Creating and Managing Interviews

Your Interview Dashboard

The interview dashboard is your home base in InterviewCue. Here you'll create new interviews, search through existing ones, and access everything you've recorded.

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of the interview dashboard/list page]

Creating a New Interview

Quick Create

  1. Click the "New Interview" button at the top
  2. Enter a descriptive name
  3. Click "Create"

That's it! You're immediately taken to the edit page to start adding questions.

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of the create interview modal/form]

Naming Best Practices

Good interview names help you find things later and keep your library organized.

✅ Good Names:

  • "Sarah Chen - Sustainable Tech Innovation"
  • "EP142: Marketing Strategies with John Smith"
  • "Jane Doe Interview (June 2025) - Climate Policy"

❌ Less Helpful Names:

  • "Interview 1"
  • "Test"
  • "Podcast episode"

Pro Tips:

  • Include the guest name for easy recognition
  • Add the main topic so you know what it's about
  • Consider adding an episode number if you have one
  • Include the date if you interview the same person multiple times

The Interview List

Your dashboard shows all your interviews in reverse chronological order (newest first).

What You'll See

Each interview card displays:

  • Interview name - What you called it
  • Question count - How many questions you've added
  • Status indicator - Not started, in progress, or completed
  • Show badge - If associated with a show (optional)
  • Last modified date - When you last edited it
  • Action buttons - Quick access to edit, live mode, etc.

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of an interview card with labels]

Interview Status

Interviews can be in different states:

  • 📝 Draft - You're still preparing (no started_date)
  • 🎙️ Recording - Currently in live mode (started but not ended)
  • ✅ Completed - Interview finished (has recorded_date)

Searching Your Interviews

As your library grows, search becomes invaluable. InterviewCue's search is fast and comprehensive.

How to Search

  1. Type in the search box at the top of the interview list
  2. Results filter instantly as you type
  3. Clear the search by clicking the × button

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of search in action with results]

What Gets Searched

The search looks through:

  • Interview names - The title you gave it
  • Question text - All your questions
  • Background notes - Private notes on questions
  • Reference links - URLs and link names
  • Notes and events - Captured highlights, follow-ups, etc.
  • Show names - Names of shows associated with interviews
  • Host names - Names of hosts from associated shows

Example: Searching for "climate" finds:

  • Interviews with "climate" in the name
  • Questions about climate change
  • Background notes mentioning climate policy
  • Events captured during interviews about climate
  • Shows with "climate" in the name
  • Interviews associated with shows that have "climate" hosts

Example: Searching for "Python Bytes" finds:

  • All interviews associated with the "Python Bytes" show
  • Shows named "Python Bytes"
  • Interviews for shows with hosts named "Python Bytes"

Search Tips

  • Partial words work - "sustain" finds "sustainable"
  • Case insensitive - "TECH" and "tech" work the same
  • Multiple words - Results match ANY word (OR search)
  • Guest names - Great way to find all interviews with someone

Organizing Your Interviews

Using Shows

Shows are the recommended way to organize related interviews:

  • Create a show for each podcast series or recurring program
  • Associate interviews with their show during creation or editing
  • Filter interviews by show name or host names using search
  • Maintain consistent branding and metadata

Example:

  • Create "Python Bytes" show
  • Associate all Python Bytes episodes with that show
  • Search for "Python Bytes" to see all episodes

Learn more in Managing Shows.

Using Naming Conventions

While shows are recommended, you can also stay organized with smart naming conventions.

Organizational Strategies

By Podcast Series:

TalkPython 001: Guest Name - Topic
TalkPython 002: Guest Name - Topic

By Topic:

[Tech] Guest Name - Specific Topic
[Business] Guest Name - Specific Topic

By Year/Quarter:

2025-Q4: Guest Name - Topic
2025-11: Guest Name - Topic

By Status:

[DRAFT] Guest Name - Topic
[RECORDED] Guest Name - Topic
[PUBLISHED] Guest Name - Topic

Choose what works for your workflow!

Viewing Interview Details

Click on any interview name to view its details page.

What's on the Details Page

  • Interview metadata - Name, dates, status
  • Questions list - All your questions at a glance
  • Quick actions - Edit, Go Live, Post-Production, Delete
  • Statistics - Number of questions, events captured, duration

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of interview details page]

From here you can:

  • Edit - Modify questions, add links, update details
  • Go Live - Start conducting the interview
  • Post-Production - View timeline and export
  • Delete - Remove the interview (careful!)

Editing Interview Metadata

Need to rename an interview or update details?

  1. Open the interview details page
  2. Click "Edit" or "Edit Interview"
  3. Change the name or other details
  4. (Optional) Associate with a Show or change show association
  5. Click "Save" or "Update"

Show Association:

  • Select a show from the dropdown to associate the interview
  • Select "None" to remove show association
  • Only your own shows appear in the dropdown

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of edit interview name/metadata]

Deleting Interviews

Sometimes you need to clean up drafts or remove old content.

How to Delete

  1. Open the interview details page
  2. Scroll to the bottom
  3. Click "Delete Interview"
  4. Confirm you really want to delete it

⚠️ Warning: Deletion is permanent! Make sure you:

  • Exported any data you need
  • Double-checked you're deleting the right interview
  • Understand this cannot be undone

What Gets Deleted

Everything associated with the interview:

  • All questions and background notes
  • All captured events and timestamps
  • Reference links
  • Transcripts (if uploaded)
  • Share links (they'll stop working)

Interview Counts and Statistics

At the top of your dashboard, you'll see:

  • Total interviews - How many you've created
  • Completed interviews - How many you've finished
  • Hours recorded - Total interview time (if tracked)

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of dashboard statistics]

These stats help you track your progress and productivity!

Best Practices

Keep Your Library Clean

  • Delete test interviews you don't need
  • Archive or export old content you want to preserve
  • Use consistent naming so search works better

Use Search Effectively

  • Search by guest name to find all their interviews
  • Search by topic to find related content
  • Search by date if you used dates in your names

Stay Organized from the Start

  • Choose a naming convention and stick to it
  • Add detailed questions so search finds them
  • Use background notes—they're searchable too!

Regular Maintenance

  • Review your interview list monthly
  • Export completed interviews for backup
  • Clean up drafts you're not going to use

Quick Reference

Action How To
Create interview Click "New Interview" button
Search interviews Type in search box at top
View details Click interview name
Edit interview Open details, click "Edit"
Delete interview Details page → "Delete Interview"
Clear search Click × button in search box

What's Next?

Now that you know how to manage your interview library, learn how to prepare great content:

Need to find something? Remember, your search feature is always there—just start typing! You can search by interview name, show name, host names, questions, and more.