Overview
We regularly review our prescreening criteria to keep them relevant and manageable. Occasionally, we remove less-used questions to make room for new ones so the list stays useful for both researchers and participants.
Before we fully remove a screener, we mark it as [Deprecated] for a few weeks to give you time to update any studies that use it.
What the deprecation process looks like
[Deprecated] label: the screener is flagged but still available while you transition
Removed: the screener is fully retired and no longer available on the platform
Past data: you can still access historical data from any deprecated or removed screener
Live studies: we don't remove screeners mid-study, so any study that is already running won't be affected
Screeners marked as [Deprecated] remain available for a limited time, giving you the opportunity to review, update, or complete any studies before they are removed.
Publishing studies with deprecated screeners
You may still see deprecated screeners temporarily, for example, in draft or duplicated studies. However:
Once a screener is fully removed from the platform, Prolific removes it from your draft study automatically.
If you try to publish a draft that references a removed screener, you'll see an error message.
To fix this, replace the removed screener with Custom screening to make sure participants still meet your criteria.
Tip: Custom screening gives you more flexibility to define exactly who you want to recruit, even when a prescreened option is no longer available.
FAQs
Will my live study be affected if a screener is deprecated?
No, your live study won’t be affected. We don’t remove screeners from studies that are already running, only from drafts and future studies.
Can I still access data from a screener that’s been removed?
Yes. You can still access past data from any screener that has been deprecated or removed. Removing a screener from the platform doesn’t delete your historical data.
What should I do if the screener I need is no longer available?
If the screener you want to use has been removed, we recommend using Custom screening to recruit participants who meet your criteria.