Toloka documentation

Writing instructions

When selecting a task, the Toloker is first shown the instructions that you wrote. Describe what needs to be done and give examples in them.

Why instructions are important

Good instructions help the Toloker complete the task correctly. The clarity and completeness of the instructions affect response quality and the project's rating. Unclear or overly complex instructions, on the contrary, will scare off Tolokers.

If the Toloker completed the task according to the instructions, and you rejected it, they can file an appeal. It is important to make the instructions both clear and accurate.

Learn more about how to write simple and clear instructions on the Toloka website.

Creating instructions

Write text, format it, and insert pictures, links and tables in the visual editor or using HTML markup. To switch modes, click .

To expand the editor to full screen, click .

To view the instructions as seen by the Toloker, click .

HTML markup

The HTML markup mode allows you to create user-friendly instructions. Declare and apply CSS styles and use allowed HTML tags.

CSS styles

Declare styles in the style container or use the style attribute in tags to assign a style.

Note

The style container can be placed at the beginning or at the end of the instructions.

Supported HTML tags

The HTML markup supports basic tags:

  • Headers from h1 to h6.
  • Paragraph p and the div, pre, and blockquote blocks.
  • The ol, ul, and dl lists.
  • The table tag for tables.
  • The a tag for links.
  • The img and map pictures.
  • Text layout. For example: span, strong, em.
Full list of supported tags

a

col

h1

img

span

td

b

colgroup

h2

li

strike

tfoot

big

dd

h3

map

strong

th

blockquote

div

h4

ol

style

thead

br

dl

h5

p

sub

tr

center

dt

h6

pre

sup

u

cite

em

hr

samp

table

ul

code

font

i

small

tbody

Unsupported HTML tags

You can't insert the following in the instructions:

  • Scripts.

  • Frames.

  • Objects, audio players, or video players (the object, audio and video elements).

    Tip

    You can provide links to audio and video.

Tags that are not supported are removed from the instructions when saving the project.

Editing the instructions

To change the instructions, go to project editing, make changes and save the project.

Note

If you edit instructions in a project that already has completed tasks, you should notify Tolokers.

What's next

See also

Troubleshooting

How do I show my instructions to the Toloker 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 Toloker 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 Tolokers 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 general task instructions.

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.

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