All questions on one page

How do I show my instructions to the performer inside the task so that they don't need to open or close it?

There are three options:

• Put your instructions inside the task, but make sure that it doesn't clutter the interface.
• Use a side window for your instructions so that the user can quickly expand or collapse them.
• Hide the instructions in an expandable section or add hints for the individual interface elements.

For best results, we recommend that you pre-select the performers that meet your requirements and set up the quality control rules.

Can I add a video player or audio player to my instructions?

No, but you can add links to them.

Some tags disappear after I save the instructions.

You can't use unsupported tags because they are deleted when you save the project. List of supported tags.

How do I create different instructions for the training pool and main pools?

By default, the project instructions are displayed in the training pool. To use separate instructions for the training pool, deselect Use project instructions. Don't forget to update the training instructions if you change something in the main task instructions.

How do I make a voice recording of a text in a single audio file, but use about 1000 people to record it?

You need to break down your task for Toloka. If you have a 30-minute task intended for one person and containing all the phrases, the best approach is to divide it into individual phrases, which you can give to different performers. The template for voice recording tasks doesn't require that the user installs a separate voice recorder app.

Refer to our step-by-step guide for creating a voice recording task.

In the input data, you can pass the phrase for the performer to record ("enable navigation"), and the speech speed (normal speed). This is the data you need to save in the TSV file. See the Guide to learn about creating a TSV file and its structure.

The preview contains 4 tasks per suite by default. You can specify the number of tasks for your project when you upload the task file. Learn more about the preview.

For example, if you want one person to say the same phrase 10 times, create 10 tasks in a suite. The cost is specified per task suite. To define how many people should say a particular phrase, use the overlap in the pool. By the way, don't forget to set up filters in your pool. This way you can select only the performers who speak a certain language and use mobile devices: client = mobile Toloka.

You can delegate review of the voice recordings to other performers by creating a separate project. Find brief instructions on how to do this here.

Other questions

How do I make an image expand to its maximum size on click?

To the component that inserts the image, add the parameters: real-size=true and screenshot=true.

How do I create a shortcut for adding a polygon in "image-annotation"?

To create a shortcut, add the following action to the "onKey" method:

onKey: function(key) {
          var el = this.getDOMElement().querySelector(".image-annotation-editor__shape-polygon");

          if (key === 'D') {
          el.click();
          el.classList.add('image-annotation-editor__shape_active')
          }
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If you need to further modify the area-selection editor, use this library.

How do I enable loading audio files in preview mode?

You can't check loading of audio files in the preview mode, but you can do it in the sandbox if you do your task. To do this, register in the sandbox as a performer and add the performer username to your trusted list on the Users page. For more information, see this post.

My performers can't upload a file with the assignment

If none of the performers can submit the assignment, the most likely reason is JS validation. Run JS validation again.

Export your project to the sandbox and try to complete the task in the sandbox yourself.

How do I check the task display in the mobile Toloka app?

To check the task's look-and-feel on the mobile phone screen, enable the emulation mode in Chrome or Safari and edit the CSS block.

You can also use the mobile version of the sandbox. Write to support to get access to it.

How do I use different numbers of response options for different questions?

Use concatenation, for example:

{{field type="checkbox" name=(concat "result." @index ) label=(concat "checkbox –
          " @index) size="L"}}
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Why is the iframe content not displayed when I add the input and output data to the HTML interface in the preview mode?

Try to disable extensions in your browser. They might block iframe loading.

How do I add the text from an input variable to a checkbox label?

To pass a label in the input data, enter the input field name into the label.

For example, if you have the asd input field with the string type, the component would look like: {{field type="checkbox" name="like" label=asd hotkey="q"}}.

If you want to pass different label values in different tasks or the number of checkboxes may differ, use concatenation.

How do I hide expandable text?

You can hide text in an expandable section by using CSS styles, both in the task itself and in the instructions. You can see the sample code here.

How do I pass the value of the input variable to the “Button with click validation”?

Specify the name of the input field where you pass the link, without the brackets:

{{field type="button-clicked" name="ads" label="Нажми меня" href=name_escape
          action=true}}
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How can I do it in JS so that if the checkbox is selected, the link is not required, but if the link is inserted, the checkbox is cleared?

1. See how this is implemented in the “ Search for information online ” template.
2. To solve the second problem, you can add another validation like this:

   if (solution.output_values.url && solution.output_values.check) {return {task_id:
   this.getTask().id,errors: {'url': {code: ''Insert a link or check the box if the site doesn't exist'}}}}
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I selected one checkbox, but all the checkboxes are selected.

The names of the output fields must differ: each checkbox must have its own unique name. For more information about this component, see here.

How do I add assignment validation depending on a checkbox, so that if an object is in the image, it must be selected, otherwise, a checkbox must be selected?

You can use JavaScript to add assignment validation depending on the checkbox. An example is provided in the “Search for information online” template.

How do I insert a calendar?

You can see an example in the comments for this project. The example includes the output data format and libraries to be added.

To add libraries:

1. Click the “gear button” in project editing mode.
2. In the field that opens on the left, enter the links and press Enter.

Why doesn't the “Submit” button work in the task?

The issue is probably in the JS block. Try deleting its content, then test the Submit button in the preview mode.

How do I make tasks that have a varying number of response options and different options available?

You can do this using concatenation.

See the sample projects that can help you build an interface:

• with checkboxes
• with a dropdown list
• with radio buttons

If you pass an array of values to the input field, use commas to separate the array elements. A response option will be generated for each of them in the interface. Input/output data for the sample projects are provided in the comments at codepen.io.

How do I deselect a radio button?

You can't deselect a radio button. You can only select another radio button as a different response option.

How do I, depending on the option selected, show a photo and make it mandatory or hide it and make it optional?

In this case, you need to leave the field optional in the output data and set up validation depending on the performer response. You can see how this is implemented in the “Text classification” template.

How do I prevent adding photos from the gallery so that when the user clicks the add photo button the camera opens, rather than the gallery/camera choice?

Add sources="CAMERA" to the attributes of the image loading component. This disables adding photos from the gallery.

How do I run setSolution validation in "OnRender"?

Try to add a condition to check for the second progress bar:

setSolution: function(solution) {
var secondScale = this.getDOMElement().querySelector('.second-scale');

if(secondScale) {
secondScale.style.display = solution.output_values.grammar === 'no' ? 'block' : 'none';
}

TolokaHandlebarsTask.prototype.setSolution.call(this, solution);
}, 
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How do I implement selection of 3 different areas in an image?

You can create a selection and drop-down list with category selection. See how it is implemented on this page (Dropdown list tab).

How do I use the Vue markup without the basic TolokaHadlebarsTask object?

Learn more about the template's JS extension here.

To avoid conflict between the Vue markup and the Handlebars syntax, disable the "toloka-handlebars-templates" library and inherit from the Task/TaskSuite classes.

In the “Side-by-side image comparison” template, where do I specify a proxy for the task interface to create a task with three image options?

The “Side-by-side image comparison” template uses a component rather than an HTML tag. This means that you should enclose your proxy in curly brackets like this example: {{img src=(proxy image)}}.

How do I change the task background from the standard white color to a different color?

Use CSS to specify the color for the .task or .task-suite element. For example, to use a black background:

.task-suite {
background-color: #000000;
}
.task {
background-color: #000000;
}
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You can also assign a class to the interface block with the image and set the background for this block only.

How do I validate the data entered by the user in the Toloka interface?

You can check the link format using regular expressions. To do this, add the link validation JavaScript code with regexp to the task template.

For example: var regexp = /^(https://www.myurl.com/).{4,200}$/.

You can also add the input field with the string type to the output data. Make the field mandatory. Then add the Text input field field in the task interface (in the HTML block) and specify the field name in the name attribute:

{{field type="textarea" name="input" width="270px" rows=5}} 
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How do I add assignment validation depending on a checkbox?

You can use JavaScript to add assignment validation depending on a checkbox. An example is provided in the “Search for information online” template.

How do I enter a list of words line-by-line, display an element for each of them, and save the result to the output array?

Pass an array of strings as the input field. For example, as shown in the screenshot:

In HTML, use a special handlebar to iterate over this field. The code structure will look like this:

{{#each words}}
{{field type="radio" name="result" value=this label=this}}
{{/each}}
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How do I use sliders as interface elements for selecting parameter values?

