Understanding Different Stages of a Study

Last updated: May 21, 2026

Studies move through several different statuses during their lifecycle. Each status controls what actions are available, whether participants can access the study, and whether edits can be made.

1. Draft

When a study is first created, it begins in Draft status.

In this state:

  1. You can fully edit your study guide and screener

  2. The upper right-hand corner will show a Continue button

    image.png

  3. Selecting Continue moves you to the recruitment setup step

After recruitment is set up, you can publish the study.

2. Published

Once you select Publish, the study status changes to Published.

image.png

In this state:

  1. Participants can access and complete the study

  2. The study guide and screener become locked for editing

  3. The upper right-hand button changes from Continue to Published

  4. Selecting the dropdown arrow next to Published will show additional status options

The dropdown includes:

  • Published

  • Pause

  • Close

Tip: You cannot edit the study while it is published. If you need to make changes, you must first pause the study. See more below!

3. Paused

The Paused status temporarily stops new participants from entering the study.

image.png

In this state:

  1. New participants cannot start the study

  2. Ongoing interview sessions are not interrupted

  3. You can make edits to the study guide and screener

  4. You can toggle the study back to Published when ready

This status is helpful when you need to quickly update questions, revise screeners, or make adjustments during fielding.

4. Closed

The Closed status permanently ends the study.

image.png

In this state:

  1. The study can no longer be edited

  2. The study cannot be republished

  3. Recruitment is finalized

  4. Any applicable recruitment refunds are automatically processed

When closing a study, you will be prompted to acknowledge the action before it is finalized.

If you later decide you want to continue the study, you will need to:

  1. Duplicate the closed study

  2. Relaunch the duplicated version as a new study

Closed studies cannot be reopened directly.

Note: Automatic Closure After 30 Days

If a study remains open and is not manually closed, it will automatically close after 30 days.

Once auto-closed, the same closed-study rules apply:

  • The study cannot be reopened

  • Recruitment is finalized

  • You would need to duplicate the study to continue running it

Hope this helps! If you have any further questions, please reach out to our team at support@outset.ai or via chat.