---
name: sales-optimalworkshop
description: "Optimal Workshop (optimalworkshop.com) platform help — the category-defining information-architecture research suite: OptimalSort (card sorting), Treejack (tree testing), Chalkmark (first-click), Reframer (qualitative interviews/notes), Questions (surveys), plus prototype and live-site usability testing, AI qualitative analysis, and a large own participant panel. UI-only — no public API, webhooks, Zapier, or MCP; data leaves via CSV/spreadsheet export or Figma import. Use when running a card sort to design site categories, a tree test to fix navigation findability, a first-click test on a screen, recruiting participants or budgeting panel recruitment credits, choosing between the Starter and Enterprise plans, comparing Optimal Workshop with UXtweak/Lyssna/Maze/UserTesting, or exporting study results without an API. Do NOT use for comparing research tools across the market or the validate-before-building method (use /sales-idea-validation), or an API-native interview pipeline (use /sales-userintuition)."
argument-hint: "[describe what you need help with in Optimal Workshop]"
license: MIT
version: 1.0.0
tags: [sales, pre-launch, platform]
github: "https://github.com/optimalworkshop"
---

# Optimal Workshop Platform Help

Optimal Workshop (optimalworkshop.com) is the **category-defining information-architecture (IA)
research suite** — the "reference standard" teams reach for when the question is *how should content be
organized and can users find it*. Its named tools carry the category: **OptimalSort** (card sorting),
**Treejack** (tree testing), **Chalkmark** (first-click), **Reframer** (qualitative interviews / notes /
tagging / affinity mapping), and **Questions** (surveys) — plus newer **prototype testing** (Figma
import), **live-site testing**, moderated **interviews**, and AI qualitative analysis. Recruit from its
**own panel** ("10M+, 150+ countries") or bring your own. Closest self-serve peer: **UXtweak**
(`/sales-uxtweak`); other peers **Lyssna, Maze, UserTesting**.

**Two things to say almost every time:**
- **A clean tree test or card sort proves the *structure works*, not that anyone will *pay*.** IA is
  **not** validated demand — if the user is still deciding whether to build, take that go/no-go to a
  **real behavior test** (smoke test, pre-sale) via `/sales-idea-validation`.
- **Optimal Workshop is UI-first — no public API, webhooks, Zapier, or MCP.** Any "pipe results into my
  CRM/warehouse" ask is **manual CSV/spreadsheet export** (or Figma import), not REST; an API-native
  pipeline is `/sales-userintuition`.

## 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 Optimal Workshop?**
   - A) **Pick a study type** — card sort (OptimalSort) vs tree test (Treejack) vs first-click
     (Chalkmark) vs qualitative (Reframer) vs survey (Questions) vs prototype/live-site test
   - B) **Recruit participants** — the own panel (pay-per-participant / credit bundles)
     vs recruiting your own users via a share link
   - C) **Read results** — similarity matrix / dendrogram (card sort), pietree + success/directness
     (tree test), click heatmaps (first-click), themes/tags (Reframer)
   - D) **Get data out** — export CSV/spreadsheet or import a Figma design (no API — manual only)
   - E) **Choose** — Optimal Workshop vs UXtweak / Lyssna / Maze / UserTesting, or Starter vs Enterprise
2. **Are you testing something you've already built/designed, or still deciding whether to build?** The
   second is an idea-validation question, not an IA question — flag it in Step 2.

Skip-ahead: if the prompt already names the study type and the question is specific, go to Step 3.

## Step 2 — Route or answer directly

| If the user's question is about… | Route to |
|---|---|
| Comparing research/idea/synthetic tools across the market, or the validate-before-building **method** | `/sales-idea-validation {question}` |
| An **API / webhook / MCP-native** research or interview pipeline (Optimal Workshop has none) | `/sales-userintuition {question}` |
| Running a **real behavior** demand test (smoke-test page, waitlist, pre-sale) instead of an IA test | `/sales-idea-validation` or `/sales-funnel` `{question}` |
| The self-serve **all-in-one usability** peer (broader battery, own panel, lower entry price) | `/sales-uxtweak {question}` |
| Analyzing **existing** NPS/CSAT/VoC/review feedback (post-launch, not new tests) | `/sales-customer-feedback {question}` |

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

Otherwise, answer Optimal Workshop-specific questions using Step 3.

## Step 3 — Optimal Workshop platform reference

**Read `references/platform-guide.md`** for the full reference — the tool-by-tool study catalog (what
each measures + how to read its output), the module/automation-surface table (what's exportable vs
UI-only), best-effort pricing and plan gates (Starter study-launch cap, Enterprise, recruitment
credits, panel minimum spend), the Study → Question/Task → Participant → Response data model,
recruiting (own panel vs self-recruit share link), and the no-API data-out playbook. Optimal Workshop
has **no public API**, so there is no API-reference file.

Answer using only the relevant section — don't dump the full reference.