In the HTML code of the template, enter the following:

<input type=""range"" list=""rng"" class=""res""> and include the following in onRender in your JS:
onRender: function() {
// Generated DOM element for the task (available via #getDOMElement())
//Adding auxiliary variables
var $root = $(this.getDOMElement());
var _this = this;
var solution = TolokaHandlebarsTask.prototype.getSolution.apply(this, arguments);

$root.on('change', '.res', function(){
var range_result = $(this).val()
_this.setSolutionOutputValue('result', range_result);

return solution;
})

}
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How can I expand the window with HTML/CSS/JS code in the online task editor?

You can't expand the HTML window. To expand the JS and CSS fields, click any area within the field.

How do I use the input data as a variable in the HTML block?

Enclose the input field in double curly brackets {{text}}.

How do I display formatted text from input data in the task?

Enclose the input field in triple curly brackets {{{input_field}}}.

For more information about using the component, see the Requester's guide.

Can I use my own JS to build an interface in Toloka?

You don't have to use our components for task interfaces. Feel free to create a custom design for your tasks. To do this, delete the library from the project template:

• Click the “gear button” to open the settings.
• Delete $TOLOKA_ASSETS/js/toloka-handlebars-templates.js.

See the Requester's guide for descriptions of the structure of classes and how they work.

How do I use a variable number of inputs in HTML to be determined by the user?

To change the number of output fields dynamically, use the recommendations from this page.

Are you going to implement an HTML/JS prettifier in the project design?

We didn't intend this window for any sophisticated development. Usually, the content is prepared in a third-party prettified editor, and the resulting code is pasted to the window prior to the update.

However, in the context of TolokaHandlebars editability, there are no differences between our window and a third-party editor.

How do I display the text in the input field as in the source (with the HTML tags)?

To display the text in the input field with HTML tags, use the <pre> tag. For example:<pre>{{text}}</pre>.

In this case, the text is rendered as is, in one scrollable line. To remove the scroll and avoid stretching the task card, add the following CSS to the block:

.task {
  max-width: 800px;
}

pre {
  white-space: pre-wrap;
}
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What should the performer do if there is no selectable object in the image in an area selection task?

There are three options:

• Select an arbitrary area in the image. For example, put a square in the upper-right corner.

  Mention this in your instructions for reviewers.

• Ask the performer to skip the task and report it in a personal message. Messages are reviewed by the requester. If the selectable object is missing, the task is deleted from the pool (by resetting the overlap).
• Add the “No object” checkbox to the interface and make sure that your JS checks that either the object is selected or the checkbox is selected.

  For control purposes, add information about the value of this checkbox to the task interface.

What do I do if the radio button attributes are displayed correctly in the preview, but disappear after saving?

If the tags or attributes disappear after you save the instructions (for example, checked="true"), it means that they are not supported. For the full list of tags that can be used in the instructions, see the Guide.

Other questions

How do I insert a function that is called by an image click in my task?

You can find an example of the task template for selecting image groups at this link. The input and output data, as well as a fragment of the instructions, are in the comments to the project.

How do I add a mask for the input field, like dd.mm.yyyy for the date field or numbers only (10 or 12) for INN (Taxpayer Identification Number)?

To validate the input data format, you can use the output field type, specifying the acceptable or minimum/maximum values. For example, create an output field for the taxpayer number with the “string” type and enter its minimum and maximum length (like 10 and 12). To use a more sophisticated validation in the template, use RegExp.

To enter a date, you can add a calendar to the task interface. See an example of a calendar.

Do I need to convert all the images in the task to the same size or can they be different?

You can use different image sizes.

If a project's output data may include any number from 1 to 999999, can I specify a range?

You can't use a range as a fixed value.

Can I get the exact start and end time from the user with the results of the task?

When you download the results file, select the Start time and Submit time checkboxes. The downloaded file will include the exact UTC date and time when the performer accepted the assignment and submitted it.

How do I show two different versions of the text to performers?

If you pass texts to the input data, you can upload 2 different tasks to the pool: pass Text 1 in the INPUT: <input field name> field of Task 1. In Task 2, use this field to pass Text 2.

If the text is in the HTML block of the task template, then clone the project. To limit a performer to doing only one task in your project, use the Submitted responses rule. You can assign a skill or ban the performer after they submit one response.

Other questions

Can I select performers from a specific city of residence or is the only option “Region by IP”?

Yes, you can do that. In the filters, select Profile → City. Please note that the profile data is entered by the user when they register in Toloka. We recommended that you use the filters Region by phone number and Region by IP.

Can I use a skill beyond a particular pool or project and apply it to other projects as well?

Yes, of course — you can use the same skill for different projects. But most often, a skill is intended for a specific project. If the performer completes a certain task well, this doesn't mean that they will complete other ones successfully. Another disadvantage is that if you filter by skills that were set long ago, you will artificially limit the number of available performers.

I want to calculate a skill based on performance in multiple projects. Is that possible? If it is, can I use “Aggregation by skill”?

If you mean multiple different projects, you can't do that.

You can merge all the projects into one and use History size in the quality control rules. See examples in the Control tasks post.

You can use Aggregation by skill, but you'll need to list all the possible values, which is probably not the best choice. Perhaps you'll find another method of aggregation helpful.

Why might aggregation of assignments by performer skill be unavailable? The pool doesn't use dynamic overlap. The output field is a variable with a Boolean value.

Perhaps the output fields you want to aggregate don't have valid values in your project. For now, you have to specify the possible values for every type of output fields.

I created a project and a pool, but the Next button doesn't work or the preview shows a blank screen.

Toloka lets you know that something is wrong with the project. The blank screen often appears when there are errors in the task interface, including the JavaScript code. The Next button may be disabled if the output specification lacks some field or contains invalid values, or if, for example, you configured validation for a nonexistent field in JavaScript.

Are there any easy ways to assign a certain user a skill in Toloka, even if the user didn't do any tasks (like I can do in the Sandbox)?

In the main Toloka version, you can only assign a skill to users who have completed at least one of your tasks. There is no option to assign a skill to an arbitrary user. To limit the audience of users who will see your project, use filters. For example, specify the city, date of birth, gender, or some other parameters of your target performers.

Can I somehow limit the number of users that can take tasks from the pool at the same time?

Tasks from an open pool are available to every user that matches your pool filters. You can restrict access, like by using a skill.

The performers completed training for the first pool and got the skill. A week later, we cloned the pool, but all the users lost their skill. Which parameter affects skill expiration? Do all the performers need to complete the training again?

The validity period of the training skills is controlled by the Retry after parameter. The skill is deleted after a period specified in days in the Retry after field, if the performer:

• Has a skill value lower than the one specified in the Level required field.
• Didn't complete any tasks linked to training during this period.

Your users will need to be trained again.

Why is my project not available in the mobile version of Toloka?

To make your task available in the mobile app, set up the filter: client = mobile Toloka in your pool.

Can I add an arbitrary user as a performer, if their rating is not high enough?

If the user mismatches your preset filter or rating level, they can't see the task. You can only remove the restricting filter from the pool. You can test the task in the Sandbox by adding the desired user to your trusted list.

Can I set up a task to display it to users with certain demographic and geo parameters? For example, “Moscow only, 30-45 years old”.

You can do that. To select performers for the pool, use filters.

How do I make the task available not only from desktops, but also from mobile devices?

To make your task also available in the mobile app, set up the following filter in your pool:

Client = web version or       = mobile Toloka
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Can I select specific performers for my tasks because I liked their results in my previous pools?

You can assign a skill to these people based on their performance in the previous pools. Use this skill as a filter in the new pool.

How do I set up a filter so that the pool is available to users who don't have a specific skill (like a “spammer”)?

Specify this skill as a filter, but leave the value field empty (this is equivalent to absence of the skill).

How can I raise the skill value for a user, if they already have the skill?

If the user already has a given skill, you can't add the same skill to them from the task review interface. You can open the user's profile and edit the skill value.

Can Toloka users see that they were assigned a skill?

If it's a public or training skill, they see it and they get a message about it.

Can I show a skill in the task interface?

There is no such option. If the skill is public, the performer sees it in their profile.

Why can't I find the performer's gender in the user data, although I can filter people by this attribute in the pool settings?

