# Core concepts > Pulse, Conversation, Echo and Resonance — the four objects everything else in Unformal is built from. **URL:** https://unformal.ai/docs/concepts **Topics:** Pulse, Conversation, Echo, Resonance, intention ## Summary Unformal has four core objects. A Pulse is a conversational flow defined by an intention string, replacing what would be a form. A Conversation is one person's response to a Pulse, containing the full transcript. An Echo is the structured data extracted from a conversation: the fields you defined, a summary, key quotes, a sentiment score and subtext. Resonance is aggregate insight across many conversations: themes, consensus points, divergent opinions and recommended actions. --- The building blocks of Unformal — what everything is, how it fits together, and why it works this way. ## What is a Pulse? # A Pulse is an AI-powered conversational form. Instead of static fields a respondent fills in alone, a Pulse has an intelligent conversation with them — adapting questions based on what they say, following interesting threads, and asking the right follow-ups. You define the intention — what you want to learn — and the AI handles the rest. No flowcharts, no branching logic, no conditional rules to maintain. Example intention "Understand what a new client needs before our first meeting — their budget, timeline, current challenges, and what success looks like for them." Each Pulse gets a shareable link. Share it via email, embed it on a page, or send it from your app via the API. Anyone who opens it starts a Conversation. ## What is a Conversation? # Each time someone responds to your Pulse, it creates a Conversation — a back-and-forth dialogue between the respondent and the AI. Conversations collect rich, contextual information that static forms never could. Respondents can type their answers or use voice dictation — Unformal transcribes speech in any language via Whisper. Most people find talking faster and more natural than typing for open-ended questions. A conversation can be in one of these states ## What is an Echo? # When a conversation completes, the AI analyzes the entire transcript and produces an Echo — a structured summary that distills everything said into actionable output. The Echo is what you actually work with. It contains: - — Structured fields — The specific data points you asked for — extracted and typed (see Output Fields below) - — Summary — A concise narrative of the conversation - — Key quotes — The most important things the respondent said, verbatim - — Subtext — What the AI inferred beyond the literal answers — hesitations, enthusiasm, unstated concerns - — Sentiment score — A 1–10 rating of how the respondent felt about the topic ## Interview Mode vs Extract Mode # Unformal supports two conversation modes. Same output structure, different experience for the respondent. ### Interview Mode The AI leads. It asks one question at a time, listens to each answer, and decides what to ask next. It follows interesting threads, asks natural follow-ups, and explores topics in depth. Best for: ### Extract Mode The respondent leads. They write everything they want to say upfront — no structure required. The AI then reads what they wrote, identifies what's missing from your output fields, and asks only targeted follow-up questions to fill the gaps. Faster and less friction for people who already know what they want to say. The AI does the work of structuring it. ## Tones # The tone controls how the AI talks to your respondent. Pick one that fits your audience and context. You can override it any time in the Pulse settings. Professional Formal and structured. Works well for enterprise client intake, compliance, and any context where credibility matters. Coaching Supportive and probing. Encourages reflection, follows up with empathy. Great for 1:1 feedback and wellbeing contexts. Conversational Natural and relaxed. Feels like talking to a knowledgeable colleague. The default for most use cases. Casual Friendly and informal with a touch of humor. Reduces friction for respondents who'd rather not fill in forms. Self-aware Slightly meta and witty. The AI knows it's an AI and doesn't pretend otherwise. Good for technical audiences. Extract mode defaults to Casual — a brain dump feels less formal when the AI matches that energy. ## Output Fields (Echo Schema) # Output fields define the structured data the AI should extract from each conversation. They're the bridge between a free-flowing dialogue and the clean, typed data you actually need. Each field has: snake_case identifier "budget_range" Data type "string" | "number" | "boolean" | "array" What to extract "Estimated annual budget range" The AI reads this to know what to look for // Example output fields for a client intake Pulse Fields are auto-generated from your intention when you click "Generate" in the Pulse creator. You can adjust them before publishing. ## Resonance # Once a Pulse has 3 or more completed conversations, Unformal generates Resonance — aggregate intelligence across all responses. A single conversation tells you what one person thinks. Resonance tells you what everyone thinks — and where they agree, disagree, or feel differently. Common themes Topics and concerns that appear repeatedly across conversations Consensus points Things most respondents agree on Divergent opinions Areas where respondents meaningfully disagree Sentiment distribution Breakdown of how positive/neutral/negative the responses are overall Recommended actions AI-generated suggestions based on the aggregate patterns Resonance is visible on the Studio Resonance tab. It updates automatically as new conversations complete. ## Credits # Every completed conversation costs 1 credit . In-progress or abandoned conversations are free. Every new account starts with 50 free credits . After that, buy credits in packs — no subscription, no per-seat pricing. €9 100 credits Starter €29 500 credits Growth €79 2,000 credits Scale €249 10,000 credits Enterprise Credits don't expire. Buy them when you need them, use them at your own pace. ## Common questions ### What is a Pulse? A conversational flow you create, defined by an intention describing what you want to learn. It is the Unformal equivalent of a form. ### What is an Echo? The structured data extracted from one conversation: the fields you defined, a summary, key quotes, a sentiment score and subtext. ### What is Resonance? Aggregate insight across many conversations — themes, consensus points, divergent opinions and recommended actions, rather than a chart of counts.