How can I create segments using matrix grid questions?

Matrix grid questions require an extra step to use in segmentation. This FAQ covers how to create segments based on matrix grid question results by uploading external variables. There are two ways to classify respondents before uploading: manually using the Excel export, or automatically using Insights Explorer.

Preparing your segmentation file

Option 1: Manual classification via Excel export

Step 1

Download the Excel export of your experiment and open the Respondents tab.

Step 2

Based on each respondent’s matrix grid answers, assign them to a segment — for example, by grouping respondents according to a shared response pattern or rating threshold.

Step 3

Add a new tab with two column types: a Participant ID column, and one column per segment named after that segment.

E.g. A column named “High Raters” could be used to classify respondents who rated items 4 or 5 on a Likert matrix grid. For each respondent, enter 1 if they belong to that segment or 0 if they do not.

Step 4

Save this tab as a .csv file.

Option 2: Automatic classification via Insights Explorer

Insights Explorer offers a quick way to classify respondents based on matrix grid responses without needing to manually export and reclassify your data outside of Conjointly.

Step 1

Open your report and click on Insights Explorer.

Step 2

In the chat, enter a prompt asking the AI assistant to segment respondents based on their answers to a specific matrix grid question in your experiment.

E.g. “Using the matrix grid question Q42, segment each respondent based on their coffee drinking frequency. The matrix rows are:

• Espresso
• Americano
• Latte
• Cappuccino
• Cold brew
• Instant coffee

Assign each respondent to exactly one of the following four segments based on their highest frequency rating across all rows:

• Heavy Coffee Drinker — rated ‘multiple times a day’ on at least one row
• Daily Coffee Drinker — rated ‘once a day’ on at least one row
• Occasional Coffee Drinker — rated ‘a few times a week’ on at least one row
• Non-Coffee Drinker — rated ’never’ on all rows

Export the results as a .csv with two columns: Participant ID and Coffee drinking frequency.”

Step 3

Download the resulting .csv file from Insights Explorer.

Uploading your .csv file

Step 1

Open the Insights tab in your survey report.

Step 2

Click the Review participants button.

Step 3

Click the Upload external data button located at the bottom-left of the screen to open the external variable upload wizard, then follow the instructions.

Once uploaded

Once your .csv has been uploaded, the variables you created will be available in the following places:

• Participants list — displayed as a new column, with each row showing a respondent’s assigned value.
• Excel output — included under the Respondents tab in future exports.
• Segmentation — accessible by selecting Externally supplied variable when creating a segment in the report.