Requesters can't see the full details about specific performers. So you can't see information like the date of birth, gender, last name, or first name. However, you can use filters by date of birth and gender (in the pool settings). This way you can select a group of performers without accessing the personal information of individual performers. This decreases the risk of user de-anonymization.

How do I automatically assign skills based on user responses to my questions?

You can do that using the Control tasks rule.

1. Upload the task file using Smart mixing.
2. Specify student as the correct answer to the question. Don't take other questions into account (leave the fields empty or unselected).
3. Add the Control tasks rule to the pool: if the percentage of correct control answers = 100, then set the skill value Student = 1.

See the screenshot

Other questions

How do I set quality control in a pool correctly?

The settings for quality control rules depend on the type of tasks. General recommendations:

• Always use one or more ways to control quality of answers.

• Counting fast responses makes sense for most tasks.

• If the user has to choose between options (for example, by selecting checkboxes), check the answers using majority vote or control tasks.

• If the user has to provide a response as a text or link or upload a photo, the best way to control quality is by reviewing assignments. You can outsource task acceptance to performers. Create a task with a question (for example, “Is this phrase translated correctly?”) and possible responses (for example, “yes”/“no”). Set up overlap and majority vote check.

• If a task is more like an opinion poll (for example, choosing nice pictures from a set), majority vote is not a good way to control quality. Make control tasks with artificial examples where the choice is evident.

How many control tasks do I need to add?

We recommend adding at least 1% of control tasks in the pool. To filter out performers, use the Control tasks quality control rule. To rank performers by the quality of responses in control tasks, use a skill.

How are the correct responses to control questions counted?

The Control tasks rule starts working after the performer completes the number of control tasks you specified. If your pool contains both training and control tasks, you can take into account the responses in both of them (the Number of responses parameter) or only in control tasks (the Number of control responses parameter).

As soon as the needed number of responses is collected, Toloka calculates the percentage of correct and incorrect responses and performs an action (assigns a skill, or blocks the user in the pool or in the project). Then this percentage is updated as the tasks are completed by the performer. The number of the performer's last responses used for the calculation is set in the Recent values to use field. If you leave it empty, all the responses from the performer in the pool are counted.

Should I create a skill for every pool?

It is better to use one skill in a project. You can choose the way to calculate the skill:

• Calculate the skill for each pool separately. The current skill value is the value of the skill in the pool the user completed last. This option is convenient if:

  • The pools are intended for different groups of performers (for example, there are filters by city or country).

  • Pools are started one by one and you don't want to take into account the responses in the previous pools to calculate the skill in the current pool.

  This calculation method is used by default when adding a quality control rule to a pool. For the control tasks block, leave the Recent values to use field empty.

• Calculate skill based on all tasks in a project This option is good if the pools are small and you don't need to have skill calculated for each pool.

  This option is available only for skills on control tasks. To use it, fill in the Recent values to use field in quality control rules in pools.

Can I make my training or control tasks totally different from the main tasks?

Your training and control tasks have the same project specification. However, you can create a separate project with the tasks and assign a skill based on user responses. Then you can admit performers to the main project based on their skill.

Isn't the exam a regular pool that I pay for? How does it differ from a regular pool?

An exam pool contains only control tasks. It's usually small and used for checking how well users learned to do your tasks after they read the instructions and completed the training. Unlike your main pool, you already know the correct responses for every task in this pool. You can set the price to zero.

Based on the results of responses to control tasks, you can assign a skill to the users and then specify it in the main pool as a filter. For example, MySkill = 80 or = Is missing. You don't have to create an exam. For simple tasks, the training pool provides enough practice, but many requesters also use exams.

Is the time specified per task suite in the fast response settings?

Yes, the fast response settings specify the time per task suite.

I set up quality control, then I copied my user requirements. All my quality control settings were deleted and replaced with the copied settings. Is that normal?

Yes. When you copy the filter and quality control settings, the settings you previously added manually are overwritten. You should see a warning about this in the copy settings window.

I set up a rule to ban users after the first incorrect captcha. This is to eliminate any bots. Is this too strict? What rule do most projects use?

Indeed, this rule is probably too strict. Even the most careful user can make a mistake, so you probably want to relax the rule. Besides the requester-specific bans, we have system processes that ban users who regularly fail captcha checks in Toloka.

The pool has an overlap and majority vote set up, but some fraudulent performer opens the task suites, does nothing, and submits empty assignments. Could this cheater get more tasks from the pool before the results of other performers are known? Could a user quickly click through a lot of task suites before the majority vote is accumulated to ban the cheater?

Yes, unfortunately, this can happen. This is why we recommend that you offer a training task or exam before the main task. In this case, only those people who showed good performance at the previous stage are selected for the main pool.

How do I set up an exam so that different people can take it without running out of tasks?

When you load tasks, use smart mixing. In this case, you'll have infinite overlap in your exam.

However, this poses the risk that you might spend a lot of money on the exam. You might want to open this pool only when the main pool opens, and close it when labeling of the main pool ends.

How do I test users to determine which kinds of tasks they do better and assign them relevant tasks? I don't want testing to affect the performer rating negatively.

You can add a training pool to test your performers. Based on the test results, assign skills to the users for the tasks they do best.

Then open your pools only to the users that have a certain skill: use filters for this.

This won't lower performer ratings. Even if you ban users from your project based on the testing results, this won't affect their rating.

If I upload tasks using smart mixing, does it mean that the same file should contain both the control tasks and main tasks?

You can upload your main and control tasks separately using different files.

If a cheating performer gives a lot of incorrect responses, and the system eventually bans them for errors in control tasks, do I have to pay for the bad responses anyway?

If the user already got paid for the tasks, the money can't be refunded to you.

Can I control the frequency of showing captchas to the performers? Some performers get a bit demotivated by that.

The frequency of issuing captchas is set up in the pool.

No

Don't show captchas.

Low

Show a captcha after every 20 assignments.

Average/High

Show a captcha after every 10 assignments.

Can one performer get access to two pools in the same project? Can I avoid that?

Yes, if they can access both pools, they can do both of them. To restrict access to subsequent tasks for a performer, use the Completed tasks rule and select a ban at the project level.

If I ban a performer for doing my tasks too fast, will all their responses be deleted and given to other performers for labeling?

No. The responses of these performers aren't automatically excluded from the final results file.

But you can do it yourself if you want. When downloading the results, select the option Exclude assignments by banned users to delete the responses of performers who were banned at the moment of downloading. You can also forward all the assignments from banned users to other performers using the Re-completion of assignments from banned users rule.

Can I create two active training pools, one for practice and the other for admitting users to the main pool? In other words, one pool is for users to practice and the other pool tests them.

Yes, you can do that. In this case, create the first pool based on the training pool and the exam pool based on your main pool. If a pool contains only control and/or training tasks, the price can be set to zero.

In the exam pool, you can create a skill reflecting the exam result and granting admission to the main pool. For example, if the number of responses is ≥ 10, set the skill value in the <exam skill> as % of correct responses. In your exam pool user requirements, specify: <exam skill> < 80 or = Is missing>. In the main pool, set up a filter: <exam skill> >= 80 and (<main skill> >= 70 or = Is missing). You can choose the skill values depending on how well the performers handle your task.

Can I get more details on the best practices for using captchas? For which projects is it better to use captchas and how often?

Captcha is usually used in simple projects with automatic acceptance, like classification, categorization, or information search. These are cases where there are few response options and users don't need to upload files or write texts. It helps you filter out bots and sloppy performers.

The frequency of issuing captchas is configured in the pool.

No

Don't show captchas.

Low

Show a captcha after every 20 assignments.

Average/High

Show a captcha after every 10 assignments.

I found the following terms related to captcha in Help: “Percentage of correct responses” and “Percentage of incorrect responses”. Are they determined from the control sample?

The percentage of correct responses is based on the total number of captchas processed by the performer within the “range” specified in the Recent values to use field. If the value is empty, the percentage is calculated using all the captchas that are shown for the tasks in the pool which uses the captcha rule.

My task uses a form with multiple fields. When there is an overlap and “Majority vote” is used for quality control, is each field taken into account, or if one field mismatches the majority vote, are the task results considered incorrect?

All responses to the task are taken into account. If one response differs from the majority vote, the whole task is counted as mismatching the responses of other performers.

Have I understood correctly that if I use set the the skill value = 1 with the percentage of accepted responses >= 75 and 10 recent values to use, for every 8 correctly completed tasks out of 10 the user is given 1 skill point?

