Participant PreCheck

Participant PreCheck is a tool that helps your participants complete the onboarding steps before your live session begins. It is designed to reduce setup issues like camera/microphone permissions, screen sharing failures, and device incompatibilities - so your LiveShare sessions start and run more smoothly.

Participant PreCheck is available for LiveShare Rounds on all plan types.

When to use Participant PreCheck

Use PreCheck when you want to make sure participants’ devices and settings are correct before the session itself:

prior to a LiveShare moderated session
when participants may be using unfamiliar hardware
when minimizing setup issues is a priority
when you want clear visibility into participant readiness

Unlike a full session, PreCheck does not create a live session recording. It only validates participant setup.

How to enable PreCheck

You can enable PreCheck either when you first create your LiveShare Round or on an existing LiveShare Round.

When creating a new Round

Complete Settings, Test setup, and Moderator Tools.
You’ll be given the option to Enable PreCheck Link — toggle it on.
Copy the PreCheck link and send it to your participants.

On an existing LiveShare Round

Go to the Round and click Edit Round at the top right.
Select PreCheck under Participants.
Toggle Enable PreCheck Link on.
Copy the PreCheck link and send it to your participants.
(Optional) Paste a scheduling link to allow participants to book a time after completing PreCheck.

Note: The scheduling link feature is not deeply integrated with calendar tools from within Lookback. You must manage scheduling external to Lookback and use the calendar tool for tracking appointments.

Running Participant PreCheck

Once a participant receives and opens the PreCheck link, they are guided through almost the same onboarding process as a full session:

name and email
camera and microphone permissions
screen sharing setup
opening the participant window

If a scheduling link was included in the setup, participants will be offered the option to Book a time after completing PreCheck. If not, they will see a message confirming their device is ready and that the researcher will follow up soon.

Understanding PreCheck status

As participants complete PreCheck, they appear under the Ready to test section at the top of the Round. From there you can:

see participant name, email, date completed, and device type
copy email addresses to invite them to your session
verify readiness before the scheduled session time

A “Ready” status means the participant successfully completed device onboarding. It does not guarantee they will have no issues in a live session (for example, on a different network or device).

Participants who could not complete onboarding appear under Incomplete. You can troubleshoot or replace these participants before the session.

Troubleshooting common PreCheck issues

If a participant cannot complete PreCheck:

Mobile Participants

Ensure they are using Wi-Fi, not cellular data
Uninstall and reinstall the Participate app
Reboot the device
Try again in a different environment (e.g., home network)

Desktop Participants

Switch to a supported browser
Ensure the microphone is working and allowed in the browser
Clear cache and cookies
Reboot the device

For additional help, see the related troubleshooting articles linked below.

Why PreCheck matters

Participant setup issues - especially unexpected permission dialogs, incompatible hardware, or screen sharing failures - are some of the most common causes of interrupted or failed moderated sessions. PreCheck helps avoid these by ensuring participants complete the necessary setup before the research begins.