Core Questions: Give the AI Context That Carries Forward

A core question is an ordinary step question whose answer travels forward. OBIE gives that answer to the AI in every later step the user completes, even across journeys, so users don't need to repeat foundational information.

Mark a question as core

Core Questions are set on the question itself:

1. Open the step that contains the question, then open Questions.
2. Add or edit a question.
3. Select Core Question.
4. Save the question.

You can also select Required Question when the user must answer before moving on. Core and Required are independent for supported question types.

File Upload is the exception: a File Upload question can't be marked as Core. Ask for the lasting fact in a text or choice question instead, and use File Upload only to collect the document.

See every Core Question

Open Hub Settings → Core Questions. The page lists every Core Question by journey, milestone, and step. Select a question to open its step's question editor.

The page is read-only. Change the question or its Core setting in the step editor.

Choose Core Questions carefully

Use Core Questions for the few facts that should shape everything afterward, such as the user's audience, offer, goal, role, or hard constraints.

Keep the set small. Every Core answer is added to later AI context, so a long list can crowd out the step's immediate work. Three to six strong Core Questions is usually enough.

Avoid marking facts that change often or matter to only one later step. Ask those where they're needed instead.

Check the result

Use Preview as User, answer the Core Questions, and move to a later AI-generated step. Confirm the response reflects those answers. If it doesn't, check Hub Settings → Core Questions and make sure the later step's prompt doesn't conflict with the carried context.