Creating MaxDiff Study

What is Maxiff Study?

MaxDiff (short for Maximum Difference Scaling) is a type of survey question used to measure preferences or priorities among a list of items. Instead of asking respondents to rate each item individually, MaxDiff shows them a smaller subset and asks them to choose the most and least important, appealing, or preferred item from that set.

In this article we will cover the following topics: 

• What is MaxDiff study? 
• Why use MaxDiff? 
• Setting up MaxDiff with attributes
• Results section 
• Choice Distribution
• Preference Share
• Utility Score
• Smart Filters
• Chart Options 
• Report Customization
• TURF Simulator
• Sharing and Downloading data
  
  Before going further, let’s clarify what attributes are.

In a MaxDiff question, attributes are the items you're testing—these could be product features, service benefits, brand values, or any options you want to compare. They represent the things you want to know your audience’s preferences about.

A MaxDiff task might then show a subset of 3–5 of these and ask the respondent to select which is most important and least important.

For example let’s say a phone company wants to understand what features matter most to customers when choosing a new phone. They might consider attributes like:

• Camera quality
• Battery life
• Processing speed
• Durability / build quality
• Storage capacity
• Display quality (e.g., OLED, refresh rate)
• Operating system (iOS/Android)
• Screen size
• Brand reputation
• Price
• 5G connectivity
• Availability of accessories (cases, chargers, e...

These features are called attributes in a MaxDiff question.

Why use MaxDiff?

MaxDiff helps you understand what truly matters to your audience. Instead of asking people to rate each item (where everything can seem equally important), MaxDiff shows a few options at a time and asks them to pick the most important and least important.

This forces real choices, helping you see clear priorities—not just general preferences. The result is more accurate and actionable insights than you’d get from traditional rating scales.

Lets see how to create a MaxDiff question. 

1. Under New Survey, go to Research.
   
2. Choose MaxDiff question type.
   

3. Setting up the MaxDiff question

   
   3.1. Question: You can change the question you want to display.
   Under Attributes: 

3.2. You will be able to choose the selection style from Radio; Check,  Cross; Thumbs

3.3. You can also choose the labels for the scale or even custom create a label.

3.4. Under features, you will be able to add the list of attributes.

Note: 

• Use ‘ Add Another’ to add attributes. 
• Use ‘Add in Bulk’ to import bulk choices. 

• You can add up to 30 attributes.
  
  Pro Tip: For reliable MaxDiff results, include 12–25 attributes. This range avoids respondent fatigue and ensures more accurate insights, even though up to 30 are allowed.
  
• 3.5. You can also add images to your MaxDiff questions to help respondents better understand each option. This is especially useful when you're testing visual features, like product design or packaging.
  

When you add an image, it replaces the text label for that attribute. For example, instead of showing “Camera quality,” you might use a photo highlighting the phone’s camera. If the image file has a clear name, you can choose to show the file name to make the option easier to identify.

Under Configuration:

In the configuration settings, you can control two key aspects of your MaxDiff question:

• Number of steps – This is how many times the MaxDiff task will appear to each respondent. More steps allow each attribute to be shown multiple times in different combinations, which improves the reliability of the results.
  
  Pro Tip: Use the Auto option as it automatically determines the ideal number of steps based on the total attributes you've added and ensures better balance.
  
• Number of attributes per step – This determines how many options are shown in each MaxDiff question. For example, showing 4 or 5 attributes at a time helps respondents make meaningful comparisons without overwhelming them.
  

4. Click on ‘Add to Survey’.

Results section of MaxDiff study 

1.  Navigate to the results tab.
2. Go to Research. Under Research you will have 3 main analysis - Choice Distribution, Preference Share and Utility Score.
You’ll also see the minimum number of responses needed for reliable insights. This is calculated based on how many features you’ve added, how frequently each feature appears across choice sets, and how many features are shown per set.
Meeting this threshold helps ensure your MaxDiff results are stable and statistically valid.

