# Pool

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://fohr.writedocs.io/llms.txt).

How Pool works, from pools and lanes to the shortlist and the override rules.

Pool is a shared workspace where you define the creators you want to find. Fohr checks your criteria (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.) and displays everyone who matches, with the best matches first. Each creator's results show which criteria (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.) they matched.

Your team can open and work from the same saved pool.

The following image shows the Pool screen, with a single criterion (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.) and the creators who match it.

![The Pool screen. The top bar shows the Fohr Test brand, the pool name Pool, Save, and Use this Pool. Four creator cards fill the results, sorted by Instagram followers, with Ryan Yu shortlisted and marked by a gold pin. The side panel reads 4 creators and 1 shortlisted, then lists one criterion, Are called any of James Nord, Sophie Wood, Ryan Yu, and Tadashi King, with Add an alternative lane, Duplicate as a new lane, and Clear all criteria at the bottom.](https://fohr.writedocs.io/images/pool-editor.png)

## Pool, Search, Creator Review, and Groups

These tools help you find and manage creators, but each serves a different purpose.

| Tool | What it is | Use it when |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Search** | A one-time lookup. Search for creators, review the results, and move on. | You need an answer right away. |
| **Pool** | A saved, shareable workspace. Creators join when they match your criteria and leave when they no longer match. | You need to screen many creators and maintain a list your team can keep adjusting. |
| [**Creator Review**](https://fohr.writedocs.io/docs/admin/creator-review/) | A workspace for reviewing creators individually. | You have a campaign or bulletin (An open opportunity a brand posts for creators to apply to.) planned and need to decide which creators make the shortlist. |
| **Groups** | A fixed list of creators. Nobody joins or leaves unless someone edits the group. | You need a stable list of creators that stays unchanged until someone updates it. |

Pool and Creator Review work together. First, screen creators in a pool. Then, send them to Creator Review to decide who makes the cut. See [Send Creators from a Pool](https://fohr.writedocs.io/docs/admin/pool/send/).

## How a pool matches creators

A pool matches creators at the levels **Pool**, **Lane**, and **Criterion**, and each level has its own rule.

| Layer | What it is | How it works |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Pool** | The complete list of matching creators. | A creator enters the pool if they match at least one lane. |
| **Lane** | One complete definition of the creators you want. | A creator must match every criterion in the lane. |
| **Criterion** | One condition, such as **Location** or **Profession**. | When a criterion has multiple values, choose **Any of**, **All of**, or **None of** to define how they match. |

In other words:

- **Within a lane:** All criteria (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.) must match (AND).
- **Across lanes:** A creator only needs to match one lane (OR).

### Narrow or widen your results

Each criterion (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.) you add makes its lane more specific. You can widen your results in these ways:

- **Change the matching operator (The choice of Any of, All of, or None of. It sets how a creator must match several values.):** Choose **Any of** instead of **All of** when a criterion (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.) has multiple values. This lets creators match at least one value instead of every value.
- **Add an alternative lane:** Give creators another way to qualify for the pool.

### Examples

The following examples show how different criteria (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.) and lanes affect who enters a pool.

| Goal | How you build it | Who is in the pool |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Stylists in New York | One lane with **Profession** set to Stylist and **Location** set to New York. | Creators who match both criteria (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.). |
| Creators in New York or Los Angeles | One lane with **Location** set to **Any of** New York and Los Angeles. | Creators based in either city or both. |
| Stylists in New York or photographers in Paris | Two lanes. Lane 1 has **Profession** set to Stylist and **Location** set to New York. Lane 2 has **Profession** set to Photographer and **Location** set to Paris. | Creators who match either lane. |
| Creators who never worked with a brand | One lane with **Past work** set to **None of** the selected brand. | Creators who have not worked with that brand. |

The following image shows a pool with alternative lanes. Each lane has its own criteria (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.), and an **OR** separates them.

![The side panel of a pool with two lanes. It reads 411 creators, then Match creators in any of these ways. Lane 1, with 405 creators, holds Work as any of Stylist and Live in any of New York, NY, USA. An OR separates it from Lane 2, with 6 creators, which holds Work as any of Photographer and Live in any of Paris, France. Add an alternative lane, See how lanes overlap, and 411 matches close the panel.](https://fohr.writedocs.io/images/pool-lanes-panel.png)

### Shortlist and Exclude

Shortlisting and excluding (A creator you exclude stays out of the pool, even when they match every criterion.) creators override the matching criteria (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.):

- **Shortlisted creators** stay in the pool even if they no longer match the criteria (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.).
- **Excluded creators** stay out of the pool, even if they match every criterion (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.).

You can apply these actions regardless of the criteria (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.). See [Shortlist and Exclude Creators](https://fohr.writedocs.io/docs/admin/pool/curate/).

## Why pool results change

Pools are dynamic. Every time someone opens a pool, Fohr checks the criteria (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.) against the creators' latest available data. As that data changes, creators can enter or leave the pool.

The following examples show what can change a creator's eligibility.

| Criterion | What can change |
| --- | --- |
| **Age Range**, in **Creator Demographics** | A creator who turns 51 no longer matches a pool set to ages 40–50. |
| **PREDICTED VIEWS** (Fohr's forecast of the views a creator's posts will get.), in **Performance** | New posts can change a creator's predicted views (Fohr's forecast of the views a creator's posts will get.) and move them into or out of your selected range. |
| **Keywords**, set to **Posts** | Fohr checks recent posts within a limited time window. A creator stops matching when the keyword no longer appears within that window. |
| **Recently Logged In** (A badge for creators who logged in recently. Fohr calculates it by day.), in **Badges** (A signal Fohr assigns to a creator, based on their activity or the views their content gets.) | A creator who has not logged in recently loses the badge (A signal Fohr assigns to a creator, based on their activity or the views their content gets.). Because of the refresh delay, this change can take about nine days to appear. |

To keep a creator in your pool regardless of changes to their data, add them to your shortlist. See [Shortlist and Exclude Creators](https://fohr.writedocs.io/docs/admin/pool/curate/).

## Where to start

Start with the task you need:

**[Build a Pool](https://fohr.writedocs.io/docs/admin/pool/build/)**

Create a pool, add criteria (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.), and choose how each criterion (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.) matches.

**[Pool Criteria](https://fohr.writedocs.io/docs/admin/pool/criteria/)**

Every criterion (One condition a creator has to meet, such as Location or Profession.) you can add to a pool, with the options each one offers.

**[Expand a Pool with Lanes](https://fohr.writedocs.io/docs/admin/pool/lanes/)**

Add, compare, and hide lanes to widen a pool without losing the first definition.

**[Read a Pool's Results](https://fohr.writedocs.io/docs/admin/pool/results/)**

Read the cards, the match popover (The small box that opens when you hover over the funnel icon. It shows why a creator matches.), the creator panel, and the demographics, and choose how the pool shows results.

**[Shortlist and Exclude Creators](https://fohr.writedocs.io/docs/admin/pool/curate/)**

Shortlist and exclude (A creator you exclude stays out of the pool, even when they match every criterion.) creators, undo either one, and act on several at once.

**[Send Creators from a Pool](https://fohr.writedocs.io/docs/admin/pool/send/)**

Open creators in Creator Review, add them to a campaign, bulletin (An open opportunity a brand posts for creators to apply to.), or group, or export them.