1
Write the guide
Add your core questions, the follow-ups you care about and any stimuli you want to show.
In-depth interviews
Run in-depth interviews (IDIs) with many people at once
An in-depth interview (IDI) is a one-to-one research conversation that uncovers one person's reasons in their own words. With Usercall, an AI moderator runs each IDI from your guide, so many people can take part at the same time.
One to one, by voice or text50+ languages on every planYour first interview is free
Trusted by research, product and CX teams at
Sound familiar?
IDIs are worth it. The scheduling isn't.
Each interview needs a time slot, a moderator and a recording to write up. A study you planned for many people quietly shrinks to the few you could fit in, and the groups you wanted to compare end up thin.
- One calendar per interview
- A moderator in every session
- Hours of write-ups
- Too few people per group
With Usercall you share one link. People talk to the AI moderator when it suits them, many at the same time, and the transcripts, themes and quotes come back in one place.
What is an in-depth interview (IDI)? One person, one conversation.
An in-depth interview (IDI) is a one-to-one research conversation. It is built to understand one person's experience, reasons and language, with follow-up questions on what they just said. In market research, IDIs are the standard way to hear why someone chose, hesitated or left.
A focus group puts several people in one discussion. Pick it when you want to see how people react to each other. Pick an IDI when you want each person's full story without group pressure.
Interviews vs focus groupsModerator-led or AI-moderated. Both are real IDIs.
Moderator-led IDIsAI-moderated IDIs
Who asks
A human moderator leads each conversation.
An AI moderator follows your guide. People are told they are talking with an AI.
Scheduling
A calendar slot for every session.
People open a link on their phone or laptop when it suits them.
How many at once
One session per moderator at a time.
Many people can take the same interview at the same time.
Languages
Depends on the moderators you can hire.
50+ languages. One link, and each person picks their own.
Follow-up questions
A skilled moderator can follow any thread.
The AI decides in the moment to probe, clarify or move on.
Best for
Very sensitive topics, open exploration and high-stakes strategy work.
A set guide, many people, several groups or markets, and answers you can compare.
Good fit
What the AI moderator does in every interview.
Follows your guide
Everyone gets the same core questions, so answers line up side by side.
Asks follow-ups
It listens to the answer and decides whether to probe, clarify or move on.
Shows stimuli
Images, mockups and prototypes, right inside the interview.
Lets you listen in
Your team can watch an interview live as a silent observer.
How it works
Write the guide once. Share one link.
2
Share it or let us recruit
Send one link to your own list, or we recruit for you from our 4M+ panel. In a multilingual study, each person picks their own language.
3
Read the themes
Transcripts are coded into themes, and every theme links back to the quote and the person who said it. Edit, merge or split themes as you go.
Built for
IDI questions to start from.
Use them as they are, or rewrite them for your study. Open questions about one real moment work best.
The trigger
What was going on when you first started looking for something like this?
The choice
Walk me through how you picked this one. What else were you seriously considering?
The hesitation
Was there a moment you almost didn't go ahead? What was happening?
Their words
How would you describe this to a friend who has never heard of it?
What's next
What would make you switch, stop or buy again?
In practice
How many IDIs do you need?
There is no magic number. Count the groups you need to compare, such as buyers and non-buyers, or two markets, and plan enough interviews for each group to stand on its own.
Then watch the answers. When new interviews stop adding new reasons, objections or phrases, you have enough for that group. Because AI-moderated interviews run at the same time, adding a few more people does not mean another round of scheduling.
Running customer interviews at scalePricing
Plans from $89 a month. No sales call.
Pick a plan by how many interviews and files you run a month. Your first interview or analysis is free.
Frequent questions
Frequently asked questions.
What is an IDI in market research?
An IDI, or in-depth interview, is a one-to-one conversation with a single participant. In market research it is used to learn the reasons, doubts and language behind a choice, with follow-up questions on each answer.
How many in-depth interviews do I need?
It depends on how many distinct groups you compare. Plan enough for each group to stand on its own, and stop when new interviews stop adding new reasons. There is no single number that fits every study.
What is the difference between an IDI and a focus group?
An IDI is one person and one interviewer, so you hear each story without group pressure. A focus group is several people in one discussion, which is useful when you want to see how people react to each other.
Can AI moderate an in-depth interview?
Yes, when the guide is set and you want answers you can compare across many people. The AI follows your guide and asks follow-ups in the moment, and participants are told they are talking with an AI. For very sensitive topics or very open exploration, a skilled human moderator can be the better choice.
Can I run IDIs in other languages?
Yes. Usercall runs interviews in 50+ languages, and every plan includes every language. A multilingual study uses one link, and each person picks their own language.
How long can an AI-moderated IDI run?
Plan limits are 12, 25 and 45 minutes (Lite, Core, Pro). Any plan can run interviews up to one hour on request.
How much do AI-moderated IDIs cost?
Usercall is self-serve from $89 a month, the starting monthly plan. Your first interview is free, and there is no sales call. Panel or recruited participant cost is quoted per audience and study details, like interview length.