Collections lets you build a survey directly inside Prolific to gather data from participants. Instead of linking to an external survey tool, you can create your questions, upload prompts, and collect responses all in one place.
It works for any study where you want a custom, structured data-gathering experience without leaving the platform.
You can also use Claude or the Prolific CLI to generate and manage collections. See Building a survey with AI Task Builder Collections for the full guide.
Create a new collection
Open AI Task Builder and select Create new task.
You'll see two options:
Data Annotation - the existing annotation (Batch) workflow
Data Collection - the Collections survey builder
Select Data Collection and click Continue.
Enter a name for your collection and write a brief description so participants understand what you're asking for.
Design your collection
Once you've named your collection, you'll land on the Task design section. This is where you build your survey, adding pages, instructions (questions), and any supporting content participants need to respond accurately.
Pages
Your collection can span multiple pages. Each page can contain a mix of instructions (questions for participants to answer) and content blocks (supporting material).
Instruction types
Instructions are the questions participants respond to. You can choose from the following types:
Type | Description |
Multiple choice | Single-select question with predefined options |
Free text | Open-ended text response |
Free text with units | Text response with an associated unit field (e.g. for measurements) |
Multi-select | Question where participants can select more than one option |
Multi-select with free text | Multi-select with an additional open-ended field |
Multiple choice with free text | Participants select from a list of options and provide a written explanation alongside their selection |
File upload | Lets participants upload a file (e.g. an image) |
Content blocks
Content blocks let you add supporting material between instructions, without asking participants to respond. Use them to add:
Text - context, instructions, or background information
Images - visual prompts or examples
Preview your collection
Before you publish, check how your collection looks to participants.
Click Preview to open the participant-facing version of your collection.
Test the flow, including any file upload instructions, to make sure everything looks and feels right.
Return to Task design to make any adjustments.
Save and publish your collection
When you're happy with your collection:
Click Save and set up study.
Select or create a folder to organize your collection.
Click Set up study to continue to the study setup flow, where you'll confirm your settings before publishing.
Once published, your collection will appear in the Data collection section of AI Task Builder, alongside any others you've created.
Tips for a great collection
Use content blocks to give participants clear context before each instruction, as this reduces confusion and improves response quality
Always preview before publishing to catch any formatting issues or unclear instructions
If you're using Claude to generate your collection, a more detailed description will produce a more accurate first draft