Aether Onboarding FAQs
Find answers about getting started, onboarding, and tasking on Aether.
About Aether
The Aether Onboarding Steps
What are the Aether onboarding steps, and how long do they take?
There are seven steps. You’ll need about 15 minutes to one hour in total, depending on how much you have ready before you begin.
Sign up: Create your Outlier account.
Phone verification: Confirm your phone number with a one-time code.
Resume or LinkedIn: Upload your resume or connect your LinkedIn profile.
Identity verification: Verify your identity with your government-issued ID and a selfie.
Outlier Interview: Complete a 20-minute online interview whenever you choose to start.
Project onboarding: If you move forward after the interview, you’ll need to complete the project’s own onboarding before you start tasking.
Start tasking: Find your tasks and credentials on your Outlier dashboard.
Phone, Resume, and Identity Verification
What if my phone verification code doesn’t arrive?
We send a one-time code by SMS. You’ll need an active mobile number from the country you’re in, because VoIP numbers and landlines don’t work. If verification doesn’t go through, you’ll need to wait a short time before you try again.
Check that you entered your number correctly
Try again once the wait is over
If you still haven’t received a code after 24 hours, contact Outlier Support from your account
Why do I need to upload a resume or LinkedIn profile?
We use your resume or LinkedIn profile to match you with better opportunities on Outlier. Use a text-based PDF in English for your resume, or connect your LinkedIn profile.
Why do I need to verify my identity?
Identity verification is a standard step in Outlier onboarding. We use it to confirm that every contributor is a real, unique person, which helps keep Outlier secure and trusted.
How does identity verification work?
Persona, our identity verification provider, runs the check.
You’ll need your original, physical government-issued ID, such as a driver’s license, passport, state ID, permanent resident card, or employment authorization card. The accepted documents vary by country. You’ll take a live photo of your ID and a selfie, following the on-screen prompts, such as turning your face to the left and right. You have two rounds to complete it. If it still doesn’t go through, contact Outlier Support from your account.
What does identity verification collect, and who handles it?
The check collects images of your ID, plus a selfie, and it may include video or audio recordings.
Persona handles the check and is GDPR- and CCPA-compliant. We do not sell, lease, trade, or profit from your verification data.
How long is my ID information kept, and can I ask to have it deleted?
We keep verification data for up to two years after your last interaction with Outlier. To ask for access to, correction of, or deletion of your information, email privacy@outlier.ai.
The Outlier Interview
What is the Outlier Interview, and what do I need for it?
The Outlier Interview is an online interview that you take from your own computer. You’ll work through a real-world scenario, and you can start whenever you like.
You’ll need about 20 minutes, so start when you can finish in one sitting. You’ll also need:
A laptop or desktop (the interview doesn’t work on phones or tablets)
Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge (the interview works only in those two browsers)
A working camera and microphone
Camera, microphone, and screen sharing permissions turned on in your browser
A quiet space and a stable internet connection
Why am I asked to share my screen, and what does it capture?
Screen sharing confirms that you are the person completing the interview. It captures your screen during the interview session and nothing outside it, so it doesn’t access your files or other applications.
If your browser blocks the share, choose your full screen instead of a tab. If you have more than one screen, share the one where the interview is open.
Who can see my interview recording, and for how long is it kept?
Only a small, authorized group of people at Scale AI can view it, such as team members on the Trust & Safety, Security, Engineering, and Legal teams, and we log every time someone opens it. We never sell it, share it with clients, or use it to train AI models.
We automatically delete it after seven days. If an account is under review for a rule violation, we may keep it for up to 90 days.
What if my camera, microphone, or screen sharing isn’t working?
Start with your browser permissions: click the lock icon in the address bar, set Camera and Microphone to Allow, and refresh the page. On a Mac, you’ll also need to go to System Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Screen Recording, and add Chrome or Edge to the allowed list.
If you’re still stuck, send a message to Support from your dashboard. Include your browser name and version, your operating system, the time the problem happened, what you’ve already tried, and a screenshot of your full screen that shows the error and the web address.
After the Interview
I finished the interview. What happens next?
If you move forward, you’ll need to complete project onboarding before you start tasking.
That includes the Aether onboarding course, a screening, and setting up your Aether account. Check your Outlier dashboard for your next step.
How do I set up my Aether account?