No, this is incorrect. With these settings, each time a rule condition is met, the performer gets skill = 1. To change the skill value in the process of task review, you need a “multi-step” rule, which has multiple identical rules with different values of Total reviewed responses.

I created a training pool with one task containing a hint. The user fails to complete the task on the first attempt, but finally succeeds. The user gets the skill 0. How do I grant to the user access to my tasks? The minimum required level that you can set is 10.

Technically, if you have only one task in your training pool, you don't have this option. The skill will be either 0 or 100. We recommend that you add several tasks, or at least 2 so that the performer will practice on the first task and will be able to do the second task correctly. In this case, you can admit users to your main pool starting from the skill value of 50.

You can also create a training pool based on the main pool. Assign a skill using the Control tasks rule: in this case, you can admit users with any skill level to your main pool, even if the value is zero. But we don't advise giving tasks to people who failed training.

Can I use non-automatic acceptance in the training pool?

No. But you can create a pool of the Training type based on your main pool and enable non-automatic acceptance there.

Can the performers see which questions are control tasks?

No, they can't.

I have two text versions that I want to show to my respondents: one version to half of the audience, and another version to the other half (like in A/B testing). Is this possible in Toloka, or do I need to create two separate projects?

If you pass texts to the input data, you can load 2 different tasks in the pool. In one task, pass Text 1 in the INPUT: <input field name> field, and in the other task, use this field to pass Text 2. But if the text is in the HTML block of the task template, you need to clone the project. To let a performer do only one task in your project, use the Submitted responses rule. You can assign a skill or ban the performer after they submit one response.

If I ban users from my project so that everyone can complete a maximum of one task, are the users notified of the ban?

No, the users are unaware of the ban.

When I export a project from the Sandbox, the task files are not exported. Is this how it's supposed to work? I suddenly lost the markup of the control tasks that I created in the sandbox.

The tasks themselves are not exported, only the project configuration and the settings of the selected pool. However, you can download your marked up tasks from the Sandbox pool and import them to the pool you created. To download the control tasks only (if you marked them up in the interface), go to Mark up, then click Control tasks and Download.

I want to create an exam with three tasks. If a user does two out of three tasks correctly, they get the skill. So I try to use 3 in the “Recent values to use” field, but I get an error that the value is too small. Can I get around this without increasing the number of tasks to five?

The Recent values to use field is for the number of recent responses from the performer. If you use non-automatic acceptance for your task, then to set up your intended rule you need to specify 3 in Total reviewed responses.

What output format do I use for the review results to filter out mismatching users based on the “Majority vote”?

To perform actions with users (assign a skill or ban them) based on the majority vote, add a relevant rule to the pool.

Don't forget to enable Keep task order in the pool parameters. Majority vote is used in the projects with preset options (radio buttons or checkboxes). This rule won't apply to the text entry or file upload fields.

I want to create training and exam pools to match the entered text against a sample, and sometimes the matching fails. How do I implement this?

For a control or training assignment to be counted as correct, it must exactly match the control assignment. To do this, you need to normalize the response text using JavaScript: remove spaces, punctuation marks, special characters, and capital letters, and write the result in a separate output field. Now you can match the processed assignment text against your control text.

Another option to select performers for this type of projects is non-automatic acceptance.

In the section about control questions, does "Number of control responses" mean the total number of responses to control questions (including incorrect responses) or the number of correct responses to my control questions?

This is the total number of responses to the control questions.

How do I classify the users as good performers and poor performers as they complete the tasks and ban the poor performers without affecting their rating?

You can create a task pool for all your performers and create performer skills in it. In this case, you can open your tasks only to the performers with the necessary skills. This won't affect their rating.

Even if you ban a performer from the project, this won't affect their rating either.

Why has the speed of pool completion dropped?

Possible reasons:

• You've stopped the main pool. This could limit the number of performers with access to the pool. Start the training pool again. There will be more performers who can access the tasks.

• The filters you set are too strict. For example, a strong restriction on a certain skill that most users don't have.
• Too many users are banned. Ease the quality control rules.

How can I speed up the pool completion?

• To motivate performers, assign a public skill and use dynamic pricing.
• Try to increase the project rating, so that your task is higher in the list of tasks for performers.
• Adjust the quality-speed ratio.
• Set a higher priority for the pool among other project pools.

Other questions

What overlap should I set?

Overlap defines how many performers complete the same pool task.

The best overlap is an overlap that provides satisfying quality of results. For most tasks that are not reviewed, overlap from “3” to “5” is enough. If the tasks are simple, overlap of “3” is likely to be enough. For tasks that are reviewed, set overlap to “1”.

Can I change overlap after the pool is started?

Yes. Open edit mode for the pool and set a new overlap value. You don't need to restart the pool. Updating the settings is usually fast, but if there are many tasks, it may take several minutes.

With dynamic overlap, is it possible that the pool will close before the tasks for minimal overlap run out? The overlap increased, but the pool is closed, and I need to start it manually.

Yes, this might happen. You must set an adequate pool closing interval.

How does counting work if I set overlap = 3 in the pool and response threshold = 3 in the majority vote?

In this case, if you don't have 3 identical responses for your task (response threshold), no user would be considered a good or poor performer, because the system can't see which of the users made an error.

But if you set response threshold = 2 with overlap = 3, then two users with the same responses are considered good performers, but the third user, who gives a different response, is a poor performer.

Can I do it like this: set a basic overlap of 2 users, then, if both performers select the same response, close the pool, but if they give different responses, show the task to one more user?

Yes, you can do that. Set up dynamic overlap (incremental relabeling, IRL).

Is there a cross-check feature for tasks?

You can use overlap to let multiple performers do the same task. The overlap value is set up in the pool settings.

Why is the maximum number of submitted assignments in the progress bar less than the total number of uploaded tasks?

The progress bar shows the number of task suites including the overlap. If the overlap is greater than one, the number of task suites is different from the total number of tasks.

Other questions

How many tasks should be in a suite?

The number of tasks depends on how difficult and time-consuming the tasks are. Keep the size reasonably small. Large task suites are unpopular, partly because they are inconvenient for performers (for example, if the internet connection is unstable).

What is the right time limit for the task completion?

Try completing the tasks yourself. Ask your colleagues and friends to complete them. Find out average completion time and add 50% to it.

How do I know how many tasks a performer will see on the page?

You can specify the number of tasks on the page when you upload your tasks to the pool. For more information about distributing tasks across pages, see this article.

Why does the preview display all the photos from the TSV file at once?

You must use a separate row for each task in your TSV file. For more information, see here.

When you create a pool, the pool will have settings for the number of tasks per page.

The system interprets commas inside my array elements as separators between the array elements. How do I avoid this?

Escape commas with a backslash (\).

How do I upload the file with the accepted assignments back to Toloka for projects with non-automatic acceptance? Where do I find the format of the upload data?

Use the button Upload review results to upload your file. You can see the format here.

Assignments are reviewed in a TSV file.

How is the data from the "hint" column displayed?

The hint column should be filled out for your training tasks. When creating a main task, you only need to fill out the input fields. Omit the other fields or delete them along with their headers.

The file structure and how to fill it out is described here.

What do the lines "Add your text here" mean?

"Add your text here" is a hint for you. It means that you can replace the text in the field with your task data. The file structure and how to fill it out is described here.

Why do double quotes disappear from the output if I try to escape them using quotation marks?

If you have one word enclosed in quotes, format the uploaded assignment like this: "How many letters are there in the word ""Liechtenstein""". If you are escaping quotes inside your text, then the entire text must be enclosed in quotes. For more information, see the Guide.

Why haven't I received assignments since I launched my first project, and all the uploaded assignments are marked as "Training"?

Check the hint field. For the main tasks, this field must be empty.

How do I create the task file properly so that there are no errors?

In the file with the main tasks, the columns with the INPUT headers must be filled out. You can see those headers if you download a sample file from the pool.

If you are creating control tasks, fill out the GOLDEN columns with the correct responses.

If you are creating a training task, you also need to fill in the HINT:text column. For the main tasks you don't need any columns other than INPUT, so feel free to delete them.

The file format must be TSV, and the encoding must be UTF-8.

For more information about creating the file, see the Guide. If there are errors during the upload, look up the error description on this page.

