> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hallwayai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Your First Interview

> A complete walkthrough from creating a project to analyzing your first insights

This guide walks you through the entire Hallway workflow—from creating a research project to reviewing synthesized insights from your first interview.

## The Complete Journey

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create Your Project">
    Set up your research with context and objectives
  </Step>

  <Step title="Generate Interview Guide">
    Let AI create your interview script
  </Step>

  <Step title="Activate & Share">
    Get your interview link and send to respondents
  </Step>

  <Step title="Collect Responses">
    Respondents complete AI-powered voice interviews
  </Step>

  <Step title="Process & Analyze">
    Transcribe sessions and extract insights
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review Synthesis">
    See AI-generated findings across all responses
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Step 1: Create Your Project

### Navigate to New Project

1. Sign in to [app.hallway.com](https://app.hallway.com)
2. Click **New Project** in the dashboard

### Fill in Project Details

**Project Name**: Choose something descriptive

> Example: "Mobile App Onboarding Research"

**Research Context**: Explain what you're researching

> Example: "We're seeing a 60% drop-off during mobile app onboarding. We want to understand where users get confused, what expectations they have when starting, and what would make them more likely to complete setup."

**Target Respondents** (optional): Who should participate

> Example: "Users who downloaded our app in the last 7 days but didn't complete onboarding"

### Add Learning Objectives

Use the AI Assistant or add manually:

1. Identify the specific steps where users abandon onboarding
2. Understand what users expect to accomplish during first app launch
3. Discover what information or guidance would increase completion rates
4. Learn how our onboarding compares to users' experiences with similar apps

Click **Create Project** to save.

***

## Step 2: Generate Your Interview Guide

After creating the project, you'll land on the project page.

### Generate the Guide

1. Go to the **Guide** tab
2. Click **Generate Interview Guide**
3. Wait for the AI to create your guide (usually 10-15 seconds)

### Review the Guide

The AI generates four components:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Opening Script" icon="door-open">
    How the AI greets respondents and sets context for the conversation.
  </Card>

  <Card title="System Instructions" icon="robot">
    The AI interviewer's personality, approach, and focus areas.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Probing Instructions" icon="magnifying-glass">
    How the AI asks follow-up questions to dig deeper.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Closing Script" icon="door-closed">
    How the AI wraps up and thanks respondents.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### Edit if Needed

Click **Edit Guide** to modify any section. Common adjustments:

* Update the tone to match your brand
* Add specific questions you want asked
* Adjust probing depth for sensitive topics

<Tip>
  The generated guide is a strong starting point. Most users only make minor tweaks before activating.
</Tip>

***

## Step 3: Activate & Share

### Activate Your Project

1. Review your guide one more time
2. Click **Activate Project**
3. Confirm in the dialog

Your project status changes from Draft to Active.

### Get Your Interview Link

1. Click **Share Interview** in the project header
2. Click **Copy** to copy the link to your clipboard

Your link looks like:

```
https://app.hallway.com/interview/abc123xyz...
```

### Send to Respondents

Share the link via:

* **Email**: Include context about time commitment and topic
* **Slack/Teams**: Quick distribution to team members
* **Survey follow-up**: Embed in screener surveys
* **Social/Community**: Post where your target users are

**Example email:**

> Hi \[Name],
>
> We're researching how to improve our mobile app onboarding experience and would love your input.
>
> Click this link to have a 10-minute voice conversation with our AI interviewer: \[link]
>
> No preparation needed—just share your honest experience. Your feedback directly shapes our product.
>
> Thanks!

***

## Step 4: Collect Responses

### What Respondents Experience

When someone clicks your link:

1. **Welcome Screen**: They see your project name, research description, and estimated time
2. **Contact Info** (optional): They can enter name/email or skip
3. **Privacy Notice**: They review how their responses will be used
4. **Voice Interview**: The AI conducts a natural conversation
5. **Completion**: They see a thank-you message

### Monitor Progress

Check your **Responses** tab to see:

| Metric             | Description                                 |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------- |
| **Total Sessions** | How many interviews have been started       |
| **Completed**      | How many finished successfully              |
| **In Progress**    | Currently active interviews                 |
| **Processed**      | How many have been transcribed and analyzed |

<Note>
  Interviews typically take 5-15 minutes depending on your time limit setting. Respondents can end early if they've shared everything.
</Note>

***

## Step 5: Process & Analyze

### Process Sessions

After interviews complete:

1. Go to the **Responses** tab
2. Find sessions with status "Completed"
3. Click **Process** on individual sessions, or use **Process All** for bulk processing

Processing generates:

* Full transcript of the conversation
* Key themes and insights extracted
* Quotes linked to your learning objectives

### Review Individual Sessions

Click on any session to see:

* Complete transcript with timestamps
* Respondent info (if provided)
* Duration and completion status
* Extracted insights from that conversation

***

## Step 6: Review Synthesis

### Generate Project Synthesis

Once you have multiple processed sessions:

1. Go to the **Insights** tab
2. Click **Generate Synthesis** (if not auto-generated)
3. AI combines insights across all responses

### What Synthesis Shows

The synthesis report includes:

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Executive Summary">
    High-level overview of key findings across all interviews
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Findings by Objective">
    What you learned related to each learning objective, with supporting quotes
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Key Themes">
    Patterns that emerged across multiple respondents
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Notable Quotes">
    Impactful statements from respondents that capture key insights
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Recommendations">
    Suggested actions based on the research findings
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### Export Your Report

Click **Export Report** to download a formatted Markdown report for sharing with stakeholders.

***

## Tips for Your First Interview

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Test the link yourself first">
    Click your own interview link to experience what respondents will see. You can end early—it won't affect your data.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Start with 3-5 respondents">
    You don't need dozens of interviews for useful insights. Start small and add more if needed.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Process sessions promptly">
    Process sessions soon after completion so insights are fresh and you can adjust your approach if needed.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Check synthesis after new responses">
    Re-generate synthesis as you add more responses. Look for the "Stale Synthesis" banner indicating new data is available.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Troubleshooting

**Respondents can't start the interview?**

* Ensure they allowed microphone access
* Check they're using a modern browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge)
* Desktop works more reliably than mobile

**Sessions stuck at "Processing"?**

* Processing typically takes 1-2 minutes
* Refresh the page to check updated status
* Long interviews may take longer to transcribe

**Synthesis doesn't include all sessions?**

* Ensure all sessions are processed (not just completed)
* Look for the "Stale Synthesis" banner and click to regenerate

## Next Steps

Now that you've completed your first interview cycle:

* [How Interviews Work](/docs/help/interviews/how-interviews-work) - Deep dive into the respondent experience
* [Sharing Interviews](/docs/help/interviews/sharing-interviews) - Best practices for distribution
* [Interview Settings](/docs/help/interviews/interview-settings) - Configure time limits and options