---
name: sales-lookback
description: "Lookback (lookback.com) platform help — a self-serve, video-first user research platform for live/moderated studies: real-time interviews and usability tests with observer rooms (\"behind the glass\"), timestamped notes and findings, highlight reels, unmoderated self-tests with AI follow-ups, mobile screen-and-gesture recording via the Participate app, transcripts, and Eureka AI analysis. It has no participant panel of its own (recruit via User Interviews or bring your own) and is UI-first — no self-serve REST API/webhooks, only a partner Recruitment API and an MCP/Discover surface. Use when setting up a Lookback moderated interview or usability study, fixing participant no-shows from the Chrome plugin or Participate-app install, debugging dropped connections or audio/video cutting out mid-session, or picking a plan by sessions. Do NOT use for comparing research tools or the validate-before-building method (use /sales-idea-validation), or existing NPS/CSAT feedback (use /sales-customer-feedback)."
argument-hint: "[describe what you need help with in Lookback]"
license: MIT
version: 1.0.0
tags: [sales, pre-launch, platform]
---

# Lookback Platform Help

Lookback (lookback.com) is a **self-serve, video-first user research platform** built around the
**live moderated session** — real-time 1:1 interviews and usability tests with **observer rooms**
("behind the glass"), timestamped notes, and AI-assisted note-taking — plus **unmoderated self-tests**
(task recordings with AI follow-ups). Its recognized strength is **mobile screen-and-gesture recording**
through the **Participate app** (iOS/Android). It runs the study; it does **not** sell a participant panel
of its own (recruit through the **User Interviews** integration or bring your own users).

Its place in the landscape: the **self-serve, run-the-live-session** peer — lighter than Great Question's
all-in-one recruit+run+repository suite, and the self-serve answer to the enterprise live-moderated tools
(Discuss.io, dscout). It is **UI-first**: there is **no public self-serve REST API or webhooks** — only a
**partner-gated Recruitment API** (embed User Interviews' panel in your own product) and an **MCP/Discover**
surface for connecting a custom LLM to cross-session insights.

**Two things to say almost every time:**
- **A moderated session is strong signal, but a stated "I'd pay" is still not a purchase.** Watching real
  people struggle through a task or reason out loud is the "talk to 10 users" rung — keep the *why*,
  objections, and usability behavior; take the willingness-to-pay go/no-go to a **real behavior test**
  (pre-sale, smoke test) → `/sales-idea-validation`.
- **It's UI-first — don't design a pipeline around a REST API that doesn't exist.** No self-serve API and
  no webhooks. For an API/webhook/MCP-native research pipeline, route to `/sales-userintuition` (or
  Great Question's REST+webhook surface); use Lookback's manual exports (paid-plan only) otherwise.

## Step 1 — Gather context

If `references/learnings.md` exists, read it first for accumulated platform knowledge.

Ask only what you can't infer:

1. **What do you want from Lookback?**
   - A) **Set up a study** — **Live** (moderated interview/usability test, observer room) vs **Self-test**
     (unmoderated task recording with AI follow-ups); desktop vs the **Participate app** on mobile
   - B) **Fix a session problem** — participant can't join / no-show, dropped connection, audio-video
     cutting out, iOS trouble, a video stuck uploading or lost
   - C) **Recruit** — the **User Interviews** integration vs bring-your-own participants (no native panel)
   - D) **Analyze / get data out** — Notes → Findings, Reels/highlights, transcripts, Eureka AI, Discover;
     manual export (paid plans only)
   - E) **Choose / price** — Freelance vs Team vs Insights Hub vs Enterprise, metered by **session** count
2. **Is the session moderated (live) or unmoderated (self-test), and on desktop or mobile?** That decides
   whether the Chrome-extension/Participate-app onboarding friction applies and which recording path runs.

Skip-ahead: if the user wants to **compare** research tools across the market or the
validate-before-building *method*, that's a `/sales-idea-validation` question — route in Step 2.

## Step 2 — Route or answer directly

| If the user's question is about… | Route to |
|---|---|
| Comparing research/usability/idea tools across the market, or the validate-before-building **method** | `/sales-idea-validation {question}` |
| Running a **real behavior** demand test (smoke-test page, waitlist, pre-sale) after research | `/sales-idea-validation` or `/sales-funnel` `{question}` |
| An **API/webhook/MCP-native** research or interview pipeline (Lookback has no self-serve API) | `/sales-userintuition {question}` |
| An **all-in-one recruit + run + repository** suite with a REST API | `/sales-great-question {question}` |
| **Recruit-only** B2B/professional participants (recruit, screen, schedule, pay, then hand off) | `/sales-respondent {question}` |
| Analyzing **existing** NPS/CSAT/VoC feedback (post-launch surveys, not new studies) | `/sales-customer-feedback {question}` |

When routing, give the exact command: "This is a {domain} question — run: `/sales-idea-validation {original question}`"

Otherwise, answer Lookback-specific questions using Step 3.

