CrowdWorking Projects you can do on Appen Connect (and how to find them)

Last Updated on October 20, 2021

The work or jobs that you will do in Appen Connect will be in the form of Projects. You can “qualify” for multiple projects at a time, and if selected, you will get access to all the details regarding the project. There are lots of projects to try for, and working on them is kind of fun. Basically, you will be providing data that will help these companies improve their products or work on some kind of research. There are projects from social networking and search giants. And the best part is that they pay in dollars.

 We can classify them like this:

AI Training/Data Collection Projects

There are also several data collection projects in Appen, which are mostly used to train AI algorithms. Data collection projects require you to click pictures or record videos of objects, items, activities, etc. which are ultimately used as training data for various AI applications. In short, you are paid to train AI algorithms. You are contributing for the development of the future of AI.

You are getting paid to train AI applications. The pay rates for such data collection projects is different. You are paid according to the number of images/videos that you submit.

To participate in Data collection projects, you need to download the AMR app by Appen (available on iOS and Android).

Appen App for Data Collection Projects

For participating in Data Collection projects, you would need to download the Appen App from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. It was previously known as the AMR App (Appen Mobile Recorder).

Appen updated their app recently. A lot of problems faced in Data Collection Projects with AMR app were fixed. The process was made more user-friendly and streamlined.

Some of the screenshots presented here are from the older version of the app.

Depending upon the project, you are required to click photos, record videos or voice using the app, which are then uploaded directly to Appen.

Data Collection projects work on an availability basis, and you will be informed via email whenever a new collection opens.

Some projects will require a PIN for you to access the task in AMR. The PIN will be available in the project details or any email you receive from Appen.

Some projects don’t require a PIN. You can log into your Appen app using your Appen login details. The app will ask for some terms agreement and then take you to a list of available projects.

Usually, the name of the project on Appen connect and AMR app are different, So try to guess a little. If you want you can click on the project and see if the project description matches the details of the project on Appen connect (like they ask you to do similar types of tasks).

It is robust in the sense that it uploads your content to appen servers very reliably.

Long-term and short-term projects (and how much they pay)

All projects on Appen have a lifespan (kind of). Some projects are one-time tasks, while some projects can go on for years. While there is no exact way to learn about long-term or short-term projects at Appen, one key indicator that you can use to guess is the “Task volume” column.

Appen updated their projects dashboard interface recently. Some of the information presented here pertains to a previous version, but is accurate and applicable to the newer version as well.

The task volume is a column in your approved projects that tells you about the number of tasks available for that project (though it is not a reliable indicator). Usually, tasks with a high amount of volume are long term projects. These projects can go for long periods of time and help you earn consistent income throughout the year, while other tasks with low volume might come and go at random times. 

I have been involved in 2 long-term projects in my time at Appen, which involved working daily and had tasks available every day. It was almost like a real job paid by the hour. For every hour I work, I would earn around 3.5$ (the payrate can vary upto 20$/hour). So 2 hours of work would amount to 7$. 

Tip regarding long-term projects: Try sticking around a bit longer if you cannot get it in the beginning, they come by every once in a while.

It is quite low, but almost on par with what you would earn in an entry-level job in many countries. But the best part is that you get to work from home.

Here are some of the things you could be doing working for them in these long-term or short-term projects:

• Search Media Evaluation

• Social Media Evaluation

• Translation

• Transcription

• Survey and Data Collection

• Linguistic Specialties

• Mystery Shopping Projects

• Speech Evaluation

How to find projects in Appen?

After you have cleared your application given the green light to work, log in to your Appen Dashboard. Now you need to find projects to work on, which you can bill in your invoice. It is important that you understand how projects work in Appen.

The process/flow of qualifying for Appen Projects

The process of finding work on Appen is a long but simple process. Here is a simple breakdown of the process:

1. Go to “All Projects” and find new projects that you can qualify for.
2. You MIGHT be asked several questions related to the project. This is to make sure that you are a right fit for the Appen project.
3. You are added to their “queue” or wait-list.

Now, this sounds very simple in these 3 steps, but it gets quite complicated as every project has a different set of guidelines, requirements, and qualification steps. 

How much can I work? Is it a flexible option?

Some projects require you to qualify in an exam to participate in it, while others might allow you to work right away.

Some projects will be qualified and approved right away, while some might take a lot of time (or may not ever be qualified).

Some projects allow you to work without any limits, while other projects have a defined set of work requirements.

So there is a lot of individuality in each of the projects, and no two projects are the same. While all the talk above might make it seem difficult, it is actually a very streamlined process.

As soon as you qualify for a project, you will be directly emailed regarding all the work of the project. All notices, updates, and project guidelines are directly emailed to you, and you can also go to the project’s page on Appen (after you have qualified) to get a detailed explanation and FAQ regarding that particular project.

Just one reading will quickly resolve all your doubts. 

In most of the projects, you can work according to your schedule and convenience. You just have a deadline by which to complete the task, and you get paid for it. As simple as that.

More Questions? Contact their Support.

Any other doubts can be directly emailed to the support, and they are usually quick to respond and happy to help. For all your other doubts and discussions, you can check out their “Social” section, where you can chat with fellow Appen workers regarding your projects.

So overall, it is a lengthy process but very streamlined and very intricately designed. You might feel overwhelmed at first, but once you start working, you will find it to be really simple and easy.

Check out this list I made of all the support sites.

Remember, the goal is to qualify for as much projects as you can, since not all of them will be approved. Even if approved, it takes some time to onboard you on a project (like training, guidelines, etc.). So the best practice according to me is to apply for any project you feel that you can work on as soon as it is available. I remember having upto 22 active processes (projects for which I applied) at a single time, yet was only approved for 2 or 3 of them.

This is it. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Read the Full Appen Connect Guide for Registration Process Details and more Tips.

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