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Overview

These guidelines explain how to record high-quality one-on-one conversational data. The goal is to capture natural, realistic conversations while ensuring:
  • Clear audio quality
  • Consistent structure
  • Ethical and privacy-safe recording
  • Usable data for AI training and evaluation

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General recording principles

  • Record natural, unscripted conversations
  • Avoid reading from scripts unless explicitly instructed
  • Speak as you normally would in real life
  • Do not exaggerate pronunciation or pacing
  • Focus on clarity, not performance

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Recording environment

Your environment is one of the most common reasons for submission rejection. Take time to set up properly before every session.
  • Choose a quiet, enclosed space
  • Avoid background noise (TVs, music, traffic, fans)
  • Close windows and doors
  • Silence phone notifications
  • Avoid echoing rooms when possible

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Microphone and device setup

  • Use a headset or external microphone when available (see Recommended Microphones)
  • Keep the microphone at a consistent distance
  • Avoid touching or adjusting the mic during recording
  • Do not record while walking or moving
  • Ensure stable internet or local recording

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Conduct and enforcement

Repeated behavior that disrupts jobs or the community may lead to payout penalties, warnings, project removal or a WorkBolt ban. This includes:
  • Repeatedly muting during calls
  • Exiting calls without a valid reason
  • Consistently withdrawing after matching
  • Harassing or badgering conversation partners
  • Ignoring repeated feedback
  • Submitting work that repeatedly violates project requirements
  • Attempting to bypass quality checks
Treat partners and team members professionally and follow all project instructions.

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Speaker behavior

  • Speak at a natural pace
  • Do not rush or slow down unnaturally
  • Avoid whispering or shouting
  • Allow natural pauses and overlaps
  • Do not interrupt excessively

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Conversational flow

  • Treat the session like a real one-on-one conversation
  • Respond naturally to what the other speaker says
  • Ask follow-up questions when appropriate
  • Avoid long monologues unless contextually natural

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Natural speech and disfluencies

Natural speech includes hesitations, false starts, self-corrections, and pauses. These are encouraged — they make the data realistic and valuable for AI training.
Do not try to sound overly polished. Natural, authentic speech is exactly what we need.

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Turn-taking

  • Allow the other speaker to finish their thoughts
  • Overlap is acceptable if it occurs naturally
  • Avoid long silences unless conversationally appropriate
  • Do not dominate the conversation

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Topics and content

  • Stay within the assigned topic or task
  • Avoid discussing sensitive personal information
  • Do not include private data (addresses, passwords, financial info)
  • Avoid hate speech, threats, or illegal content

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Emotional tone

  • Natural emotional expression is acceptable
  • Laughter, excitement, and uncertainty are fine
  • Do not exaggerate emotions for effect
  • Keep reactions authentic

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Accents and dialects

  • Speak in your natural accent or dialect
  • Do not attempt to neutralize or imitate another accent
  • Consistency is more important than standardization

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Background speech and noise

  • Avoid background conversations
  • Pause recording if interruptions occur
  • Restart only when the environment is quiet
  • Do not intentionally include background speakers

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Scripted and voice-acting jobs

  • Follow the script and performance direction
  • Do not add, remove or rewrite words unless permitted
  • Use the requested accent, tone and delivery
  • Submit raw, unedited recordings unless instructed otherwise

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Handling recording errors

If an issue occurs during recording:
1

Pause the recording

Stop immediately — do not continue through loud noise or technical failures.
2

Fix the issue

Address the noise, interruption, or technical problem before continuing.
3

Restart when ready

Resume only when the environment is quiet and your setup is stable.
4

Report if needed

If you’re unsure whether the issue affected quality, report it through the platform or contact support.
Do not edit or splice recordings manually. Submit recordings as-is and report any issues.
  • All participants must consent to being recorded
  • Do not share or request personally identifiable information during recordings. This includes full names, phone numbers, email addresses, social media usernames, exact locations, home or workplace addresses, employer or school names, financial information and account details. Use general descriptions such as “my workplace,” “my university” or “a friend” instead.Things to avoid during recording
The following behaviors contaminate conversational data quality and will likely result in rejection:
Do not talk about task instructions, guidelines, rules, or best practices during the session. Do not reference how the job works or explain what you are supposed to do.
Begin speaking as soon as the prompt or question appears. Do not introduce the task, explain the setup, or announce that you are starting.
Do not talk about timers, time limits, recording status, the platform or interface, reading instructions, or “doing a job” or “completing a task.” The conversation should feel natural and self-contained.
Shure mics are extremely sensitive. If your earpiece gets too close to the mic, or if you turn your ear toward it, the mic may pick up your partner’s audio.

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Summary checklist

Before and during every recording session, confirm:
  • Quiet environment with no background noise
  • Clear, consistent audio from an approved microphone
  • Natural conversational flow — not scripted or rehearsed
  • Authentic speech patterns with natural disfluencies
  • No sensitive or private information shared
  • No forced or scripted delivery
  • Proper consent obtained from all participants
  • No discussion of instructions, timers, or task mechanics
  • Conversation starts immediately from the prompt
For equipment recommendations, see Recommended Microphones and Recording Setup.