## Step 3 — Lookback platform reference

**Read `references/platform-guide.md`** for the full reference — the module/automation-surface table
(what's UI-only vs the partner Recruitment API vs MCP/Discover), best-effort pricing/plan gates and the
**session-metering** model, the Project → Session → Participant → Notes/Findings data model, recruiting
(User Interviews vs bring-your-own), and the recipes (MCP/Discover insights, manual export, the partner
Recruitment API). Answer using only the relevant section — don't dump the full reference.

## Step 4 — Actionable guidance

You no longer need the platform guide — focus on the user's specific situation.

- **Say the caveat: a session is not a purchase.** Whatever the user asks, make explicit that Lookback
  watches **real people** (genuine reasoning, objections, real usability behavior — the "talk to 10 users"
  rung), but a stated "I'd pay" in an interview is **not observed demand**. Keep the *why*; take the
  go/no-go from a **real behavior test** (pre-sale, smoke test) → `/sales-idea-validation`.
- **Lead every session-logistics answer with the onboarding-friction fix — it's the #1 pain.** Participants
  must install the **Participate app** (mobile) or the **Chrome extension** (desktop) and grant screen/mic
  permissions *before* they connect, which drives **no-shows**. Tell the user to send the join link early
  with setup instructions, have participants test their setup ahead of time, over-recruit, and (desktop)
  warn non-Chrome users up front since the extension is **Chrome-only**.
- **For mid-session drops / audio-video cutting out, don't assume it's the participant's connection.**
  Reviewers report this even on good connections. Advise a wired/strong connection, closing other
  bandwidth-heavy apps, keeping the tab focused, and — because **videos can upload slowly or fail with no
  local-save fallback** — confirming the recording finished uploading before ending the session, and taking
  **timestamped live notes** as a backup so insight survives a lost video.
- **State it's UI-first and route pipelines out.** There is **no self-serve REST API and no webhooks** —
  only a **partner-gated Recruitment API** (apply; for embedding User Interviews' panel) and an
  **MCP/Discover** insights surface. Don't invent endpoints. For an automated study→CRM/warehouse pipeline,
  point to `/sales-userintuition` or Great Question; Lookback's data-out is **manual export, paid plans only**.
- **Price by session count, and flag the panel is separate.** Plans (Freelance/Team/Insights Hub/Enterprise)
  are metered by **sessions**; there is **no built-in panel** — panel participants are **pay-as-you-go on
  top** (recruited via User Interviews), while **bringing your own users is the cheapest path**. Present all
  pricing as best-effort and point to lookback.com/pricing.

If you discover a gotcha or tip not in `references/learnings.md`, append it there with today's date.

## Gotchas

*Best-effort from research (2026-07) — pricing (session-metered tiers, per-participant panel add-on),
plan gates (exports/Recruit paid-only), and the API/MCP surface all move; verify at lookback.com/pricing.*

- **Session ≠ demand.** A moderated interview or usability test reveals the *why* better than a survey, but
  a stated "I'd pay" is not a purchase — the go/no-go belongs to a real behavior test (pre-sale, smoke test).
- **Participant onboarding is the #1 no-show cause.** The **Participate app** (mobile) / **Chrome extension**
  (desktop) install + permissions block the join; send setup instructions early, test ahead, over-recruit.
- **Chrome-only on desktop; iOS can be flaky.** Non-Chrome participants can't use the desktop extension, and
  reviewers report iOS connection problems even when other tools work — verify the participant's setup first.
- **Connections drop and audio/video cut out mid-session.** Reported even on good connections; take
  timestamped live notes as a backup and confirm the recording uploaded before ending.
- **Videos upload slowly and can be lost — no local-save fallback.** Don't close the session until the
  upload finishes; a failed upload loses the recording.
- **No participant panel of its own.** Recruit via the **User Interviews** integration (pay-as-you-go) or
  bring your own users (cheapest). Participants must enter name + email (a stated privacy concern).
- **UI-first: no self-serve REST API or webhooks.** Only a partner-gated Recruitment API + MCP/Discover;
  exports (and Recruit) are **paid-plan only**, not on the free trial. Route real pipelines to `/sales-userintuition`.

