: "What made you choose our product over competitors?"
Probing guide: "Dig into specific features, pricing, and customer support as deciding factors. Probe which competitor they almost chose and why they didn't."
Understand emotional impact:
Question: "Describe a frustrating experience with our product."
Probing guide: "Explore how the frustration affected their work, what emotions they felt, and whether they considered switching to alternatives."
Common Mistakes
Over-probing:
- Using 3 probes on every question exhausts participants
- Mix probe depths strategically
Under-probing critical questions:
- Using 0-1 probes on most important research questions
- Reserve deep probing for priority topics
Vague probing guides:
- Avoid: "Ask more about what they said"
- Better: "Probe on which features they mentioned, how often they use them, and what prevents more frequent use."
Probing factual questions:
- Don't use 2-3 probes on simple factual questions
- Save probing for questions requiring exploration