List of iNaturalist.org features - wiki

[bouteloua]

This is a basic list of iNaturalist.org features. I thought it would be handy to have a quick reference with links.

If you see a feature missing, you can add to this list! This post is a wiki, so you don’t need to comment your suggested change - you can just edit this post directly. There should be a little Edit button in the lower right corner. If you don’t see an Edit button and you would like to make changes, please send me a direct message and I can take a look and adjust your forum account settings.

This list should be succinct and not go into extremely fine detail. As such, for example, I am intentionally avoiding pointing out differences between the website and apps, as well as excluding Seek and this forum. (A simplified table or list of differences between platforms might be cool to have, but let’s avoid that here for now. Thanks!)

Δ = curators & staff only

---

• Create and edit observations
  • Attach photos, sounds, and/or GIFs
  • Add/edit observed date
  • Add/edit observed location
  • Obsure or change the accuracy of a location
  • Add description
  • Add annotations
  • Attach observation fields
  • Add observation to projects (traditional projects only)
  • Add tags
  • Vote on data quality assessment
  • Follow observations
  • Fave observations
• Batch edit your observations
• Add identifications
  • Reference iNaturalist computer vision suggestions (see also computer vision demo page)
  • Reference Compare/Suggestions tool (see also deprecated Identotron)
• Search observations (use filters/URL search tips)
  • Compare 2 or more observation searches (note: experimental)
  • Show taxonomic tree of an observation search (example)
  • View heatmap (e.g. example; use URL search tips)
• Search identifications (example, use URL search tips)
• Comment on observations, journal posts, flags, listed taxa, taxon changes
  • On observations, hide comments/IDs that violate Community Guidelines Δ
• Search comments (note: this excludes comments on IDs)
• Receive notifications
• Subscribe to places or taxa
• Edit user profile (example)
  • Write journal posts (on personal pages or projects)
  • View user calendars (example)
  • Create personal lists (example)
  • Use personal life lists (example)
  • Follow other users
    • Trust other users with your hidden locations
  • Edit account settings
• Send direct messages to other users
• Create projects
  • Select project type
  • Choose project filters and settings
  • Add observations to (traditional projects only)
  • Write journal posts
• Create places
  • Edit other users’ places Δ
  • Merge community-curated places Δ
  • Create place checklists
    • Add listed taxa
    • Add establishment means and occurrence status
• Create taxa Δ
  • Assign default taxon photos
  • Attach common names
    • Attach default place
    • Order common name priority Δ
  • Attach synonym scientific names Δ
  • Attach conservation statuses Δ
    • Assign taxon geoprivacy settings Δ
  • Attach taxon range maps Δ
  • Create atlases Δ
  • Attach taxon framework relationships Δ
  • Attach sources Δ
  • Edit Wikipedia link Δ
• Create taxon changes Δ
• Flag content for review by a curator/moderator
  • Resolve flags Δ
• Create/Edit wiki pages Δ
• Add moderation history notes Δ
• Hide spambots, suspend users for violation of Community Guidelines Δ
• Create guides (note: buggy and no longer supported)
• Create trips (note: experimental)
• Add/Edit translations
• Use iNaturalist API
  • Allow authenticated API usage through your third-party applications
• Reference Getting Started guide, FAQ, video tutorials, Curator Guide, and other pages

See also Ways to help out on iNat - wiki!

[sbushes]

I hadn’t heard about atlases or trips. Good to know.
Are they listed on a menu somewhere? I can’t see them…

[fffffffff]

No, you need to type in urls.

[bouteloua]

Atlases are linked on taxon pages (Curation menu) and in the Curator Guide.

[teellbee]

@bouteloua

A simplified table of the differences between platforms might be cool to have but let’s avoid that here for now.)

It seems like such a table would be very useful, especially for avoiding misunderstandings.

Perhaps take your list and add a couple columns for the platforms; then add dots in the columns to show what platforms have that feature?

[bouteloua]

I included that note about the scope of this topic because there isn’t enough space on forum posts to create a comparison table with the level of detail I would like to provide here (at least not in a succinct and visually appealing way), although others are of course free to separately develop a table like that from the information in this wiki.

Edit: I slightly revised and moved the scope of the topic to the top to help make that clearer. Thanks for the feedback!

[danaleeling]

Would the identotron be a feature that should be listed? Perhaps I missed the identotron in the list?

The only way I know to open the identotron is to right click on a Compare button in an identification and choose “Open in a new tab.” Is there another more obvious way to launch this feature?

[Edit] I would add this to the feature list, but I do not know what would be an appropriate base or generic URL. Access seems to require feeding the identotron an observation, taxon, and place. I also do not know if the identotron is considered a deprecated/abandoned feature that may disappear in the future. The computer vision appears to have supplanted the role the identotron once played.

[teellbee]

@bouteloua

Attach photos, sounds, and/or GIFs

I got a welcome as a wiki editor (thank you!).

Yet, someone undid my edit.

I clarified that sounds can only be added by using the in-app editor on iOS . But, some one removed that.

Perhaps they do not realize how frustrating it is for a user to try to find a function in iOS that does not exist. Especially when everyone is telling them it ~does~ exist.

I will try again!

[bouteloua]

You can see everyone’s edits in the edit history in the top right of a wiki post. I removed the note about iOS for the reasons I mentioned above. Again please do feel empowered to start your own list of differences. I would like this list of features to be as succinct as possible. Thanks!

[teellbee]

@bouteloua

I would like this list of features to be as succinct as possible.

Respectfully, in such cases, too succinct becomes inaccurate and confusing for iOS users.

Doesn’t the term wiki imply the aspiration of completeness?

[dianastuder]

I am also learning to check if a newbie is on an app - that - I must comment because they don’t get a private message. We all need to know that.

[zebs]

Can you add some project related features?
I can’t decide which features need to be on this list.
Traditional project has some noteworthy features though.

[zebs]

Here’s some silly questions but i’m wondering.
Are identifications and annotations part of observation? In my opinion, they are different because need some expertise to add them. But if so they considered to be part of observation, i think computer vision suggestion should be under “Add identification to”, not on separate list.
And how about identotron? Should be under “add identification to” right?

And on create taxa sublist
Is taxon range map differs from atlas?

[bouteloua]

I moved IDs to a top level bulletpoint and rearranged a few things. I also trimmed down ones about editing content since most stuff on iNat can be edited.

Taxon range maps are different from atlases (see this doc for more detail).

For “Assign taxon concept status” are you referring to “taxon schemes”? Or taxon framework relationships? I think taxon schemes are now only relevant for linking GBIF observations to taxon map, but I’m not 100% sure.

[dianastuder]

Add obs to projects

belongs not with projects, but up top with Create obs.

[zebs]

For “Assign taxon concept status”, i refer to the taxon active status. It’s one of the option when creating taxa, usually useful when creating concept taxa.

How about licensing? Is considered a feature?