Panels are groups of panellists that can be assigned to projects. You can build a panel by combining category filters, panellist characteristics (such as age or gender), and project participation restrictions. This article walks through the full process of creating and configuring a new panel.

Who can do this? This functionality requires the Panel Manager profile. Want to learn about dynamic panels instead? See Categories and Dynamic Panels.

Step 1: Open the Panel List

Go to Panel Management > Panels in the main navigation.

The panel overview will show all existing panels, their type (Static or Dynamic), and the number of users assigned.

Step 2: Create a New Panel

Click + Add Panel.

In the dialog that appears:

1. Enter a name for your panel (e.g., "Beer").
2. Select the Panel Type: Static or Dynamic.
   • Static: Fixed list of panellists. The panel only changes if you manually update it.
   • Dynamic: Automatically updates as panellists meet or no longer meet the filter criteria.
3. Click Create.

The panel configuration screen will open.

Step 3: Filter by Category

Use the Select Category dropdown to filter panellists based on their stored profile data (e.g., dietary habits, allergies, consumption behaviour).

1. Select a category from the dropdown (e.g., "Gluten Allergy").
2. The available answer options will appear, each showing the number of matching panellists in brackets.
3. Select the answer option(s) you want to use as filter criteria (e.g., "No (75)" to include only panellists without a gluten allergy).
   
4. You can also check No Answer to include panellists who have not provided a response for that category. 
   

You can add multiple category filters. Each additional filter further refines the panel.

Filtering with "Pick Any" categories (multi-select)

If the category allows multiple answers per panellist, additional logic controls become available:

These can be combined. For example:

• Exclude + OR: removes any panellist who selected either option.
• Include + AND: includes only panellists who selected both options.

To remove a category filter, click the delete icon next to it.

Step 4: Filter by Panellist Characteristics

Use the Select Panellists Field dropdown to filter by profile fields such as Age, Gender, City, or Postal Code.

Select the field, then choose the values or range you want to apply. The panellist list on the right updates in real time.

Step 5: Apply Participation Restrictions

Use the Select Study Type dropdown to apply restrictions based on past or future project participation. This prevents the same panellists from being included in overlapping studies.

Available restriction types:

• Exclude Panellists from Specific Project Participation: removes panellists who have participated in a selected project.
• Exclude Panellists with Future Appointments: removes panellists already scheduled for upcoming sessions.
• Exclude Panellists with Past Appointments: removes panellists based on previous session history.

After selecting a restriction type, use the additional dropdown that appears to specify the project or time window. The number in brackets shows how many panellists would be excluded.

Multiple restrictions can be applied at the same time.

Step 6: Save the Static Panel 

Click Save to apply your configuration. A success notification will confirm the panel has been saved.

The updated panellist list will reflect your filters immediately.

Adding Your Panel to a Project

Once the panel is created, it can be assigned to a project via the Distribution tab in the project settings. For full instructions, see How to Add a Panel to a Project.

Things to Remember

1. Only users with the Panel Manager profile can create and edit panels.
2. Static panels do not update automatically. If your source data changes, review your panel manually.
3. Categories must exist and be set to Active status before they can be used as panel filters. See Categories and Dynamic Panels for setup instructions.