Progressive Profiling: Build Rich User Profiles One Question at a Time

The Problem with Long Forms

You want to know everything about your users: their role, company size, goals, pain points, how they found you, and what features matter most. But asking all of this at once creates friction that kills conversions.

Progressive profiling solves this by spreading data collection across multiple sessions. Instead of one overwhelming form, you ask a single question at a time, when it's most relevant.

What is Progressive Profiling?

Progressive profiling is a strategy where you collect small pieces of information about users over time, gradually building a complete picture. Each interaction adds one more data point to their profile.

After a month, you have a complete profile: role, goals, company size, and satisfaction level. The user never felt burdened because each question took just seconds to answer.

How It Works with Popsee

Popsee makes progressive profiling straightforward with two features: custom parameters and webhooks. Here's how they work together:

Step 1: Pass the User ID

When you embed the Popsee widget, include the user's ID as a custom parameter. This ties every response back to that specific user in your system.

<script
  src="https://popsee.com/popsee.js"
  data-api-key="pk_your_api_key"
  data-user-id="user_12345"
  data-email="jane@example.com"
  data-plan="pro"
></script>

You can pass up to 10 custom parameters. Common ones include:

• data-user-id - Your internal user identifier
• data-email - User's email address
• data-plan - Subscription tier (free, pro, enterprise)
• data-signup-date - When they joined
• data-company - Company name

Step 2: Configure a Webhook

Set up a webhook URL in your survey settings. Popsee will POST responses to this endpoint in real-time, including all custom parameters.

{
  "event": "response.completed",
  "timestamp": "2026-01-26T14:30:00.000Z",
  "survey": {
    "id": "survey_abc123",
    "name": "Role Question"
  },
  "response": {
    "id": "resp_xyz789",
    "answers": [
      { "questionId": "q1", "value": "Product Manager" }
    ],
    "customParams": {
      "userId": "user_12345",
      "email": "jane@example.com",
      "plan": "pro"
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Update the User Profile

Your webhook endpoint receives the response, extracts the userId from customParams, and updates that user's profile in your database.

// Express.js webhook handler
app.post('/webhooks/popsee', async (req, res) => {
  const { response } = req.body;
  const userId = response.customParams.userId;
  const answer = response.answers[0].value;

  // Update user profile in your database
  await db.users.update({
    where: { id: userId },
    data: { role: answer }
  });

  // Optionally sync to your CRM, email tool, etc.
  await crm.updateContact(userId, { role: answer });

  res.status(200).send('OK');
});

What Data to Collect Progressively

Not all information is worth collecting. Focus on data points that help you personalize the experience, qualify leads, or improve your product.

Best Practices for Progressive Profiling

1. Time Your Questions Thoughtfully

Don't ask for information before users have context. Ask about goals after they've explored the product. Ask for NPS after they've had time to form an opinion.

2. Track What You've Already Asked

Use your database to track which questions each user has already answered. Then use URL targeting or custom logic to only show surveys to users who haven't completed them yet.

// Only show widget if user hasn't answered role question
const user = await getUser(userId);

if (!user.role) {
  // Dynamically inject the Popsee script for role survey
  loadPopseeWidget('pk_role_survey_key', userId);
}

3. Use Branching Logic

If someone says they're a "Developer", your follow-up questions should be different than for a "Marketing Manager". Popsee's branching logic lets you customize the flow based on previous answers.

4. Respect Frequency Limits

Even small questions can be annoying if they appear too often. Use Popsee's cooldown settings to ensure users see surveys no more than once every 7-14 days.

5. Provide Value in Return

Make it clear why you're asking. "Help us personalize your experience" or "We'll use this to recommend features for you" increases response rates because users understand the benefit.

Example Architecture

Here's a complete example of how progressive profiling might work in a typical SaaS application:

// 1. In your app's layout, conditionally load surveys
function loadProfileSurveys(user) {
  const baseParams = {
    'data-user-id': user.id,
    'data-email': user.email,
    'data-plan': user.plan
  };

  // Check what profile data is missing
  if (!user.role && user.daysActive >= 1) {
    loadSurvey('pk_role_survey', baseParams);
  } else if (!user.goals && user.daysActive >= 7) {
    loadSurvey('pk_goals_survey', baseParams);
  } else if (!user.companySize && user.daysActive >= 14) {
    loadSurvey('pk_company_survey', baseParams);
  } else if (!user.npsScore && user.daysActive >= 30) {
    loadSurvey('pk_nps_survey', baseParams);
  }
}

// 2. Webhook handler updates the profile
app.post('/webhooks/popsee', async (req, res) => {
  const { survey, response } = req.body;
  const userId = response.customParams.userId;

  // Map survey to profile field
  const fieldMap = {
    'Role Question': 'role',
    'Goals Survey': 'goals',
    'Company Size': 'companySize',
    'NPS Survey': 'npsScore'
  };

  const field = fieldMap[survey.name];
  const value = response.answers[0].value;

  await updateUserProfile(userId, { [field]: value });

  // Sync to CRM
  await syncToCRM(userId);

  res.status(200).send('OK');
});

The Benefits Add Up

Get Started with Progressive Profiling

1. List the data you need - What profile fields would help you personalize, sell, or improve?
2. Prioritize by value - Which data points would have the biggest impact if you had them?
3. Create single-question surveys - One survey per data point, keep them short
4. Set up your webhook endpoint - Build the integration to receive and store responses
5. Add the widget with user ID - Pass the user identifier so responses tie back to profiles
6. Define your timing rules - Decide when each question should appear in the user journey