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Every study has a delivery model: site-based, virtual, or hybrid. You select it on the Basic Information step of Setup, and it locks permanently the moment the study leaves draft.
The default. Volunteers are expected to visit a physical site.

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What the format actually controls

This is narrower than the three labels might suggest:
  • Whether volunteers see a Sites section on your study’s page. Virtual studies hide it. Hybrid studies show it, the same as site-based.
  • A setup-wizard checklist indicator showing whether you still need to assign a site. This is a visual reminder that leaves the launch decision to the other requirements.
Whether a volunteer is scheduled through a site depends on whether you have assigned at least one site to the study:
  • If you have assigned sites, volunteers route to one of them and can be scheduled there once that site has scheduling turned on and the necessary information is available.
  • If you haven’t assigned any sites, volunteers are created without a site and wait for manual scheduling or assignment. This can happen if the study is virtual by design, or if a site-based or hybrid study simply hasn’t had a site attached yet.
In practice, a site-based study with no sites yet behaves the same as a virtual study until one is added.

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Setting it up

Select the delivery model on your study’s Basic Information step while it’s still in draft. It locks the moment you launch, so confirm it’s correct before you go live.

Related topics

Studies OverviewLaunch Your First StudySetup and LaunchAuto-Scheduling VisitsCollaborate with Other Organizations on a Study