### What is a typing tool?

A typing tool is a short set of questions used to assign participants to specific customer segments (or “types”) that are relevant to your brand.

A typing tool lets you quickly **classify new participants into pre-defined segments you have already developed in a market segmentation study**. Many Highlight customers already have typing tools and use them to better understand how different consumer groups respond to their products and concepts.

#### How can you use a typing tool on Highlight?

We offer two ways to integrate your typing tool, depending on your goals:

### 1. Typing tool for capture and profiling

Use this option when you want to analyze results by segment after the test, but not control who gets recruited.

**How it works:**

- You add your typing tool questions into your test using the survey builder
- These questions are placed after qualification and core tasks (not in the screener), set up as a “custom profiling” survey touchpoint
- Highlight applies your segment classification on the backend using your scoring tool or bulk classifier

**What this means:**

- Participants are not recruited based on segments
- Segment sizes will fall out naturally based on who takes the test; we cannot guarantee you’ll have a certain number of participants per segment!
- You provide Highlight with your segment scoring tool or classifier
- You can filter and analyze results by segment in Insights

**Best for:** Understanding how different segments respond to the research you run on Highlight, without needing strict quotas or recruitment controls.

### 2. Typing tool for segmentation and recruiting (premium customers only)

Use this option when you want to actively recruit specific segments into your test.

**How it works:**

- You provide Highlight with:
  - Your typing tool questions
  - Your segment scoring tool or classifier
  - The incidence of each segment
- Highlight’s Research team sets up a custom recruitment flow
- Participants are screened and assigned to segments before entering the test

**What this means:**

- Your typing tool directly impacts who is recruited
- Segment quotas can be targeted (where feasible)
- Incidence rate and cost may increase, especially for niche segments

**Important considerations:**

- Rare or highly specific segments may be harder to find
- Lower incidence segments or quotas = longer field times and higher cost

**Best for:** Studies where you need specific segments represented in your sample.

#### Best practices for typing tools

To ensure a smooth experience and high-quality data:

- **Keep typing tools short:** Typically 5–8 questions max
- **Use simpler alternatives if needed:** If your typing tool is long, consider using a **single self-classification question** instead where participants self-classify into a segment based on a description of each segment

#### Need help?

If you’re interested in using a typing tool in your Highlight test, reach out to your Customer Enablement partner or Sales Rep. They can help you choose the right approach!

Still need help? [Browse the Help Center](/content/help/index.html).