Creating an effective interview guide for AI moderation requires different considerations than human-led interviews. This template provides a proven structure.
Template Structure
1. Welcome and Context (2-3 minutes)
Opening message:
"Thank you for participating in this conversation about [TOPIC].
Your responses will help [ORGANIZATION] understand [PURPOSE].
This will take approximately [TIME] minutes."
Key elements:
- Clear purpose statement
- Time expectation
- Confidentiality assurance
2. Warm-Up Questions (3-5 minutes)
Start with easy, non-threatening questions:
- "Tell me a bit about your role at [company/context]."
- "How long have you been [doing relevant activity]?"
These build rapport and help participants become comfortable with the AI format.
3. Core Questions (15-25 minutes)
Structure your main questions in logical sequence:
Opening to Probing to Depth
Example sequence:
Q1 (Opening): "Describe your typical process for [activity]."
Probe: "What works well about that process?"
Probe: "What challenges do you face?"
Q2 (Specific): "Tell me about a recent time when [specific situation]."
Probe: "What happened next?"
Probe: "How did you feel about that outcome?"
4. Scenario Questions (5-10 minutes)
Present hypothetical situations:
"Imagine you could change one thing about [experience].
What would it be and why?"
5. Closing (2-3 minutes)
"Is there anything else about [topic] you'd like to share
that we haven't covered?"
"Thank you for your time. Your insights are valuable."
AI-Specific Best Practices
Use Clear Transition Phrases
AI cannot read body language, so explicit transitions help:
- "Now I'd like to shift to discussing..."
- "Let's explore a different aspect..."
Build in Conditional Logic
IF participant mentions [keyword]:
Ask: "You mentioned [keyword]. Can you tell me more?"
IF participant gives brief response (less than 20 words):
Ask: "Could you elaborate on that?"
Avoid Ambiguous Questions
Instead of: "How was your experience?"
Use: "What was the most memorable part of your experience with [specific product/service]?"
Include Clarification Prompts
IF response is unclear:
"I want to make sure I understand. Are you saying that...?"
Sample Interview Guide
Research goal: Understand customer onboarding experiences
| Section | Question | Probes |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-up | How long have you been using [product]? | What initially attracted you? |
| Core | Walk me through your first week using [product]. | What was easy? What was confusing? |
| Core | What did you wish you'd known before starting? | How did you find answers? |
| Scenario | If you were training a new user, what would you emphasize? | Any warnings? |
| Close | What would make onboarding better? | Any specific features? |
Download and Customize
Qualz.ai's platform includes built-in interview guide templates with automatic branching logic—helping you create effective AI interviews without building everything from scratch.