## Related skills

- `/sales-idea-validation` — The tool-agnostic validate-before-building method + the full research/usability/validator tool landscape (a research "yes" is not demand — this decides build-or-not). Install: `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-idea-validation -a claude-code`
- `/sales-great-question` — The all-in-one **recruit + run + repository** suite (own 6M+ panel, moderated + unmoderated + surveys, and a real REST API + webhooks + MCP) — reach for it when you want end-to-end research ops rather than Lookback's run-the-live-session focus. Install: `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-great-question -a claude-code`
- `/sales-userintuition` — Real-human AI-moderated interviews with a self-serve REST API + HMAC webhooks + MCP — the pick when the research must sit in an automated pipeline (which Lookback can't). Install: `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-userintuition -a claude-code`
- `/sales-respondent` — The **recruit-only** marketplace (recruit, screen, schedule, pay real B2B/professional participants, then hand off) — pair it with Lookback when you need participants but Lookback has no native panel. Install: `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-respondent -a claude-code`
- `/sales-customer-feedback` — Analyze *existing* NPS/CSAT/VoC feedback across tools (Lookback runs *new* moderated studies; this is the post-launch feedback-strategy peer). Install: `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-customer-feedback -a claude-code`
- `/sales-funnel` — Build the smoke-test / fake-door landing page that turns a research hypothesis into a real demand test. Install: `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-funnel -a claude-code`
- `/sales-do` — Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install: `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-do -a claude-code`

## Examples

### Example 1: "Half my Lookback participants never make it into the session" (top pain point)
**User says**: "I keep getting no-shows — people join the link and then can't get into the actual session."
**Skill does**: Names the #1 cause — the **Participate app** (mobile) / **Chrome extension** (desktop)
install and screen/mic permissions that participants hit *before* they connect. Advises sending the join
link early with setup instructions, having participants test their setup ahead of time, over-recruiting,
and warning non-Chrome desktop users because the extension is **Chrome-only**. Notes iOS is a known
trouble spot, so verify mobile participants' setup first.
**Result**: The researcher pre-empts the onboarding friction and cuts no-shows instead of blaming the panel.

### Example 2: "Can I auto-sync completed Lookback sessions and transcripts into our warehouse?" (developer/automation)
**User says**: "I want completed interviews and transcripts flowing into BigQuery automatically — what's the API?"
**Skill does**: States plainly that Lookback is **UI-first — no public self-serve REST API and no webhooks**;
the only programmatic surfaces are a **partner-gated Recruitment API** (for embedding User Interviews' panel,
not data-out) and an **MCP/Discover** insights surface (custom-LLM cross-session analysis, undocumented
publicly — discover at runtime, don't invent endpoints). For an automated study→warehouse pipeline, routes
to `/sales-userintuition` (REST + HMAC webhooks + MCP) or Great Question; for Lookback specifically, the
data-out path is **manual export, available on paid plans only**.
**Result**: The user stops looking for a Lookback API key and either exports manually or picks an API-native tool.

### Example 3: "Is the cheapest Lookback plan enough, and where's the panel?"
**User says**: "I'm a solo founder — does the entry plan cover 10 interviews, and do participants come included?"
**Skill does**: Explains plans are metered by **sessions** (the entry Freelance tier includes a small session
allotment; Team/Insights Hub scale up), and that **Lookback has no participant panel of its own** — panel
participants are **pay-as-you-go on top** (recruited via User Interviews) with a participant minimum on
higher tiers, while **bringing your own users is free**, often the cheapest answer. Flags that **exports and
Recruit are paid-plan only** (the free trial excludes exports). Presents all pricing as best-effort and
points to lookback.com/pricing.
**Result**: The founder picks a plan by session count and brings their own users instead of paying for panel.

## Troubleshooting

### "My participant can't get into the session / keeps no-showing"
**Symptom**: Participants click the join link but never reach the live session, or don't show at all.
**Cause**: Lookback requires installing the **Participate app** (mobile) or the **Chrome extension**
(desktop) and granting screen/microphone permissions *before* connecting — a friction step that causes
drop-off, worsened by the desktop extension being **Chrome-only** and reported **iOS** trouble.
**Solution**: Send the join link and setup instructions well ahead of time, ask participants to test their
setup before the session, over-recruit to absorb no-shows, and confirm non-Chrome desktop users switch to
Chrome (or run the session on mobile). Verify iOS participants' setup first.

### "The connection dropped / audio and video cut out in the middle of my session"
**Symptom**: Observers or the moderator lose audio/video mid-session, or the call drops.
**Cause**: Reviewers report dropped connections and mid-session audio/video cutouts even on good
connections — a known reliability gripe, not always the participant's network.
**Solution**: Use a wired/strong connection, close other bandwidth-heavy apps, keep the tab focused, and
always take **timestamped live notes** as a backup so a lost stream doesn't lose the insight. If it recurs,
try a self-test/unmoderated recording as a fallback for that participant.

### "My session video is stuck uploading / I lost a recording"
**Symptom**: A recording takes a long time to appear, or a video never uploaded and is gone.
**Cause**: Videos upload to the cloud after the session and can be **slow or fail**, and there is **no
local-save fallback**, so a failed upload loses the recording.
**Solution**: Don't close the app/browser until the upload completes; keep the device awake and connected.
Take live timestamped notes and mark key moments during the session so findings survive even if a video is
lost. For anything you must not lose, run a local screen recording as a parallel backup.