Visual Tests is a separate, newer area of the workspace - currently marked beta - built specifically for testing images, videos, and 3D concepts directly, rather than the text-based questions Survey Builder is designed around. The distinction matters more than it might sound: a lot of the feedback people actually need isn't phraseable as a normal survey question in the first place. "Which of these two packaging designs do you prefer?" or "what do you think of this specific part of the layout?" are fundamentally visual questions, and Visual Tests exists to ask them directly rather than forcing them into a rating scale under an embedded screenshot.
The Two Section Types¶
A Visual Test is built from sections, and two purpose-built types cover most of what people need. A Stimulus Section lets you upload an image, video, or 3D model, draw labeled areas over the specific parts you want feedback on, and attach a targeted question to each one - so a question about the headline and a question about the call-to-action button stay cleanly separated, even though they're both about the same image. A Pairwise Comparison section runs a set of images through a head-to-head knockout: two images at a time, a forced pick, the winner advancing to face a new challenger, until a clear overall preference emerges - a genuinely different, more decisive signal than asking someone to rate several images independently.
You can combine both inside a single Visual Test, alongside plain question-only sections, in whatever order makes sense for what you're trying to learn - use a Stimulus Section to understand why people react the way they do to individual concepts, then a Pairwise Comparison section later in the same test to force a ranked decision across all of them.
We've written full, dedicated guides on each: testing designs with the Stimulus Section covers highlight-based feedback in depth, and running preference tournaments with Pairwise Comparison covers the knockout mechanic, including when to use its Leagues mode for grouped comparisons.
When to Reach for This Instead of a Regular Survey¶
If what you're testing is fundamentally an image, a video, or a design concept - a logo direction, packaging, an ad, a landing page - Visual Tests is the right starting point. If you're asking about opinions, experiences, or anything you'd naturally phrase as a text question, Survey Builder is still the better fit. The two aren't competing tools; they're built around different kinds of input, and plenty of projects only ever need one or the other.
The Basic Workflow¶
A Visual Test is created and shared the same way a regular survey is - build it, preview it, publish it, and share the resulting link. Results come back into the same Report tab you'd check for any survey, ready to filter and export, so nothing about reading the results requires learning a separate system once the test is actually running.
FAQ¶
Do I need to use both section types?
No - use whichever fits what you're testing. Plenty of Visual Tests only use one section type throughout.
Is Visual Tests fully released?
It's currently marked beta - fully usable, but newer and evolving faster than the more established Survey Builder area.
Can I combine Visual Tests sections with regular survey questions?
Yes - a Visual Test can include plain question-only sections alongside Stimulus and Pairwise Comparison sections.
Where do results show up?
In the same Report tab as any other survey - no separate dashboard or export format to learn.
Ready to try it? Start a Visual Test on Opionate and upload your first image or concept.