How to conduct a Self-Managed FGD

Step 1: Log in at https://app.socialtrait.ai/ and click + New Research on the dashboard.

Step 2: Select Focus Group Discussion (Self-Managed).

Step 3: You will be asked to log in again using the same credentials (one-time activity). You will be redirected to the Market Research Suite (the legacy platform) where your organization's communities are listed.

Step 4: Select the community from your organization's account you want to run the session with, then click Start Research. If you need a new community, contact the Socialtrait team via [email protected].

Step 5: Write your Research Objective. Read the objective-writing guide before you begin.

Step 6: Set the context (optional). This is the second step of the setup — define any background information or context for the community. You can also upload assets here for AI agents to react to during the session.
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Assets are uploaded via the Upload an asset button in the Assets library panel on the left. Supported file types: JPG, JPEG, PNG, MP4, TXT. Drag uploaded assets from the Assets library into the Immediate reaction memory panel on the right to include them in the session. You can proceed without adding any assets.
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Supported asset types and formats | How to add assets to Self-Managed FGD.

Step 7: Click Start research to launch the session.

When the session opens, you will see:

You can use the suggested questions or write your own. If you add a custom question, the moderator will check whether it aligns with your research objective. If it might take the discussion off track, you will see a warning — but you can still continue if you believe it is relevant.

Step 8: The discussion runs in real time. Insights update automatically every time AI agents reply to your messages.
After finalizing your session, go to the Insights tab to view, download, or share the report.

📹 Video tutorial: Watch how to conduct a Self-Managed FGD
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→ Interpreting & Analysing the Self-Managed FGD Report | Exporting and Sharing Your Report