Choice Distribution 

This highlights how often each feature was selected as the most or least preferred when shown to respondents. It gives you a quick overview of how each attribute performed based on actual selections, helping you spot which features stand out positively or negatively.

This section displays:

• The number of selections each feature received
• Which attributes were selected most and least

These details provide a clear picture of respondents’ selection patterns and overall preferences.

Preference Share

The Preference Share section shows the relative popularity of each feature based on modelled probabilities, not just raw selections. It represents how likely a feature is to be chosen as the most preferred when compared to all other options.

This metric is calculated using a statistical model that transforms utility scores into probabilities, allowing each feature to be compared on a common scale. The values are expressed as percentages, summing to 100%, and help pinpoint which attributes hold the strongest appeal across your audience.

You'll also see how each attribute compares to the average, making it easier to spot standout features—or those that may need improvement. This insight supports data-driven decisions around product design, marketing focus, and feature prioritization.

Utility Score

The Utility Score section shows the perceived value of each feature based on respondents' preferences. It reflects how much each feature is valued relative to others, with positive scores indicating greater appeal and negative scores suggesting less interest.

This metric is calculated using the Hierarchical Bayesian model that takes into account each respondent’s choices, adjusting the scores to ensure fair comparison across all features. The scores are averaged to give a clear view of each feature's relative importance.

Smart Filters

Smart Filters are especially useful when you've included additional questions in your survey. For example, if you ask respondents to share their age group, you can use a filter to compare preferences between younger and older age segments.

These filters help you focus your analysis on a specific group of respondents, making it easier to uncover trends, compare segments, and draw meaningful conclusions. Once applied, the filters automatically update your charts, tables, and exports to reflect only the data that matters to that group.

This saves time, reduces manual work, and ensures your insights are always relevant.

Lets see how to create Smart Filters. 

1. Go to ‘Add Smart Filters’.
   
2. Click on Create New Smart Filter.
   
3. Give a name for your filter and click on Add Criteria.
   
4. Under Criteria, you will be able to filter by any or all conditions.
   
5. Under When, you will be able to select the property for filtering based on Question and Answer, Share channel, Response Property and Respondent Details.
   Note: You can also have multiple Properties to filter. To do this click on ‘Add Group’. 
   
6. Once done, click on Save Smart Filter. 
7. Now, click on Add Smart Filters and you will see a dropdown with the filter name you created. You can choose to apply the filter.  

Chart Options 

Chart options allow you to control how data is visually presented in your report. They help you adjust the look and layout of your charts, making insights easier to read and interpret at a glance. This ensures your findings are clear and consistent. 

Let's see how to do this. 

1. Click on the 3 dots on top right on the chart.
   You will see a list of options.
   

• Sort: You can sort the chart by different options, such as Best or Worst. Each option can be arranged from highest to lowest or lowest to highest, making it easier to identify key trends at a glance.
  
• Hide Chart Values: You can choose to hide the number labels on the bar graphs, displaying only the visual representation of the data.
  
• Change Visualization: You can switch between a bar chart or a table view, depending on your preference for data presentation.
  
• Download: You will be able to download the chart in either JPEG or PNG format for easy sharing or inclusion in reports.
  
• View in Full Screen: You can expand the chart to full screen for a clearer, more detailed view.
  

Report Customization

With report customization, you can change colors, fonts, and include specific insights to enhance the visual appeal and clarity of your MaxDiff report. This allows you to present your data in a way that is both visually engaging and tailored to your audience's needs, making the insights easier to understand and more impactful.

Let’s see how to customize our report.

1. Click on the 3 dots on the top right corner.
   
2. Click on Customize Report.
   
3. You will have the following options 

• Cover Image: You can add an image for the cover of your report. 
• Report Name: You can change the name to whatever name you want in the report. 
• Under Configuration, you can choose to include insights. Enabling this will display key findings on respondent preferences and provide a summary of the results. You can also choose whether or not to display the chart values. 
• Under Typography you can change the font and change the colours. There are 2 aspects for which you can choose the palette. Regular palette- this is for all the charts.
  Divergent palette- Ideal for showing positive and negative values, especially for variations in Utility Scores.