## Step 4 — Actionable guidance

- **Say the caveat: an IA metric is not demand.** Make explicit that Optimal Workshop measures whether
  a *structure/design* **works** (findability, category agreement, first-click accuracy) — it does
  **not** prove strangers will **pay**. If they're still deciding whether to build, keep the IA findings
  but take the go/no-go from a **real behavior test** (smoke test, pre-sale) via `/sales-idea-validation`.
- **Flag it as UI-first when any automation/export comes up.** Optimal Workshop has **no public API,
  webhooks, Zapier, or MCP** (verify — it may change). "Sync results to HubSpot/Snowflake" is a **manual
  CSV/spreadsheet export** or a **Figma import**, not REST. If they need a programmatic pipeline, say so
  and route to `/sales-userintuition`.
- **Match the tool to the question.** Recommend by job: **OptimalSort (card sorting)** = how users
  *group/label* content (open = discover, closed = validate → **similarity matrix / dendrogram**);
  **Treejack (tree testing)** = can users *find* things in your nav (findability + first-click path, no
  visuals → **pietree** + success/directness); **Chalkmark (first-click)** = where users click first
  (heatmap); **Reframer** = tag/theme **qualitative** data; **Questions** = surveys. Design the tree
  with a card sort, then validate it with a tree test — don't run a tree test to judge visuals.
- **Warn about recruitment cost and the Starter study cap before they hit them.** Panel participants are
  **billed per participant** (standard ≈ 1 credit; managed more), so for a handful of testers
  **self-recruiting via a share link** is far cheaper. And **Starter caps studies *launched* per year**
  (best-effort ~5) even though responses per study are unlimited — a many-study program needs bundles or
  Enterprise.
- **Present all pricing as best-effort** — Starter is the entry tier, Enterprise is custom
  (SSO/workspaces/admin/CSM); point the user to **optimalworkshop.com/pricing**.
- **Set participant counts realistically.** Quantitative IA (card sort / tree test) needs ~30+ for a
  stable similarity matrix / findability score; qualitative (Reframer) surfaces most themes with a
  handful. Say it's a rule-of-thumb, not a guarantee.

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, the Starter study-launch cap, recruitment credit
costs, the panel minimum spend, and the (absent) API/export surface move; verify at optimalworkshop.com.*

- **IA success ≠ demand.** Optimal Workshop proves a *structure/design* works, not that anyone will
  *buy* — the go/no-go on building still belongs to a real behavior test (smoke test, pre-sale). Route
  that to `/sales-idea-validation`.
- **No API, no webhooks, no Zapier, no MCP.** Optimal Workshop is UI-first; data-out is **manual
  CSV/spreadsheet export** or **Figma import**. Don't design a live REST pipeline around it — route
  pipeline needs to `/sales-userintuition`.
- **The tools have legacy names — don't get lost.** OptimalSort = card sorting, Treejack = tree
  testing, Chalkmark = first-click, Reframer = qualitative research, Questions = surveys. Users and
  docs still say the product names; translate to the method so you recommend the right one.
- **Starter caps studies *launched*, not responses.** Best-effort ~5 studies/year on Starter with
  **unlimited responses per study** and unlimited seats — the opposite of a per-response cap. Buy
  study bundles or go Enterprise for a high-volume program; confirm the current number at pricing.
- **Card sort vs tree test is the #1 confusion.** Card sorting discovers/validates *categories &
  labels*; tree testing validates *findability* in an existing structure. Run the card sort first to
  design the tree, then the tree test to validate it. (Recruitment is billed separately — panel credits
  ≈ 1/participant — so self-recruit via a share link for small samples; workspaces / SSO / CSM are Enterprise-only.)

