If you log in to Prolific and see that your account has been placed on hold, it usually means that a study run from your account may have breached our Researcher Terms & Conditions.
While your account is on hold, some account features and actions will be temporarily restricted until the hold has been resolved.
How do I know if my account is on hold?
If your account is on hold, you’ll see a notification banner at the top of your account after logging in:
Why would my account be on hold?
Here are some common reasons why our team might place an account on hold (please note this may not cover every scenario):
Underpaying studies: if one or more of your studies falls below our minimum £6 / $8 per hour reward rate
Screening within studies: if your studies appear to go against our internal screening policy
Invalid rejections: if we believe you may be rejecting submissions unfairly
Collecting personal data: if your study collects Personally Identifiable Information
Requiring external downloads: if your study asks participants to download software/files that we have reason to believe may be harmful
Inappropriate study content: if your studies are causing undue distress to participants or are otherwise inappropriate for the Prolific platform
Not responding to Prolific emails: if we have attempted to contact you through our support channels but have not received a response within a reasonable period of time
Technical study issues: if a study isn’t working correctly and data collection needs to be paused
What can’t I do while my account is on hold?
Whilst your account is on hold, you will be unable to perform the following actions:
Publish new studies
Resume data collection on paused studies
Reject submissions
Increase study places
Stop studies
How can I remove the hold status on my account?
Please contact Prolific Support using the icon at the bottom-right of this page.
Our Support Team will explain why your account has been placed on hold and outline any steps required to restore access. In some cases, a clarification or explanation may be enough to lift the hold. In others, we may ask you to send adjustment payments to participants or unreject submissions before your account can be reinstated.