4. Once done, click on Save & Update.
   
5. The next option under 3 dots is Smart Filters. Refer to the section on Smart filters. You will then be able to Refresh. This will sync all your latest responses. This ensures your reports, charts, and insights are up to date with the most recent data collected.

TURF Simulator

TURF (Total Unduplicated Reach and Frequency) Simulator helps identify the combination of features that will appeal to the largest share of your target market. It calculates the reach of different combinations of items, helping you prioritize those that resonate the most.

Let’s see how to set up a TURF Simulator.

1. Go to TURF Simulator on the top right.
   
2. TURF Simulator configurations:

• Calculation Type: There are 3 types of calculations. 

Top-One Method
This method calculates the percentage of the sample that is "reached" by each product combination, based on the most preferred option. It determines the proportion of respondents who would select that combination as their top choice.

Top-Two Method
The Top-Two method expands the approach by considering the percentage of respondents who would choose a product combination as either their most preferred or second-most preferred. This helps identify combinations that are highly likely to be favored overall.

Hierarchical Bayesian (HB) Method
The Hierarchical Bayesian method uses a statistical model to calculate the likelihood of a combination being selected, taking into account the preferences of individual respondents. It provides more granular insights by incorporating individual-level data, resulting in more precise predictions of consumer choices.

• Smart Filters: You can refer to the section on Smart Filters. 
• Groups: Under Groups, you can add the attributes you want to analyze.
  You can also create multiple groups by clicking on Add New Group and then adding attributes under each group.
  This is done to organize and segment your data more effectively, allowing you to analyze different sets of attributes separately or in combination, based on your research needs. It helps in identifying patterns and making more targeted insights within each group.
  
  Once you have added the attributes and created the groups, click on Run Simulator.
  
  
  
  
• You can use these icons to toggle between different display formats—graph and table, table only, or graph only—depending on how you want to view or present your data. This gives you flexibility to focus on visuals, detailed numbers, or both.
  
  3. Click on Add Report to add it to the report.
  

Responses section

The Responses section provides a detailed view of how respondents interacted with the MaxDiff survey. It helps you analyze individual-level data to understand patterns in their preferences and decisions.

In the Responses section, you can view individual-level data such as:

• The order in which the attributes were shown
  
• The options each respondent selected as most and least preferred

This helps you gain insights into how respondents engaged with the MaxDiff tasks and what choices they made.

Sharing and Downloading Data

You can download both the report and the raw data for further analysis. Additionally, you have the option to share reports and responses directly with others, making collaboration and decision-making easier.

Let’s see how to share the reports and responses

1. Go to the arrow on the top right.
   
2. You will see 3 options:

• Research: You will be able to share the MaxDiff report with anyone who has the link or anyone with the link and password. You will be able to share as a link.
  
• Reports: You will be able to share the Default report with anyone who has the link or anyone with link and password. You can also be able to schedule the report.
  
• Responses: You will be able to export the responses as Google Sheets or through Excel Online.
  

Let’s see how we can Download the reports and responses. 

1. Go to Download on the top right.
   
   
2. You will have 4 options

• Research: You can download the MaxDiff report as a PDF, or choose to export the Raw Data.
  Under Raw Data, you’ll be able to select specific sections like Choice Distribution, Preference Share, etc.
  
  Once selected, click Export as XLSX to download.
  

• Overview: You can download a summary report that includes details like average time taken to complete the survey, language used, and distribution type. You can download as Available in PDF and PPT formats.
  
• Report: You can download a version of the report that includes insights at the question level, helping you understand how respondents interacted with different choices. You can download as PDF and PPT formats.
  
• Responses: You can export individual responses for deeper analysis. You can download as in formats like CSV, XLSX, or SPSS. 

Recent Downloads

This section appears across all four download types. It lets you quickly access the reports, responses, or data files you’ve recently downloaded—so you don’t need to export the same file multiple times.

Feel free to reach out to our community if you have questions.