Skip to main content
Focus Groups let you run simulated audience research at scale. Define your questions, choose your personas, set a sample size, and get quantitative scores plus qualitative reasoning from a synthetic panel — in minutes instead of weeks. A single Focus Group can simulate N=25 to 200+ respondents across multiple audience segments, combining question types like NPS, Likert scales, open-ended responses, and ranking exercises into one cohesive study.
Focus Groups are asynchronous. You create a study, then poll for results. Most studies complete in 30–120 seconds depending on sample size and question count.

Key Features

12 Question Types

NPS, Likert, multiple choice, open-ended, rating, ranking, semantic differential, and more

Persona-Based Panels

Mix multiple personas for diverse, segment-specific responses

Scalable Sample Sizes

From 10 to 200+ respondents per study

Aggregate + Individual

Get both statistical summaries and individual respondent reasoning

Focus Group Lifecycle

Creating a Focus Group

1

Choose your personas

Select 1–10 persona IDs that represent your target audience segments. The more diverse your panel, the richer the cross-segment analysis.
2

Define your questions

Write 1–20 questions using the supported question types. Mix quantitative (NPS, Likert) with qualitative (open-ended) for well-rounded insights.
3

Set sample size and submit

Choose a sample size (10–200+). Larger samples give more statistical confidence but cost more credits.
4

Poll for results

The study runs asynchronously. Poll the GET endpoint until status is "COMPLETED".

Full Creation Example

Question Types

Recommended mix: Start with 1–2 quantitative questions (NPS, Likert, Rating) to get scoreable data, then add 1–2 qualitative questions (Open-ended) for depth. Finish with a Ranking or Semantic Differential for nuanced insight. Keep total questions under 10 for best quality.

Polling for Results

Focus Groups run asynchronously. Poll the status endpoint until the study completes.
Status values:

Interpreting Results

Aggregate Scores

Each question returns an aggregate summary alongside individual responses.

Individual Responses

Drill into individual respondent data for qualitative depth.

Cross-Segment Analysis

Compare how different persona segments responded to the same question.

Response Format

When to Use Focus Groups vs Chat vs Mave

Credits and Pricing

Credit cost depends on sample size, question count, and question complexity.
Open-ended and conjoint questions cost more per respondent than NPS or yes/no questions because they require more generation.

Listing Focus Groups

Retrieve all focus groups in your workspace.

Best Practices

Combine NPS or Likert questions (numbers you can chart) with open-ended questions (explanations you can quote). This gives you both statistical confidence and narrative depth.
Include personas that represent your actual target audience segments. A panel of Gen Z + Millennial + Gen X gives generational breadth. Adding a Budget Shopper and a Luxury Consumer gives psychographic breadth.
5–8 well-crafted questions yield better results than 15+ rushed ones. Each additional question adds cost and can cause response fatigue in the model.
Focus Groups are ideal for validating messaging, product concepts, pricing strategies, and feature prioritization before committing real-world budget.
Create two focus groups with the same personas but different stimuli (e.g., two taglines, two product descriptions) to see which resonates more.
After a Focus Group reveals a surprising result, follow up with a Chat conversation using the same persona to explore the “why” in depth.
Focus Group results are simulated perspectives, not real consumer data. They are best used for directional insights, concept screening, and hypothesis generation. Validate high-stakes decisions with real audience research.

Next Steps

Run First Focus Group

Step-by-step tutorial with complete scripts

Quickstart: Focus Groups

Get started in 15 minutes

Personas

Choose and create personas for your panels

API Reference

Full API specification