You’ll set up a separate Aether account for tasking:
Open your Outlier profile and scroll to the off-platform section
Copy your email and password
Open the Aether platform and sign in with them
Check your personal email for a verification code and enter it
If the code hasn’t arrived after two tries within two to three minutes, ask Outlier Support for help from your dashboard.
Where do I find my Aether tasks, and how do I track my time?
You’ll track your time with the Outlier session timer, and the tasks themselves happen on the Aether platform:
Log into Outlier and open the Aether project on your dashboard
Click Start Tasking, then Start Session
When prompted, share your entire screen
Complete your tasks on the Aether platform
Return to the Outlier tab and click Stop and Submit Hours
Your session time appears in the Earnings tab.
Why is the Continue tasking button grayed out?
The project may have reached its daily limit, which resets at 12 AM PT. You may also still have an onboarding step to finish on your dashboard.
The Outlier Task Verify Extension
Do I need the Outlier Task Verify extension?
Some projects require it.
The extension confirms that you’re the person using your account, and it connects to your timer so we can log your time accurately. On a project that requires it, you’ll need the extension installed and running to use the session timer. Without it, we can’t track or pay your time. You’ll find the install link in your onboarding email or in the prompt on your Outlier dashboard.
How do I install the extension?
You’ll need Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, version 148 or newer. To check your version, open a new tab, type chrome://settings/help (edge://settings/help in Edge), and press Enter. That page also updates your browser if it needs it.
Open the install link from your onboarding email or your Outlier dashboard (the extension is hidden from Chrome Web Store searches, so searching there won’t find it)
Click Add to Chrome (Get in Edge) and confirm
Click the puzzle-piece icon at the top right of your browser and pin Outlier Task Verify to your toolbar
You won’t see a popup when the install finishes, because the extension runs in the background. You’ll only need to do this once on each computer you use.
If Chrome warns you that the link in your email is unsafe, skip the email link and use the install link on your dashboard instead. If a warning appears on the Chrome Web Store page itself, stop, take a screenshot that shows the web address, and contact Outlier Support.
How do I know the extension is working?
You’ll see a Task Verify icon at the top right of your screen or on your timer.
To check that it’s turned on, go to chrome://extensions (edge://extensions in Edge) and make sure the switch next to Outlier Task Verify is on.
What does the extension track, and who can see it?
It collects activity data so we can confirm that the account holder is the person completing each task:
Typing: the keys you type, including the text of your responses on Aether tasks
Clicks and mouse movement: where you click and move your mouse
Copy and paste: the text you cut, copy, or paste on Aether and on a set list of AI and translation websites
Other websites: the name of any site you switch to, but not what’s on the page
Audio: up to one minute per recording, only on tasks that ask you to record
We handle it the same way as your interview recording: with the same small authorized group, the same access log, and the same retention period. It’s never sold, shared with clients, or used to train AI models.
Can I use Grammarly, a notepad, or Google while I task?
A notepad for quick notes and Grammarly for spelling are fine, but never copy and paste between an outside tool and your task.
Type your final answer directly into the task window. Google lookups are fine when the task allows them. If an AI summary appears at the top of the results, you can let it show on your screen, but don’t interact with it or copy from it.
Why won’t my session timer start?
Try these in order:
Update the extension: go to chrome://extensions (edge://extensions in Edge) and click Update. If it still won’t update, remove it and reinstall it from the install link on your dashboard
Update your browser to version 148 or newer
Check that the switch next to Outlier Task Verify is on
Refresh the Outlier tab and start the timer again
If a message asks you to download the extension when you already have it, click Maybe later and keep tasking. If it keeps coming back after a refresh, contact Outlier Support. If the Chrome Web Store says “Item not available,” your browser or computer is probably too old to update to version 148, and you’ll need a newer computer to task on projects that require the extension.
Staying Safe
How do I know Aether onboarding is legitimate?
Many of the Aether onboarding videos on YouTube come from scammers. To protect your account:
Official site: Log in at app.outlier.ai. Be careful to avoid fake websites that can look similar to outlier.ai.
Official email: Outlier emails come from addresses that end in @outlier.ai only
Passwords and codes: Outlier staff will never ask for your login password, and you shouldn’t share your password or your two-factor verification codes with anyone
Fees: Outlier will never charge you for onboarding.
If something looks off: Contact Outlier Support from your dashboard before you share any personal information
