Building an interactive quiz sounds easy—until you actually sit down to do it. Whether you want more leads, better engagement, or just a fun way to help folks learn something, a good quiz can do the trick. This guide is for anyone who wants to go from zero to launch using Outgrow, with step-by-step instructions and plain advice on what matters (and what most people overthink).
Step 1: Get Started with Outgrow
First things first: you’ll need an Outgrow account. They offer a free trial, but most useful features are paywalled. Don’t expect to get very far on the free plan—just fair warning.
- Go to Outgrow and sign up. Use your work email if you plan to embed quizzes on your company site.
- Once you’re in, you’ll land on the dashboard. Ignore most of the flashy templates for now.
Pro Tip: Outgrow’s interface is busy. Stick with the basics until you’re comfortable.
Step 2: Pick a Quiz Type
Outgrow offers calculators, surveys, assessments, and quizzes. For most interactive quizzes, you’ll want either a “Quiz with Outcomes” (think personality or product recommendation quizzes) or a “Scored Quiz” (right/wrong answers, tallying up a score).
- Click “Create New Experience.”
- Choose “Quiz” and pick either “Quiz with Outcomes” or “Scored Quiz.”
- Quiz with Outcomes: Good for “Which coffee are you?” or “What’s your marketing style?”
- Scored Quiz: Use this if you want to grade people (“How much do you know about GDPR?”).
What to Ignore: Don’t get hung up on templates with fancy graphics. You can tweak colors later. Focus on structure.
Step 3: Choose a Template (or Start Blank)
Outgrow pushes templates hard. They look slick, but most are generic. If you see one that’s close to what you need, go ahead and use it—it’ll save you time. Otherwise, start with a blank template.
- Browse the templates or select “Blank.”
- Click “Use Template” to start editing.
Honest Take: Most templates require heavy editing anyway—especially for questions and branding.
Step 4: Set Up Your Questions
This is where the real work happens. Don’t overcomplicate it. A quiz with 5-7 questions is usually plenty. More than 10, and people start to bail.
- Click “Questions” in the quiz builder.
- Add your questions, one at a time.
- Multiple choice works best. You can do sliders or images, but only use them if they make the quiz more fun or easier to answer.
- For scored quizzes, mark the correct answer.
- For outcome-based quizzes, link answers to different outcomes (“Mostly As = You’re a Night Owl!”).
Tips: - Write clear, short questions. - Avoid jargon unless your audience expects it. - If you’re lost, look at BuzzFeed quizzes for inspiration (seriously).
What Doesn’t Work: Long paragraphs. Outgrow isn’t built for essay questions or deep diagnostics.
Step 5: Set Up Outcomes or Scoring Logic
If you’re doing a “Quiz with Outcomes,” this is where you define what people get at the end.
- Go to “Results” or “Outcomes.”
- Add a short description and a strong image for each outcome.
- Set up logic: assign each answer to an outcome, or use Outgrow’s “Outcome Mapping” tool.
For “Scored Quiz,” you’ll define score ranges (“0-3: Needs Improvement,” “4-5: Expert!”).
Watch Out: Outgrow’s logic builder is visual but can get confusing fast. Double-check your mappings—run through the quiz yourself to catch mistakes.
Step 6: Customize Your Design (But Don’t Obsess)
You can change colors, fonts, backgrounds, and button styles. It’s easy to waste hours here.
- Go to the “Design” tab.
- Pick a color palette that matches your brand (or just looks good).
- Upload your logo if you have one.
- Keep fonts simple and readable.
What to Ignore: Don’t stress about micro-adjusting every shade of blue. Get it looking decent and move on.
Step 7: Add Lead Capture (If You Want Emails)
Outgrow lets you add a lead form (name, email, etc.) before or after showing results. If you’re collecting leads, put the form before the results—otherwise, most people will just skip it.
- Go to “Lead Generation.”
- Drag in the fields you want (keep it short: name and email are enough).
- Add a privacy note if you care about GDPR (you probably should).
Pro Tip: Outgrow integrates with most email tools (Mailchimp, HubSpot, etc.), but you’ll need to connect these in “Integrations.” Set this up early to avoid missing leads.
What Doesn’t Work: Forcing people to fill out a dozen fields. Every extra question means more people drop off.
Step 8: Preview and Test Your Quiz
Don’t skip this. Outgrow’s preview mode lets you run through the quiz as a user.
- Click “Preview” in the top right.
- Try every possible path—answer all As, all Bs, random combos.
- Check that results make sense and lead capture works.
Skeptical Take: Outgrow’s logic can get weird with complex branching. If you’re not sure, keep it simple.
Step 9: Publish and Share
Once you’re happy with your quiz:
- Click “Publish.”
- You’ll get a link to your quiz (hosted on Outgrow’s domain).
- To embed on your site, grab the embed code and paste it into your website’s HTML.
Tips: - Test the embed on mobile—Outgrow quizzes are mobile-friendly, but not always perfect. - Share your quiz on social media, email, wherever your audience hangs out.
What to Ignore: Outgrow offers a bunch of analytics out of the box. Don’t get lost in the weeds. Focus on completion rate and lead capture.
Step 10: Check Results and Iterate
Your quiz is live—congrats. Now, check back after a week to see what’s working.
- Go to the “Analytics” tab.
- Look for drop-off points (where people quit).
- Tweak questions, shorten the quiz, or adjust outcomes based on feedback.
Pro Tip: Most quizzes flop the first time. That’s normal. Iterate quickly—small changes can make a big difference.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Ship It, Then Improve
Building a quiz in Outgrow isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to get bogged down in design or logic rabbit holes. Start small. Launch something basic. See if people like it, then polish later. Most importantly: don’t let perfect be the enemy of done.
You’re not building a NASA dashboard—you’re trying to help (and maybe entertain) your audience. Good luck, and don’t overthink it.