Step by Step Guide

How CardSort Works

Run studies, recruit participants, and analyze results — all in one platform. Get from setup to insights in under 10 minutes with our simple 3-step process.

Step 01

Create Your Study

Set up your card sorting study with our intuitive interface. Choose from templates or start from scratch.

Add cards with descriptions
Create categories (closed/hybrid sorts)
Customize the experience
Choose from templates
  • Choose between Open, Closed, or Hybrid card sorting
  • Import cards from CSV or add them manually
  • Set up participant information collection
  • Preview your study before launching
01
Step 02

Recruit & Share

Share your link anywhere or recruit quality participants through Prolific. Get responses from your network or a global panel of verified users.

Unique shareable link
Prolific recruitment built-in
Drag & drop interface
Achievement system
  • Share your link on social media, email, or Slack
  • Recruit quality participants through Prolific (pay per response)
  • No sign-up required for participants
  • Gamified experience keeps participants engaged
02
Step 03

Analyze Results

Get instant insights with visual analytics and export your data for further analysis.

Similarity matrices
Dendrogram visualizations
CSV data export
Participant insights
  • See how participants grouped your cards
  • Identify common patterns and themes
  • Export raw data for statistical analysis
  • Generate reports for stakeholders
03

Why Choose CardSort?

Run, recruit, and analyze — card sorting, tree testing, and surveys with built-in participant recruitment.

Setup in Minutes

Create professional studies quickly with templates and bulk import.

Built-in Recruitment

Recruit participants through Prolific or share your link anywhere.

Engaging Experience

Gamified interface with achievements keeps participants engaged.

Rich Analytics

Get deep insights with similarity matrices and visual analysis.

Learn More About IA Research

Explore our resources to become an information architecture expert

Ready to Get Started?

Join researchers who are already using CardSort to understand how users think about information architecture.

✨ Free forever plan • 🚀 No credit card required • ⚡ Setup in 5 minutes