---
title: "Time Limited Task"
canonical: "https://help.uxarmy.com/space/UT/89587735/Time%20Limited%20Task"
format: markdown
---
Time Limited task allows participants to complete a task within a **defined time duration** using either a **live website link or a prototype**.

Participants interact with the given experience while a timer runs in the background, helping you understand how quickly they can navigate and complete actions.

This task is available across [Website Testing](https://help.uxarmy.com/space/UT/87294017/Testing+Websites) and [Prototype Testing](https://help.uxarmy.com/space/UT/87228445/Testing+non-Figma+Prototypes), but not available in [Mobile App Testing](https://help.uxarmy.com/space/UT/87294044/Testing+Mobile+Apps).

### **Purpose of Time Limited Task**

This task is used to observe how users:

- Understand how quickly users can identify key elements and take action
- Measure **task completion speed and efficiency**, which are key usability indicators
- Observe natural, unguided behavior since unmoderated testing captures users interacting independently in their own environment
- Identify friction points where users slow down, hesitate, or fail to complete tasks
- Validate whether the interface is intuitive enough to support quick decision-making

Time Limited tasks are especially useful when testing:

- First-time usability
- Navigation clarity
- Speed of task completion
- High-intent flows like search, add to cart, or checkout

### **Creating a Time Limited Task (Step-by-Step)**

- Click the **+ (Add Task)** button
- Select **Time Limited**
- Add a **Website Link or Prototype** (based on your test type)
- Set the **Time Limit (in seconds)**
- Choose the **Starting Screen** (for Figma prototype)
- Add your **Task Instructions**
- Configure additional settings if required

**Understanding the Setup**

**Link / Prototype**  
You can test:

- A **live website link** (in Website Testing)
- A **prototype** (in Prototype Testing)

![Time limited Task Link upload portal.png](media://375a8a9d-68a7-4ac9-8264-380149687025)

*Time limited Task - including link to your prototype / website*

![Time Limited Task prototype import overview.png](media://1e374501-ab0c-47b2-b32c-b7694f1174a8)

*Time Limited Task - Prototype import*

This makes the task flexible depending on your testing setup.

**Set a Time Limit**  
Defines how long participants have to complete the task.The timer starts when the task begins and automatically ends when the time is completed.

**Starting Screen (for Prototype)**  
Defines where the participant begins within the prototype flow.

![Setting screen for Time Limited task prototype .png](media://9113cba2-8d91-463a-8a67-799aea6565e1)

*Setting Prototype starting screen for Time Limited task*

**Continue from Previous Screen**  
When enabled, participants continue from the previous task state.  
When disabled, the task starts fresh.

**Task Success Criteria**  
Refer to the [Task Success Criteria Guide](https://help.uxarmy.com/space/UT/89554947/Success+Criteria) for detailed setup

### **Writing Task Instructions**

Instructions should clearly define **what the participant needs to complete within the given time**.

Keep them:

- Short and direct
- Focused on one goal
- Easy to understand quickly

**Example:**  
 “You will see a food delivery website screen for 8 seconds. Try to understand what you can do on this page and where you would go to order food.”

### **Difference Between Time Limited and 5-second Task**

- **Time Limited Task** allows testing **interactive experiences** like websites or prototypes where users can click, navigate, and perform actions within a set time.
- **The 5-second Task** is limited to **static image testing**, where participants view the image for a few seconds (specified duration) and respond based on what they recall or understand.

### **Results View**

In the **Results tab**, the Time-Limited task helps you understand how users performed within the given time constraint.

You can review:

- Success vs Failure rate (based on whether users completed the task within the specified time)
- Median task duration vs time limit
- User interactions (taps, swipes, total interactions)
- Time to first click
- Number of screens visited
- Navigation Tree & Click Heatmap for behavior insights
- Individual user results (pass/fail, duration, interactions)
- Task playback recordings to observe real user behavior

This helps identify:

- Whether users were able to complete the task within the time limit
- If users hesitated or didn’t interact (e.g., 0 interactions case)
- Where users got stuck or failed to take action
- How efficiently users navigated under time pressure

![Time limited task results dashboard.png](media://3ca493ba-32cd-44c8-8046-d8d373257463)

*Time limited task Results screen*