Preview and results
How rules work together
Section titled “How rules work together”When a participant takes a study, FromUsers roughly applies rules in this order:
- Variables resolved — randomisation, URL, cookies, sample, formulas
- Section display logic — hide whole sections that do not apply
- Section randomisation — shuffle or pick pages/subsections within visible sections
- Page display logic — hide or skip pages (including managed study-group rules)
- Page qualification / screener — pass or fail before main content
- Page block randomisation — shuffle or pick blocks on the current page
- Question display logic — show or hide individual questions
- Compare assets — resolve prototype for the visible page
- Branching — after answers, jump to another page or section
Most studies use one or two layers. Use this order when debugging preview behaviour.
Live participants vs preview
Section titled “Live participants vs preview”| Live study | Builder preview | |
|---|---|---|
| Group assignment | Server permuted-block balancing via assignment index | Client-side simulation |
| Persistence | Stable across reloads (same session) | Per-tab; Restart preview re-draws random assignments |
| Results | Groups stored on responses | Preview responses may be stored separately |
Testing tips:
- Turn on Follow logic in the preview panel to simulate participant paths
- Use study group selectors to jump between arms
- Click Restart preview to simulate a new participant assignment
- Test every arm before publishing
Results and analysis
Section titled “Results and analysis”| Setup | What appears in results |
|---|---|
| No randomisation | Standard response data |
| Shuffle / subset (no groups) | Responses without a named experiment arm |
| Randomisation groups | Group variable values on each response — filter and compare by group |
| Compare assets | Prototype shown per participant |
| Display logic only | No extra randomisation field unless driven by a variable you defined |
For export and dashboards, use randomisation groups or an explicit randomisation variable whenever you need to segment by condition.
Best practices
Section titled “Best practices”- Do not mix direct pages and subsections in one randomised section — restructure first
- Thank you page — keep outside randomised pools
- Name variables clearly (
task_variantnotv1) when using groups across compare assets and sections - Test every arm before publishing — especially when combining section randomisation, compare assets, and display logic
- Screener first — place qualification pages before randomised main content so disqualified participants do not consume assignment slots
- Preview is not identical to live balancing — use live pilot responses to verify group splits at small sample sizes