How to use the Identify Page

Modified on Thu, 19 Dec at 9:23 AM

(This page is for those who want to identify observations made by other users. If you are wondering how to get an identification for something you saw, please post it as observation to iNaturalist.)

A fundamental part of iNaturalist is helping other members of the community and improving and maintaining the data quality of iNaturalist. Adding accurate identifications to observations made by other users accomplishes both of those things. Any user on iNaturalist can add an identification to anyone's observation, so we encourage you to do that if you can do so accurately.

To speed up the process, we've made an Identify page specifically designed to help you identify as efficiently as possible using keyboard shortcuts. There's also video tutorial that describes the Identify tool.

You should not add an identification or agree to an identification unless you can independently verify it and be able to back it up with evidence. And please only identify to the taxononic level which the evidence supports. Inaccurate identifications can create data quality issues.

1. You can filter observations by taxon, Place, or other filters in the filter menu.

2. Click on an image to show more detail for each observation. This will open the identify modal, or pop-up.

3. Use the buttons to add an ID, comment, or agree with the current observation taxon.

4. To add a new ID, click "Add ID", enter a taxon, and click Save. Add a remark or question with it as well, if you like.

5. Click on the keyboard icon here to learn the keyboard shortcuts to increase your efficiency. For example, pressing the i key will begin to add a new ID, or pressing the a key will agree with the existing ID. Pressing the left or right arrow buttons will move you to another observation.

6. Additional tabs on the identify modal show Suggestions, Annotations and Projects, and the Data Quality Assessment.

Even if you're not an expert, you can use the Identify page to refine observations and help them be seen by the right people. Take a look at this tutorial.