Variables

Variables define the annotation schema for a project. Each variable represents one dimension that annotators (human or LLM) respond to.

Creating a Variable

Navigate to Variables in the project sidebar and click New variable. Choose a name and a type, then configure the type-specific settings.

Variable names must be unique within a project. Names are used as column identifiers in templates and exports.

Variable Types

Single Categorical

Annotators choose exactly one option from a predefined list.

Configuration:

  • Options — a list of labels (e.g. positive, neutral, negative). Each option has an internal ID (generated automatically) and a display label.

Example: Sentiment classification with options positive / neutral / negative.

Multi-Categorical

Annotators can choose one or more options from a predefined list.

Configuration:

  • Options — same structure as single categorical.

Example: Topic tagging where an article can belong to multiple categories.

Likert Scale

Annotators select a position on a numbered scale.

Configuration:

  • Scale — number of points (e.g. 5 for a 1–5 scale)
  • Labels — optional text label for each scale point

Example: Agreement level from Strongly disagree (1) to Strongly agree (5).

Text

Annotators type a free-form text response.

Configuration:

  • Max length — optional character limit

Example: Asking annotators to rewrite a sentence or explain their reasoning.

Integer

Annotators enter a whole number.

Configuration:

  • Min / Max — optional inclusive bounds

Example: Counting the number of named entities in a document.

Float

Annotators enter a decimal number.

Configuration:

  • Min / Max — optional inclusive bounds

Example: A confidence score between 0 and 1.

Editing Variables

Click the edit icon next to any variable to rename it or change its configuration. Changing the options of a categorical variable does not retroactively affect already submitted annotations — existing task values reference the internal option ID.

Using Variables

Once defined, variables can be used in:

  • Annotation forms — add an Input component block linked to the variable
  • LLM pipeline prompts — each prompt targets one variable
  • CSV/XLSX templates — appear as annotation:{name} and llm:{name} columns
  • Exports — annotation columns are labelled {variable name} ({annotator name})