Why do I see a syntax error when I upload a task where a user has to view an image and write feedback?

The error might occur if the expected input type is URL, but a string is received.

There may be two reasons:

• The input field has the "link" type.
• The pool was created for an outdated project version. It means that the pool was created before you changed the input field type.

What is the maximum number of tasks per page?

It depends on the task. Technically, you can use as many tasks you want.

But users are reluctant to take lengthy tasks. They'd rather do 10 tasks that take one minute each than one task that takes 10 minutes.

In addition, if you use a large number of tasks on the page, there might be issues with uploading the files to be labeled. This problem might occur with images.

The third thing to consider is quality control and assignment review. If you use recompletion of assignments from banned users, you should split the task into smaller parts so that fewer assignments are recompleted. You are more likely to meet your budget this way.

I have a task for photo classification. When there are more than 5 photos on the page, why does Toloka split them across 2 pages?

Toloka will split the links to images in the uploaded file into task suites depending on the method you specified when uploading the TSV file. For more information about the three upload methods, see the Guide.

Are TSV files sensitive to the order of the INPUT field and GOLDEN fields?

TSV files are insensitive to the order of fields. Use your preferred order of fields.

How do I add multiple "known_solutions" to a TSV file with a training task?

You can't use the interface to upload the tasks with multiple correct responses to the pool. You can only use the API for that.

Where is my TSV file added if I upload it to the running pool?

If you have the Keep task order option enabled, labeling will start after the previously uploaded tasks are taken by users. If this option is disabled, we can't guarantee that the tasks are assigned in their sequence order.

How do I write an array to an input TSV file?

The array of strings in the input data must be comma-separated. For example: INPUT:typestext1, text2, text3, text4

How do I properly structure my TSV file used for data upload if there is JSON data among the input?

All the values are written to the same column. Make sure to escape quotes. For more information about escaping quotes in JSON format, see the Guide.

If there are no headers for some input columns in the TSV file, are they going to be skipped during import? Will they be skipped if they have headers without the "INPUT:.." prefix?

No. If you try to upload a file with missing headers to the pool, the system issues an upload error. All the INPUT fields required in the specification must be present in the TSV file with tasks. There must be no extra fields or columns.

If you don't want to show some data to performers, but you still need this data in the file, create the optional hidden input fields for such data in the project.

How do I insert a link in the GOLDEN field?

Text in the GOLDEN field must match the control text exactly.

Usually, if you copy site links from the browser, the copied links have the same format. But this is not the case when the link is trimmed or typed manually.

Check the links that you use. There are several ways to unify links:

• Add requirements for the link format in your instructions and hints in your training pool.
• Use RegExp in your JS to trim the received links and write the result to the new output field, and then match the received value against the control value.

How do I specify smart mixing settings in the interface when uploading a file?

Smart mixing settings are specified for the file rather than for the pool.

The settings specified during the first file upload are applied to all the files that are uploaded to this pool later on.

How do I properly structure my TSV file used for data upload if there is JSON data among the input?

All the values are written to the same column. Make sure to escape quotes.

For more information about escaping quotes in JSON format, see the Guide.

What is the difference between "task" and "task_suite"?

A task means a separate task. A task suite means a page with tasks. The performer gets paid for a task suite.

Errors when uploading tasks in the pool

How do I view the processing log?

To view the processing log, click More on uploading errors. The processing log is written in JSON format. Objects inside result match the line number of the uploaded file. Lines that were processed with an error have the status "success": false.

Tip. To work with a large log conveniently, copy it to the text editor.

Errors in column headers

If the column headings are incorrect, the whole file is rejected. Otherwise, Toloka specifies the number of tasks with processing errors.

Processing errors table

Overview	How to fix
"parsing_error_of": "https://tlk.s3.yandex.net/wsdm2020/photos/2d5f63a3184919ce7e3e7068cf93da4b.jpg\t\t", "exception_msg": "the nameMapping array and the sourceList should be the same size (nameMapping length = 1, sourceList size = 3)"
Extra tabs. If the TSV file contains more \t column separators after the data or the link than the number of columns set in the input data, you will get en error message. For example, if 1 column is defined in the input, and two more \t\t tabs are added in the TSV file after the link, you get 3 columns, 2 of which are extra.	Remove extra column separators in the above example — both \t\t characters.
"exception_msg": "the nameMapping array and the sourceList should be the same size (nameMapping length = 4, sourceList size = 6)"
The number of fields in the header and in the row doesn't match.	Make sure that: The number of tabs in the file structure is correct. String values with tab characters are enclosed in quotation marks " ".
"code": "VALUE_REQUIRED", "message": "Value must be present and not equal to null"
The value is missing for a required input field.	Make sure that columns with required input data fields are filled.
"code": "INVALID_URL_SYNTAX", "message": "Value must be in valid url format"
Invalid data in a “link” (“url”) field.	Make sure that: Links start with the http://, https:// or www prefix.
"exception_msg": "unexpected end of file while reading quoted column beginning on line 2 and ending on line 4"
Unpaired quotation mark in a string.	Check that all quotation marks are escaped.

Overview	How to fix
"parsing_error_of": "https://tlk.s3.yandex.net/wsdm2020/photos/2d5f63a3184919ce7e3e7068cf93da4b.jpg\t\t", "exception_msg": "the nameMapping array and the sourceList should be the same size (nameMapping length = 1, sourceList size = 3)"
Extra tabs. If the TSV file contains more \t column separators after the data or the link than the number of columns set in the input data, you will get en error message. For example, if 1 column is defined in the input, and two more \t\t tabs are added in the TSV file after the link, you get 3 columns, 2 of which are extra.	Remove extra column separators in the above example — both \t\t characters.
"exception_msg": "the nameMapping array and the sourceList should be the same size (nameMapping length = 4, sourceList size = 6)"
The number of fields in the header and in the row doesn't match.	Make sure that: The number of tabs in the file structure is correct. String values with tab characters are enclosed in quotation marks " ".
"code": "VALUE_REQUIRED", "message": "Value must be present and not equal to null"
The value is missing for a required input field.	Make sure that columns with required input data fields are filled.
"code": "INVALID_URL_SYNTAX", "message": "Value must be in valid url format"
Invalid data in a “link” (“url”) field.	Make sure that: Links start with the http://, https:// or www prefix.
"exception_msg": "unexpected end of file while reading quoted column beginning on line 2 and ending on line 4"
Unpaired quotation mark in a string.	Check that all quotation marks are escaped.

The same task appeared on different pages

The same task may appear on different pages if:

• Dynamic overlap is used (incremental relabeling, IRL). As an example, let's say there were 5 tasks on a page. For 4 of them, responses coincided and the common response was counted as correct. The fifth task was mixed into another set because it didn't get into the final response and it needs to be “reassessed”.
• Different tasks have different overlap. Tasks with higher overlap will be additionally shown in sets with the other remaining tasks in the pool.
• If a quality control rule changes a task's overlap, it will appear in a different set.

Other questions

How do I precede my task with mandatory control questions to check that the user understood my instructions? Would such training or control tasks be similar to the main tasks?

The training and control questions must meet your project specification. However, you can create a separate project with your instructions, survey, and sample videos. Then you can assign a skill to users based on their responses. You can use this skill to admit performers to the main project.

More performers were trained than the training skill shows

The pool shows the total number of performers that completed at least one assignment. A training skill can be lost over time if you set repeated training in the pool settings. This setting allows a performer to pass the training again after a certain period if the performer didn't complete any tasks in associated pools or if there was a large time gap between completing tasks (for example, because of a ban). The training skill displays the performers who either recently completed training, or regularly complete your tasks so that the skill doesn't expire.

What's the difference between the exam pool that I pay for and the main pool?

An exam pool contains only control tasks. Usually it's small and intended to check how users learned to do your tasks after they read the instructions and completed the training.

Unlike your main pool, you already know the correct responses for every task in this pool. You can set the price to zero. Based on the results of responses to control tasks, you can assign a skill to the users and then specify it in the main pool as a filter. For example, = 80 or = Is missing>. You don't have to create an exam, because the training pool provides enough practice for simple tasks. But many requesters also use exams.

Which parameter affects the skill expiration?

The validity period of the training skills is controlled by the Retry after parameter.

The skill is deleted in the specified number of days if the performer:

• Has a skill value lower than in the Level required field.
• Didn't complete any tasks linked to the training during this period.

