--- title: "Test a prototype" canonical_url: https://zentrik.ai/docs/product/test-prototype markdown_url: https://zentrik.ai/docs/product/test-prototype.md category: "Product guides" learning_track: "discovery" last_reviewed: 2026-09-21 --- # Test a prototype Ask participants to try a specific prototype revision and tell you what they understood or found difficult. ## Choose what you need to learn A prototype is the thing participants try. The study defines their task, the questions you ask, and the evidence you review. | Your question | Use | | --- | --- | | Can people complete a task, and where do they get stuck? | **Prototype study** with tasks inside the prototype | | What do people understand, expect, or need? | [AI-guided interview](https://zentrik.ai/docs/product/run-ai-guided-interview) with the prototype beside the conversation | | How do people answer the same fixed questions after trying a flow? | [Self-guided study](https://zentrik.ai/docs/product/create-self-guided-study) with a prototype link | | Where would people click on a screen? | A **Heatmap** step with a screenshot in a self-guided study | For example, ask someone to reschedule an appointment in a prototype study. Ask why they would reschedule, or what they expected to happen, in an interview. Completing a task does not by itself show that someone needs the product. ## Start from where you are **Already viewing a prototype:** select **Test with people** on the ready revision. For a public prototype URL, this opens a prototype study; install the study script to collect tasks and interactions. For a prototype hosted inside Zentrik, this opens a self-guided study. Both keep the revision and its linked work. The adjacent menu includes **AI-guided interview**. **Starting in Studies:** open the **New study** menu and select **Prototype study**. Name the study, select relevant linked work and a ready prototype, or supply another prototype URL during setup. Task collection requires a public URL where you can install the study script. Selecting a revision preserves its association with the study. If you change the content hosted at an external URL, participants can see that change. Keep that URL stable during a test; use a new study to compare another version. ![Ready prototype workspace with the working preview, pinned revision, and Test with people split action.](https://zentrik.ai/images/product/discovery/prototype-workbench-light.webp) Select **Test with people** on the ready revision. The study keeps that revision; use the adjacent menu for other feedback methods. ## Set up and try the participant journey 1. Open **Configuration**. If setup has not started, select **Set up prototype testing**. 2. Confirm the prototype URL. Write a short welcome and add one realistic task, such as “Move your appointment to next Tuesday.” Add questions only where an answer will help the decision. 3. Review the participant messages, theme, and optional comment or skip controls. Check the inactivity timeout for the length of the task. 4. Use **Copy script tag** and install the generated tag in the prototype. If someone else owns the code, send them the [script installation guide](https://zentrik.ai/docs/developers/prototype-studies-sdk#setup). A prototype link alone does not record interactions. 5. Launch the study when its setup is ready. Try the participant journey yourself before sharing it with customers: open the prototype, complete the task, answer the questions, and confirm that the session appears in **Sessions**. 6. Share the participant link shown by the study. For a study running directly on an external prototype, confirm that the installed script loads on the URL you share. The script must run in the prototype for task collection to work. A hosted page that does not let you install scripts can still be discussed in an AI-guided interview or opened from a self-guided study. ## Know what each method records A configured prototype study records submitted answers, task outcomes, session state, and interactions collected by the study script. Named navigation and controls require the corresponding script integration. A session timeline is not a video recording of everything the participant did. Without that script, an AI-guided interview records the submitted transcript and what the participant says about the prototype. A self-guided study records the submitted answers. Neither a prototype link nor a conversation alone establishes where the participant clicked. You can also configure prototype tracking in a regular study’s **Prototype** tab. Use the [SDK reference](https://zentrik.ai/docs/developers/prototype-studies-sdk) when you need tracked navigation, named clicks, or contextual steps. Keep observed interactions separate from what someone said and from your interpretation. ## Review the test Open **Sessions** to inspect task outcomes, answers, and the interaction timeline. Review **Findings** against the source sessions, then record the decision on the linked initiative. For interview or self-guided answers, use **Responses** and [review the findings](https://zentrik.ai/docs/product/review-study-findings). ## Troubleshooting ### The prototype opens but no session appears Check that the study is launched and the generated script is installed on the exact prototype page. Reload that page and start a fresh test. Use the SDK troubleshooting guide if the browser blocks the script. ## Related guides - [See an idea before you build it](https://zentrik.ai/docs/product/imagine-ideas) - [Choose an idea status](https://zentrik.ai/docs/product/idea-statuses) - [Organize findings with taxonomy and themes](https://zentrik.ai/docs/product/taxonomy-and-themes)