Someone added an Identification to my observation. What do I do now?

It can be exciting to get your first identification on iNaturalist, but you might not know what to do next. Here are some options, but at all times keep in mind a few things:

• When you add or agree to an identification, you should be able to independently verify it. 
• Sometimes people add "coarse" identifications to observations. Here's why. 
• It's ok to be wrong! We're all here to learn and grow, and everyone makes mistakes. Mistakes are correctable on iNaturalist.
  

Ask a question or make a comment

If someone adds an identification to your observation and you don't know how they were able to make their determination, you can write a polite comment and ask! Many people on iNaturalist are willing to explain their reasoning. This way, you can learn how to make that identification in future. Or, if you think their identification is incorrect, you can write a comment and cite evidence for why you think your identification is correct. iNaturalist is built around these civil, evidence-based discussions. We're all trying to get to the truth.

Do nothing

If you don't have the time or ability to do some research or ask questions that's fine. It's OK to let other iNaturalist users find and identify your observation.

Withdraw your identification

If you're not certain others are correct but you know your identification is incorrect, you can withdraw your identification (currently this is only possible on our website and Android app). Withdrawing your identification will either gray it out or strike a line through it, and your identification will no longer count toward the observation's Community Taxon.

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Agree with the identification

If you think the other person's identification is correct, you can agree with it, but you should only agree if you tried to identify the observation and came to the same conclusion.

Take a moment to look at photos of the taxon they suggested, and its range on iNaturalist, which you can do by clicking or tapping on their identification. Make sure you aren't mistaking this species for something that looks similar, and that the species you're agreeing with actually occurs near the observation's location. Check out resources outside of iNaturalist to determine if there are options that haven't been observed on iNat yet. If you're not sure the identification is correct, it's better to do nothing than agree with an incorrect identification. Everyone on iNat benefits from accurate data, as well as the scientists and conservationists who use iNat data, so it pays to be cautious. If you just want to thank the person who added the identification, you can leave a comment.