We're aware of a technical issue that has been affecting studies on Prolific. We're sorry for the disruption, as we know many of you rely on Prolific, and issues like this are frustrating.
This article is the single source of truth while we work through the issue. We're updating it regularly as things change, so please bookmark it and check back here for the latest information before contacting our team. In most cases, the answer you need will be here, and checking here first helps our support team focus on the people who need them most.
What happened?
A technical issue caused a very large number of studies to appear on participant dashboards at once. Many of these studies didn't work correctly, and the volume also led to slow performance, some pages not loading, and difficulty accessing or submitting studies.
Our team has applied a number of fixes and the platform is now performing normally again, but some effects are still being worked through. Those are covered below.
What may still be affecting you
You may see fewer studies than usual, or "high demand" / "study full" messages
While we finish resolving the issue, you might notice fewer available studies than normal, or see a message like "This study is in high demand" or "This study is full", sometimes even on studies that look available.
What to do: Nothing right now. This is expected while we work through the issue, and it should improve over time.
Some studies show "Something went wrong. Please go back to your provider"
If you open a study and see the message "Something went wrong. Please go back to your provider," the study is affected by the issue and won't work.
What to do: Please return the study. You don't need to keep retrying it, and you don't need to report each one individually. Returning these studies will not have a negative impact on your account.
We're working to resolve this, and the number of affected studies on your dashboard should reduce over time.
Will the technical issues have any lasting impact on my account?
No. If you received a speed warning or a timeout as a result of this incident, it will not have any lasting impact on your account or your standing.
If any of your submissions were rejected as a result of the incident, those rejections will be turned into returns. Returns also do not impact your account in any way.
I missed studies, or returned/cancelled studies because they were broken. Will I get another chance?
We understand that some of you missed the chance to take studies, or returned or cancelled studies because they weren't working.
We're working to bring affected studies back so participants can access them again. We don't have timings to share just yet.
What to do: Please stand by and keep an eye on this article and your dashboard for updates.
When to contact support
Please check this article first, if your question is answered above, there's no need to get in touch, and we'll keep this page updated.
If you're experiencing something not described here, or you have an account issue you believe is unrelated to this incident, you can still reach our team in the usual way.