If their skill expires, your users need to complete the training again.

How do I make one parameter mandatory and the other parameters optional in my training task?

In the task file, leave empty control values for the optional output data.

How do I know when a particular performer got the skill?

1. Go to the user card.
2. Click the Profile tab.
3. Find the required skill in the list and download the history of its changes.

Why do I have an infinite number of pages in the training pool?

Tasks have infinite overlap in the training pool. As long as the training pool is open and the training is running, users can access the tasks. Learn more about training pools.

How do I insert a link in the GOLDEN field?

Text in the GOLDEN field must match the control text exactly.

Usually, if you copy site links from the browser, the copied links have the same format. But this is not the case when the link is trimmed or typed manually.

Check the links that you use. There are several ways to unify links:

• Add requirements for the link format in your instructions and hints in your training pool.
• Use RegExp in your JS to trim the received links and write the result to the new output field, and then match the received value against the control value.

How do I use smart mixing to upload my main tasks separately from control tasks?

Smart mixing is set up when you upload tasks to the pool. After creating a pool, click Upload and select the method for generating task suites. You can upload them using separate files or one file, arranging them in any order.

Can I automatically pause accepting applications for the training pool if the necessary number of performers have been trained and are already doing the tasks?

You can close the pool manually at any time using the interface. However, you can't set the number of users that should complete the training pool for it to close automatically.

How do I check that the performers don't cheat during training?

Training helps users learn how to complete your task and figure out the instructions.

Based on the training results, you can select performers who did well enough for the main pool.

However, the mere fact that a performer completes your training pool successfully doesn't guarantee that they will afterwards demonstrate high quality on your main tasks. Performers who show a high level of accuracy during the training could have obtained correct responses from others.

Besides the training, be sure to add quality control rules and control tasks to your main pools. This way you can ensure the quality throughout the task performance process.

If the task requires that the users send free-format responses or data files, use non-automatic acceptance to pay for tasks after they are reviewed.

Why does the training pool allow smart mixing but doesn't allow adding by empty row?

This is a technical limitation of training pools. You can only upload tasks to your training pools this way. If you want to upload tasks to the training pool suite-by-suite, create the main pool, set the pool type to Training, and set the price to zero.

How do I create two active training pools: the first one for practice and the second one to admit the users to the main pool?

Create the first pool based on the training pool and the second pool based on the main pool with the pool type set to Exam. If a pool contains only control and/or training tasks, the price can be set to zero.

In the exam pool, you can create a skill reflecting the exam result and granting admission to the main pool. For example, If the number of responses is ≥ 10, set the skill value in the <exam skill> as % of correct responses.

In your exam user requirements, specify: <exam skill> <80 or = is missing>.

In the main pool, set up a filter: <exam skill> >= 80 and <main skill> >= 70 or = Is missing>. You can choose the skill values depending on how well the performers handle your task.

How do I create a training pool so that the performer might fail it but still be admitted to the main task pool?

Create a main pool of the Training type. Add only training tasks. To assign a skill, use the Control tasks rule. To allow access to the main tasks to users with any skill level, set up the following filter in the main pool: <skill> >= 0 or <skill> ≠ 0.

However, we don't advise giving access to main tasks to performers who failed training.

Do users have to complete all the tasks in the training pool?

If you enabled incomplete training and specified the number of training pages required, users don't have to fully complete the training in order to pass. If you didn't make these settings, the users have to complete all the tasks in the training pool to get a training skill.

How do I set up a retry pool for my project?

You can create a retry pool similarly to an exam pool. In the pool settings, select the type Retry. In the retry pool filters, specify the upper and lower values of the <main skill> that the users must get in order to be admitted to the retry pool.

For example, if the main pool admits users with a skill of 70 or higher, then you can route the people with a skill between 40 and 69 to the retry pool.

To get a valid “range”, enter the skill twice: with an upper and lower value. For example: <basic skill > <70 and main skill >=40.

We recommend that you don't make your exam and retry pools too lengthy, because performers don't like to do zero-price tasks. 10-20 tasks is enough, depending on complexity.

Is the training considered an active pool when the main pool is closed?

Yes, it is.

How do I make the training optional so that performers can decide themselves whether to take it or not?

Training is designed to select performers for the main task. That's why training must be linked to the main pool and become inactive as soon as the main pool closes.

The user is trained to get access to your paid tasks. If the training is optional, there probably won't be very many people who choose to complete it. Technically, “optional” training can be based on a main pool that includes some training tasks.

To show the training separately from other pools, disable Use project description and use this field to specify that this is an optional set of training tasks. In the pool settings, select the Training type.

Can I implement non-automatic acceptance in the training pool?

You can't use non-automatic acceptance in your training pool.

However, you can create a training pool with the Training type based on your main pool and enable non-automatic acceptance there.

Can I create training for projects where it is not possible to formulate the correct response exactly or review it automatically?

You can't create a training like this, because for the response to be counted as correct it must exactly match the control text.

For projects using free text input or attached files, you can make a pre-selection task with non-automatic acceptance. You can admit good performers to your main pool based on their skill.

How do I create an exam with a preset number of correct responses?

To do this, under Test result, go to Recent values to use and specify the number of recent responses from the performer.

Let's say you need to create an exam with three tasks, one task per page. If the performer succeeds in two out of three tasks, they get the skill.

If your task uses assignment review (non-automatic acceptance), to set up such a rule you need to specify 3 for "Total reviewed responses". As you can see in the screenshot, in the first case, all the performers who completed 3 assignments and whose answers are reviewed will get the skill. In the second case, only those who have 2 or 3 assignments accepted will get the skill.

How do I create a training and honey pots with an exam to get an output response other than the control value?

For a control or training assignment to be counted as correct, it must exactly match the control assignment. To do this, you need to normalize the response text using JavaScript: remove spaces, punctuation marks, special characters, and capital letters, and write the result in a separate output field. Now you can match the processed assignment text against your control text.

Another option for selecting performers for a project of this type is assignment review (non-automatic acceptance).

How do I create a file with training tasks?

For training tasks, you need to:

• Select the correct responses in the GOLDEN:result column.
• Fill in the HINT:text column. It stores a hint to be shown if the user selects an incorrect response option.

Other questions

If I change the time allocated for one task, will this apply to tasks assigned earlier?

If you change the time allocated for a task, the time value will apply to the tasks that have not yet been taken by the performers. The same applies to the case when you close the pool. A performer who has an assignment in the active status can complete the assignment.

How do I edit or delete tasks uploaded to the pool?

If you uploaded tasks to the pool using “smart mixing”, you can stop the pool and mark up your tasks: edit answers, hints, or delete tasks.

If you uploaded them using a different method, clone your pool and upload the new file with the corrected list of data to be labeled.

I uploaded two files to the training pool. How do I delete one of them?

After uploading, all tasks are put into one list and can't be deleted separately.

• If the pool hasn't started yet, delete all tasks. To do this, click Delete in the Pool tasks block. Then upload one file to the pool.
• If the pool already started, delete tasks one-by-one in markup mode.

Other questions

What is the difference between the confidence in the aggregated response in the Dawid-Skene aggregation model and the confidence in aggregation by skill?

In the way it's calculated. In both aggregations, confidence means the same thing.

Does aggregation use the performer's rating?

No, it doesn't.

How does the Dawid-Skene aggregation model work?

The Dawid-Skene aggregation model analyzes the performer responses and creates an error matrix for each performer. This lets us evaluate the statistical significance of the performer in the context of each assignment. Learn more about the model.

Where do I see the aggregation progress?

The pool page contains the List of Operations button.

Why might aggregation by performer skill be unavailable?

You cannot aggregate by project fields that have no valid values. Specify the possible values for all the fields of all types.

You can't aggregate by skill. When running via the API, I get the error code ONLY_FOR_POOL_WITH_MIXER. Why?

You need to use smart mixing.

Can I get notifications when results aggregation finishes?

Yes. To set up notifications in your account, go to Profile → Notifications → Pool or aggregation completed. Learn more about setting up notifications.

Other questions

Why do I get blank spaces inside my TSV file?

When you upload a file with rows, double quotes indicate an area where you can use special characters (tabs or line breaks). Toloka merges everything in between the quotes into one row to make up one task. To use double quotes inside such an area, you need to escape them with another quote. Read more here.

