We're excited that you want to sign up and take part in studies here on Prolific!
Before you can begin, you'll need to verify your account by doing the following things:
Phase 1: Initial sign-up
Verify your email address
Verify your phone number via SMS
Payment provider acknowledgement
Verify your identity
You can verify your Prolific account on the General Account settings page.
Phase 1: Initial sign-up
Verifying your email address
On sign-up, we send you an email asking you to verify your email address
Click the "Verify Email" button, or use the URL in the email
Once that's done, you'll be placed on the waitlist. When you're invited off it, you'll complete phase 2
Please note: occasionally your email won't show as verified right away. If this happens, try logging out and back in after a few minutes, your account should update.
Phase 2: Once you're invited off the waitlist
When you begin phase 2 of the verification process, you should see this:
Here's some more information on each of the verification steps:
Verifying your phone number
Under "Verify your phone number," select your country code from the dropdown, it's applied automatically, so you don't need to type it
Enter your phone number
Click "Send"
Enter the verification code you receive by text, it expires in 10 minutes, and you have 5 attempts to enter it correctly
Click "Send"
Important things to know
Your phone number must have a country code matching your country of residence, and VOIP numbers aren't accepted. There are some exceptions, see the full list
If you have a German phone number and are having trouble, try adding an extra "0" before your number
If you've previously closed a Prolific account, you won't be able to re-join. Only close your account if you no longer wish to participate
Your phone number is collected for verification purposes only and is never used for marketing.
Verifying your home address
Before providing your ID, you'll need to enter your current home address and country of residence. This must match the country your phone number is linked to and the ID you provide. Your address itself doesn't need to match your ID, only the country of residence needs to match.
If you live in an unsupported country, you won't be able to add your address or proceed.
If you need to update your address or country of residence later, you can do this through your account settings. See I'm moving countries, can I keep my account?
Having trouble adding or changing your address?
This usually comes down to one of two things:
You're currently outside your registered country of residence, for example on holiday, wait until you're back home to add your address
You have a VPN, iCloud Private Relay, or proxy enabled, you'll need to disable this first
This includes tools that can be enabled automatically, like workplace or university Wi-Fi, mobile or 5G networks, iCloud Private Relay on Apple devices, or browser extensions like ad blockers. To check:
Windows: Settings > Network & internet > VPN
macOS: System preferences > Network
Apple devices: use Spotlight search to check if iCloud Private Relay is enabled
Look for a VPN icon in your system tray, near your clock
If you're on a work or school network, try switching to a personal connection
Once you're on a connection without a VPN, proxy, or private relay, you should be able to add your address. See our VPN guidance for more.
Please note: if you're likely to be outside your country of residence for more than 14 months, we recommend logging in periodically to keep your account active.
Payment provider acknowledgement
We use Hyperwallet, a PayPal company, to pay participants. You'll need to acknowledge that you're happy to create a Hyperwallet account to receive payment, click "I understand, continue."
Verifying your ID
This will be done through our trusted partner Onfido (an Entrust company), which stores your data safely.
Check "I consent" once you're ready
Click "Continue"
Take a photo of your ID, this must be a current, valid ID with your photo, issued by your declared country of residence. EU citizens can use an ID from any EU country, even if they live in a different one. See the full list of accepted IDs
Take a selfie video, look directly at your camera and slowly turn your head left to right when instructed. Make sure your surroundings are well lit, your face is clearly visible, and remove glasses or hats that could get in the way
You have 4 attempts to complete ID verification. After 4 failed attempts, verification is rejected, so it's worth getting your lighting and camera set up right before you start.
Having trouble uploading your ID?
If the upload itself isn't working:
Check camera access is enabled in your phone or browser settings
Disable ad blockers, they can sometimes prevent the verification button from appearing
Check your device has enough free storage, or try a different device
Turn off iCloud Private Relay, check via Spotlight search on Apple devices
See Verifying your identity FAQ for more.
What happens if I fail verification?
If you pass all verification steps, you'll see a confirmation in your account.
If you fail our verification checks, we won't be able to offer you a participant account, and you'll see a message confirming this.
You can still cash out any balance you've already earned, and you'll still have access to your account screen.
Please note: If your account is closed following a failed verification, you can't re-join Prolific by creating a new account, regardless of the reason for closure. All new accounts go through our standard verification checks. Account closure is final, we can't reinstate your account or help you create a new one. See How do I close my account, under "Can I re-join after my account is closed or I delete my data?"
What do I do if I'm a UK resident who proves my country of residence status with a Share Code?
Once you select the UK as your country of residence, you'll be asked to:
Provide a UK photo ID
If you can't provide one, you'll be asked for a share code instead
You'll be taken to a new tab with instructions on generating a code and sharing it with Prolific
Verification FAQs
For more, see the Verifying your identity FAQ and the Verification and Onboarding Guide.