## Related skills

- `/sales-uxtweak` — The closest **self-serve all-in-one** peer: the same IA battery (card sorting,
  tree testing, first-click) plus five-second/preference, prototype/website tests, session recording,
  surveys, and moderated interviews in one seat, with its **own 130-country panel** — often a
  lower-entry-price alternative to Optimal Workshop when you want breadth beyond pure IA. Route here to
  compare, or when the job is broader mixed-methods usability. Install: `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-uxtweak -a claude-code`
- `/sales-lyssna` — The ex-UsabilityHub usability + IA twin with a **larger 690k+ panel** and a
  **usable free plan** (3 seats, unlimited quick studies) plus AI follow-ups/summaries — route here to
  compare, or when free-tier generosity / panel size matters. Install: `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-lyssna -a claude-code`
- `/sales-useberry` — The **prototype-first** usability peer (deep Figma/Sketch/ProtoPie import); route here when prototype-flow depth matters more than deep IA (no panel of its own — recruits via Prolific). Install: `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-useberry -a claude-code`
- `/sales-validatethat` — The **budget, MCP-native** IA/usability micro-tool: the same card-sort/tree-test/first-click battery far cheaper (Free tier → ~$19/mo), plus an Idea-Validation Engine and — unlike Optimal Workshop — an **MCP server** (run studies from Claude/Cursor), on-site embeddable studies, and Prolific recruitment; route here when price or agent-driven workflows matter more than benchmark IA depth (it still has no REST API/webhooks). Install: `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-validatethat -a claude-code`
- `/sales-idea-validation` — The tool-agnostic validate-before-building method + the full research/usability/validator landscape (use this to decide build-or-not; a passing IA test is not demand). Install: `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-idea-validation -a claude-code`
- `/sales-userintuition` — The API/webhook/MCP-native real-human interview peer — the pick when you need a programmatic research pipeline Optimal Workshop can't offer. Install: `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-userintuition -a claude-code`
- `/sales-customer-feedback` — Real-customer NPS/CSAT/VoC strategy across tools (analyze *existing* feedback; Optimal Workshop proactively runs new IA/usability tests). 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 an IA/design 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: "Users can't find things in my site's menu — what should I run?"
**User says**: "People keep missing our pricing page in the nav. How do I test the menu structure in Optimal Workshop?"
**Skill does**: Recommends a **tree test in Treejack** (findability without visual design — success
rate + first-click path), optionally preceded by an **open card sort in OptimalSort** if the
*labels/categories* are in question. Explains reading the **pietree** + success/directness, suggests
~30+ participants for a stable result, and notes self-recruiting via a **share link** beats paying panel
credits. Adds that a clean tree test proves the nav *works*, not that the offer sells — take the
build-or-not call to a real behavior test.
**Result**: The user runs a Treejack tree test with the right participant count and reads the pietree correctly.

### Example 2: "How do I get Optimal Workshop results into Notion / my warehouse automatically?" (developer/automation)
**User says**: "I want every completed study's results to flow into our data warehouse and a Notion page."
**Skill does**: States plainly that **Optimal Workshop is UI-first — no public API, webhooks, Zapier,
or MCP** — so there's no automated REST path. Data-out is **manual CSV/spreadsheet export** (+ Figma
import for designs *in*); the warehouse leg is an ETL over the exported CSV, and Notion is a manual
paste or a Zapier "Email/Webhook → Notion" glue around the export, not a native trigger. If a live
pipeline is a hard requirement, routes to `/sales-userintuition` (REST API + HMAC webhooks + MCP),
noting that's interviews, not Optimal Workshop's IA battery.
**Result**: The user stops hunting for an API that doesn't exist and wires up a scheduled CSV export instead.

### Example 3: "Is Starter enough, or do I have to pay to recruit testers?"
**User says**: "I'm a solo founder. Can I run a real card sort on Starter, and how much are participants?"
**Skill does**: Lays out Starter as best-effort — an entry plan **capping studies *launched* per year
(~5)** with **unlimited responses and seats** — so one card sort fits easily. Explains **recruitment is
billed separately** (panel ≈ 1 credit/participant, managed more), so the economical path is
**self-recruiting** via a **share link** (no per-participant fee), and points to
optimalworkshop.com/pricing to confirm numbers. Flags every figure as best-effort.
**Result**: The founder runs a card sort within Starter using self-recruited testers and avoids panel credits.

## Troubleshooting

### "Which tool do I use — OptimalSort or Treejack?"
**Symptom**: The user isn't sure whether to test *categories/labels* or *navigation findability* (the product names hide the method).
**Solution**: Use **OptimalSort (card sorting)** when the question is how users *group and name* content
(open = create/label to discover a structure; closed = sort into *your* categories to validate them).
Use **Treejack (tree testing)** when the structure exists and the question is whether users can **find**
an item (findability + first-click path, no visual design). Run the card sort to *design* the tree, then
the tree test to *validate* it — read the card sort via **similarity matrix / dendrogram**, the tree
test via **pietree** + success/directness.

### "Why did my study stop letting me launch a new one?"
**Symptom**: A new study won't go live even though existing studies still collect responses.
**Solution**: The **Starter plan caps studies *launched* per year** (best-effort ~5) while **responses
per study are unlimited** — it's a study-count limit, not a response cap. Finish/close studies you no
longer need, **buy a study bundle**, or move to **Enterprise** (custom volume + workspaces + admin).
Confirm the current number and bundle pricing at optimalworkshop.com/pricing (best-effort).

### "How do I automate exports / connect Optimal Workshop to my stack?"
**Symptom**: The user wants results flowing into a CRM, warehouse, or Slack automatically.
**Solution**: Optimal Workshop has **no public API, webhooks, Zapier, or MCP** — it's UI-first. Use
**manual CSV/spreadsheet export** for handoff/ETL and **Figma import** for designs *in*; there's no
native results-out trigger, so glue an export into a scheduled job or a Zapier "Email/Webhook parse →
destination" flow. If an automated programmatic pipeline is required, use an API-native tool instead —
route to `/sales-userintuition` (REST API + HMAC-signed webhooks + MCP server).