What is the result of processing an empty text field?

If a performer typed some text and then deleted it, the result is null, otherwise, it's undefined.

Other questions

How do I send an assignment back to the performer for revision?

You can only accept or reject an assignment.

Can I disable tasks for performers who do a poor job on tasks?

You can deny access to the pool if the performer's responses are too fast, if they don't match the majority vote, or if the performer makes too many mistakes in control tasks. Tasks completed by such performers can be given to other performers.

Can I fix something in a completed task myself?

No, you can't fix anything in the task itself. However, you can do this manually in the results file.

What should I do if I want to accept a completed task but the pool is already archived or the performer wrote to me after the allowed time?

Simply give the performer a separate reward without changing the task status. You can't change the task status in the pool in this case.

What should I do if I rejected a task for a reason that isn't specified in the instructions?

Accept the task and update the instructions. Otherwise, you violate the Requester Agreement that requires to clearly state the task requirements and the results expected from the user.

Can I reject part of the responses on the page and accept part of them?

No. For example, there are 10 tasks in a suite that costs $0.10, and the performer did 2 of them incorrectly.

You can't accept the correct answers and pay for this part ($0.08). Response pages are accepted or rejected in their entirety.

How can I notify the performer of changes in the instructions?

Add the notification to the project description (for example: “Attention! The instructions changed”) and send a message to all the people who completed your tasks. To do this:

• Assign them a hidden skill, or use an existing skill linked to the pool.
• Go to Messages and click Write → Group → Add filter → Choose your skill → <skill name>.
• If you created a new skill, specify the value you assigned to the chosen group, (for example, 1). If you use an existing skill, specify the minimum value.

How can I increase the project's rating?

The project rating is the average rating across all categories. Pay particular attention to the categories for which you got the least points.

Low rating for “Will you take similar tasks in the future”

Perhaps the performers found your tasks too difficult. Try to simplify them.

Low rating for “Clarity of instructions”

Shorten instructions and rewrite using simpler language. Add pictures and examples.

Low rating for “Task interface usability”

Make the interface more user-friendly and don't make the performer complete unnecessary actions. Use keyboard shortcuts.

Low rating for “Communication with the requester”

Reply to messages from performers regularly. Try to provide feedback as fast as possible. Correct errors promptly and use mailing lists to notify performers of changes.

If you don't understand what the problem is, run a mini-survey and ask the performers who completed your tasks what they like and what they don't like.

Other questions

What is the formula for calculating the percentage of pool completion?

The percentage is calculated based on the total number of pages, including the overlap. If the pool uses smart mixing with control tasks, the maximum progress bar value and the currently completed percentage are calculated approximately.

What happens to the tasks that have the expired or skipped status?

They return to the pool until the full overlap is reached.

How are the statistics for “Quality: training tasks” and “Quality: control tasks” calculated? Do they include the training tasks uploaded to the main pool?

“Quality: training tasks” includes only the training pools linked to the main pools, but the control and training tasks uploaded to the main pools are counted in “Quality: control tasks”.

Other questions

How do I connect to billing from Moscow or Saint Petersburg?

If the address is in Saint Petersburg, enter Saint Petersburg in the Region field, then specify the street, house number, and postal code. You don't need to fill out the other fields.

If the address is in Moscow, enter Moscow in the Region field, then specify the street, house number, and postal code. Learn more about connecting to billing.

If it still doesn't work, enter your full address with the postal code in the feedback form. We'll help you fill out the fields correctly.

When I top up my account, I see an amount 1000 times greater than I planned. What happened?

That's normal. For example, if you entered $25 and you see "25,000", it's still $25 with a decimal delimiter. Your account will be topped up by $25 at the current exchange rate. You'll see the amount in rubles when you proceed to payment.

Why do we top up our account in a non-Russian currency?

Toloka is an international platform for users from different countries. The platform is provided by the Swiss company Yandex Services AG.

Why do we pay 20% VAT in the invoice?

In accordance with the tax legislation of the Russian Federation, we have included Clause 3.8. in our Requester agreement: the VAT is charged in addition to the cost of services and included in the invoice. This is the same as paying VAT on purchases at any store. Your account in Toloka will be topped up by the amount you entered.

How long does paying the invoice take?

If you pay using a bank card, the money is usually transferred to your Toloka account within a few minutes. If you can't see the top-up amount on your account, write to us and we'll sort it out. Specify your requester username and account number and use Account top-up as your email subject.

How do I find out the currency exchange rate that would apply to my account top-up in Toloka?

You specify the top-up amount in USD. On the Balance, it's converted into rubles, including VAT. The conversion follows the Central Bank of Russia's exchange rate at the time of invoicing (UTC). Learn more about top-up.

How do I add money to Toloka?

You can top up your Toloka account using a bank card or bank transfer. On the Profile page, click "Connect to billing", fill out the form, and you'll see the "Top up account" button. Learn more with step-by-step instructions.

Get closing documents and invoices

Other questions

Where can I set the task price?

You can set a price for your task page on the pool editing page. The minimum price is $0.01.

How do I set up a budget for my first task in Toloka?

Here's the general rule of pricing: the more time is needed to complete the task, the higher the price is.

If the task is simple, like if the performer spends a few seconds to assess product relevance, then set the price to $0.01–$0.02 for 10 tasks (products) on the page.

If you register in Toloka as a performer, you can compare offers from other requesters.

Define the page price, multiply it by the overlap (it's usually 3-5 for a classification task) and add 20% VAT. Try topping up your account by $10 first, then continue topping it up based on the performance dynamics.

How do I pay more to users who fill out optional fields?

You can issue rewards after completion and describe the criteria for increased rewards in your task instructions. You can't change the task suite price dynamically based on the completion results.

Where do I find the statistics on the awards I paid?

Track your money debited for rewards in Profile → Spent tab.

Can there be tasks with different prices in the pool?

No. The price per task suite is the same for all tasks in the pool. You can create multiple pools with different prices or change the price depending on the performer skill using Dynamic pricing. You can pay rewards to good performers.

Other questions

Refund money transferred to the Toloka account

How do I view information about performers?

You can view information about performers of your tasks on the Users page. To view information about a performer, select their ID. The requester can access the following data in the performer profile: country and city, age, education, language skills, rating. On the Metainformation tab, you can find the versions of the browser and operating system, the User-agent type, region detected by IP, and other performer parameters. To select the performers for your pool based on their profile, device, geo location, and other parameters, use filters.

Do you verify the information entered by the performer in the profile?

It's the performer's responsibility to provide the information in the profile during registration. We don't request identity documents for registering in Toloka. If a profile seems suspicious to us, we ask the owner to confirm the information.

Do performers know their ID?

No, only the requester can see the performer ID.

Why can I filter performers by gender in the pool settings, if gender isn't shown in the profile?

The requester can't see the full details about specific performers. For example, the requester can't see their date of birth, gender, last name, or first name. However, filters by date of birth and gender are available to the requester in the pool settings. You can use them to select a group of performers without accessing the details about specific performers. This decreases the risk of performer de-anonymization.

More than 500 performers passed the training, but the training skill shows only 30.

The pool shows the total number of performers that completed at least one assignment. A training skill can be lost over time if you set repeated training in the pool settings. This setting allows a performer to pass the training again after a certain period if the performer didn't complete any tasks in associated pools or if there was a large time gap between completing tasks (for example, because of the ban). The training skill displays the performers who either recently completed training, or regularly complete your tasks so that the skill doesn't expire.

Other questions

How do I reward performers in addition to the basic task price?

You can increase the basic task price for performers that have a higher skill. To do this, set up Dynamic pricing. If you want to motivate high-quality performers regardless of their skill, use rewards. In your task instructions, specify the amount and conditions for the performer rewards.

How can I view statistics on paid rewards?

To view your expenses that involve rewards, go to your profile and open the Expenses tab.

Other questions

Can I disable tasks for performers who do a poor job on tasks?

You can deny access to the pool if the performer's responses are too fast, if they don't match the majority vote, or if the performer makes too many mistakes in control tasks. Tasks completed by such performers can be given to other performers.

Can I ask a performer to redo the task if they made mistakes in it?

No. After sending a task, the performer can't make any changes to it. You can add tasks that were completed incorrectly to a new pool.

Can I fix something in a completed task myself?

No, you can't fix anything in the task itself. However, you can do this manually in the results file.

Fraudulent performers submit assignments with empty response fields. Are they going to be banned before the responses of other performers are known?

Fraudulent performers aren't banned before the majority vote is known. That's why we recommend that you have new performers complete training or a test. Then you can select the users that successfully completed the training to do your tasks.

Are the cheaters who were banned for incorrect responses paid anyway?

If the user was already paid for the tasks, you can't cancel the payment.

Performers completed the training successfully, but have poor results in the main task

During the training, performers follow the task instructions and practice completing your tasks. Based on the training results, the requester can select performers who did well enough to get access to the main pool. However, the mere fact that the performer completes your training pool successfully does not guarantee that they will continue to demonstrate high-quality performance. Performers who did well on the training but had inadequate results in the main task might have obtained correct training responses from other people.

In addition to the training, be sure to set up quality control rules in your main pools. This lets you control the quality throughout the task completion process. If the task requires that users send free-format responses or data files, use non-automatic acceptance to pay for them only after reviewing the responses.

The results include the responses of users who I banned

The results show the responses of all users, including those who are banned. To exclude their responses from the results, select the option Exclude assignments by banned users. It will delete the responses from users who were banned at the moment the results were downloaded, not when the pool was labeled.

How can I ban a user and reject all their responses?

You can't automatically reject the responses of a banned performer.

But you can do it yourself if you want. When downloading the results, select the option Exclude assignments by banned users to delete the responses of performers who were banned at the moment of downloading. You can also forward all the assignments from banned users to other performers using the Re-completion of assignments from banned users rule.

My project has a trusted performer who was banned by the system

Unfortunately, this performer has violated the user agreement and will no longer be able to complete tasks. You can find new performers or customize filters so that they better match the project requirements.

Other questions

How do I classify texts according to their meanings?

You can structure your text classification task using the source text and radio buttons. It can also be text and checkboxes if you use multiple subjects.

We recommend that you base it on the “Text classification” template.

You can also create your own interface. All the available tools are described in the Requester's guide.

How do I create a task using both input and output text fields?

You can see how it's implemented in the “Transcript of audio recordings” template where a string-type output field is used. In the “Text recognition from an image” template, you can view how to describe text input fields. Please note that if you later want to use the Dawid-Skene aggregation method, you must specify allowed values.

What template do I select so that performers label only irrelevant products in the output?

You can create such an assignment based on the classification template. Show a product image and ask the question: "Does the product match the query?" Add two radio buttons for responses: “Yes” and “No”.

How do I label elements on web pages?

Generate the screenshots of pages and manually label areas using the “Object selection in an image” template.

I have a complex task. How do I break it down to get high-quality results?

If your task contains many objects of different types, you should break it down. For example, you can ask users to select numbers in the first project, doorways and windows in the second project, walls in the third project, and plumbing in the fourth project.

The simpler the task, the cheaper it is and the better the quality of the final result. Set the cost of labeling a single class of objects in photos at about $0.01.

Use the Object selection in an image template. You can open this template in the editor and add a drop-down list for labeling the selected object. See how to do this in the editor description (Dropdown list tab).

How do I add assignment validation depending on a checkbox?

You can use JavaScript to add assignment validation depending on a checkbox. An example is provided in the “Search for information online” template.

Other questions

How do I create a shortcut for adding a polygon in "image-annotation"?

To create a shortcut, add the following action to the "onKey" method:

onKey: function(key) {
    var el = this.getDOMElement().querySelector(".image-annotation-editor__shape-polygon");

    if (key === 'D') {
      el.click();
      el.classList.add('image-annotation-editor__shape_active')
    }
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How do I mark up triangles so that they close automatically when the third point is selected?

Use the C shortcut for closing areas.

You can also use the library to customize the keyboard shortcuts for your tasks.

How do I create a task for selecting objects in images?

We recommend that you break down your object selection project into three projects in Toloka:

1. Sorting images containing an object.

   1. Create a task using the “Image classification” template.
   2. Sort the images containing the object you are looking for.
   3. Show the image to the performer and ask if the object is in the image. Response options: Yes/No.
2. Selecting objects in images.

   1. Select the object in the images you obtained after the previous project. You already have such a project. Run the task with non-automatic acceptance.
   2. Use the quality control rules: fast responses, non-automatic acceptance, and post-review re-assessment. Description of rules with examples.
3. Reviewing object selection assignments.

   1. Create a task using the object selection template.
   2. Hide the editor and ask whether the object is selected correctly. Response options: Yes/No.
   3. In the input data, pass the images and coordinates of the labeled objects from the previous task.

   Now you can run the resulting pool with an overlap of 3-5 or with dynamic overlap. After that, you can aggregate the results and then upload the data for review to Project 2.

   To prevent the users who worked on the second project from doing the review, assign a skill to them. Use this skill as a filter in the pools of the third project.

How do I add assignment validation depending on a checkbox?

You can use JavaScript to add assignment validation depending on a checkbox. An example is provided in the “Search for information online” template.

I have a task for area selection in an image. What should the performer do if there is no selectable object in the image?

Main options:

• Select an arbitrary area in the image (for example, put a square in the upper-right corner). In this case, the project instructions for reviewers should also reflect this.
• Ask the performer to skip the task and report it in a personal message. Messages are reviewed by the requester. If the object is truly missing, the task is deleted from the pool by resetting the overlap.
• Add an additional “No object” checkbox to the interface. Make sure that your JS checks that either the object is selected or the checkbox is enabled. In this case, add information about the checkbox value in the review task interface.

How much would 2000 images with a large number of different types of selectable objects cost? How do I create a task for this amount of work?

In the case of crowdsourcing, it's better to break down this task. The simpler the task, the cheaper it is and the better the quality of the final result. The cost of labeling a single class of objects in photos might be about $0.01.

​Base your task on the “Object selection in an image” template. See the step-by-step guide for creating this type of project on this page.

The editor used in the template lets you add a drop-down list for labeling the selected object. See how to do this in the editor description (Dropdown list tab).

How do I implement selection of 3 different areas in an image? Select the name, image, and price in the product page screenshot.

You can create a selection + drop-down list with category selection. See how to do this in the editor description (Dropdown list tab).

What are the input data in the case of object labeling in an image: the coordinates of the object relative to the image, or the coordinates of the object in the Toloka user window?

The coordinates are relative to the image.

How do I use the control tasks in the standard template with an area selection editor?

In the standard template with an area selection editor, you can't use the control tasks, because in order for the assignment to be accepted by the system as correct, the object selected by the user must exactly match the control object. This is almost impossible. Therefore, you can leave the GOLDEN field empty in the task file or simply delete all the columns except INPUT.

How do I use control and training tasks in the standard template with an area selection editor?

In the standard template with an area selection editor, you can't use the control tasks, because in order for the assignment to be accepted by the system as correct, the object selected by the user must exactly match the control object. This is almost impossible. Therefore, you can leave the GOLDEN field empty in the task file or simply delete all the columns except INPUT.

You can't use training and the main pool with the Training type in an area selection project because for the response to be correct, the object selected by the user must exactly match the control object. This is almost impossible.

Such tasks are usually run with non-automatic acceptance: the performer submits an assignment, and then the assignment is rejected or accepted after the review.

For pre-selection of users, you can use “examination tasks”. Review the assignments and assign skills based on the percentage of accepted assignments. For this purpose, add the “Results of assignment review” rule to the pool. To make sure that only the good performers are admitted to the main pool, put a skill-based filter to the pool.

Other questions

Can I limit the source of the photo to camera-only in a field task so that the performer can't upload a photo from anywhere else?

To open the camera instead of the gallery when the user taps the image upload button, in the Image upload button component specify camera=true.

In the mobile apps, performers can add photos from the default gallery (iOS) or Google photo (Android). To limit the capacity of adding online images, specify in the component requiredCoordinates=true. In this case, the system won't let the user add images without geotags.

Learn more about setting up the image upload component .

Other questions

How do I create a task with a selection out of three image options with the paired image comparison?

1. Use the “Side-by-side image comparison” template.
2. In the TSV file, specify the links to the compared images.
3. In the file, create the tasks where all the images will be compared in pairs:

   • Image 1 and Image 2

   • Image 1 and Image 3

   • Image 2 and Image 3
4. Process the results.

You can also edit the project so that the user sees 3 images at once and selects one of them.

Other questions