# Classification Usages

Classification involves predicting which predefined category, class, or label best corresponds to a given input.

## Summary

- Model Usage: (sequence) classification
- Pooling Task: `classify`
- Offline APIs:
    - `LLM.classify(...)`
    - `LLM.encode(..., pooling_task="classify")`
- Online APIs:
    - [Classification API](classify.md#online-serving) (`/classify`)
    - Pooling API (`/pooling`)

The key distinction between (sequence) classification and token classification lies in their output granularity: (sequence) classification produces a single result for an entire input sequence, whereas token classification yields a result for each individual token within the sequence.

Many classification models support both (sequence) classification and token classification. For further details on token classification, please refer to [this page](token_classify.md).

Only when a classification model outputs num_labels equal to 1 can it be used as a scoring model and have its scoring API enabled, please refer to [this page](scoring.md).

## Typical Use Cases

### Classification

The most fundamental application of classification models is to categorize input data into predefined classes.

## Supported Models

### Text-only Models

| Architecture | Models | Example HF Models | [LoRA](../../features/lora.md) | [PP](../../serving/parallelism_scaling.md) |
| ------------ | ------ | ----------------- | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------ |
| `ErnieForSequenceClassification` | BERT-like Chinese ERNIE | `Forrest20231206/ernie-3.0-base-zh-cls` | | |
| `GPT2ForSequenceClassification` | GPT2 | `nie3e/sentiment-polish-gpt2-small` | | |
| `Qwen2ForSequenceClassification`<sup>C</sup> | Qwen2-based | `jason9693/Qwen2.5-1.5B-apeach` | | |
| `*Model`<sup>C</sup>, `*ForCausalLM`<sup>C</sup>, etc. | Generative models | N/A | \* | \* |

### Multimodal Models

!!! note
    For more information about multimodal models inputs, see [this page](../supported_models.md#list-of-multimodal-language-models).

| Architecture | Models | Inputs | Example HF Models | [LoRA](../../features/lora.md) | [PP](../../serving/parallelism_scaling.md) |
| ------------ | ------ | ------ | ----------------- | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------ |
| `Qwen2_5_VLForSequenceClassification`<sup>C</sup> | Qwen2_5_VL-based | T + I<sup>E+</sup> + V<sup>E+</sup> | `muziyongshixin/Qwen2.5-VL-7B-for-VideoCls` | | |
| `*ForConditionalGeneration`<sup>C</sup>, `*ForCausalLM`<sup>C</sup>, etc. | Generative models | \* | N/A | \* | \* |

<sup>C</sup> Automatically converted into a classification model via `--convert classify`. ([details](./README.md#model-conversion))  
\* Feature support is the same as that of the original model.

If your model is not in the above list, we will try to automatically convert the model using
[as_seq_cls_model][vllm.model_executor.models.adapters.as_seq_cls_model]. By default, the class probabilities are extracted from the softmaxed hidden state corresponding to the last token.

### Cross-encoder Models

Cross-encoder (aka reranker) models are a subset of classification models that accept two prompts as input and output num_labels equal to 1. Most classification models can also be used as [cross-encoder models](scoring.md#cross-encoder-models). For more information on cross-encoder models, please refer to [this page](scoring.md).

--8<-- "docs/models/pooling_models/scoring.md:supported-cross-encoder-models"

### Reward Models

Using (sequence) classification models as reward models. For more information, see [Reward Models](reward.md).

--8<-- "docs/models/pooling_models/reward.md:supported-sequence-reward-models"

## Offline Inference

### Pooling Parameters

The following [pooling parameters][vllm.PoolingParams] are supported.

```python
--8<-- "vllm/pooling_params.py:common-pooling-params"
--8<-- "vllm/pooling_params.py:classify-pooling-params"
```

### `LLM.classify`

The [classify][vllm.LLM.classify] method outputs a probability vector for each prompt.

```python
from vllm import LLM

llm = LLM(model="jason9693/Qwen2.5-1.5B-apeach", runner="pooling")
(output,) = llm.classify("Hello, my name is")

probs = output.outputs.probs
print(f"Class Probabilities: {probs!r} (size={len(probs)})")
```

A code example can be found here: [examples/basic/offline_inference/classify.py](../../../examples/basic/offline_inference/classify.py)

### `LLM.encode`

The [encode][vllm.LLM.encode] method is available to all pooling models in vLLM.

Set `pooling_task="classify"` when using `LLM.encode` for classification Models:

```python
from vllm import LLM

llm = LLM(model="jason9693/Qwen2.5-1.5B-apeach", runner="pooling")
(output,) = llm.encode("Hello, my name is", pooling_task="classify")

data = output.outputs.data
print(f"Data: {data!r}")
```

## Online Serving

### Classification API

Online `/classify` API is similar to `LLM.classify`.

#### Completion Parameters

The following Classification API parameters are supported:

??? code

    ```python
    --8<-- "vllm/entrypoints/pooling/base/protocol.py:pooling-common-params"
    --8<-- "vllm/entrypoints/pooling/base/protocol.py:completion-params"
    --8<-- "vllm/entrypoints/pooling/base/protocol.py:classify-params"
    ```

The following extra parameters are supported:

??? code

    ```python
    --8<-- "vllm/entrypoints/pooling/base/protocol.py:pooling-common-extra-params"
    --8<-- "vllm/entrypoints/pooling/base/protocol.py:completion-extra-params"
    --8<-- "vllm/entrypoints/pooling/base/protocol.py:classify-extra-params"
    ```

#### Chat Parameters

For chat-like input (i.e. if `messages` is passed), the following parameters are supported:

??? code

    ```python
    --8<-- "vllm/entrypoints/pooling/base/protocol.py:pooling-common-params"
    --8<-- "vllm/entrypoints/pooling/base/protocol.py:chat-params"
    --8<-- "vllm/entrypoints/pooling/base/protocol.py:classify-params"
    ```

these extra parameters are supported instead:

??? code

    ```python
    --8<-- "vllm/entrypoints/pooling/base/protocol.py:pooling-common-extra-params"
    --8<-- "vllm/entrypoints/pooling/base/protocol.py:chat-extra-params"
    --8<-- "vllm/entrypoints/pooling/base/protocol.py:classify-extra-params"
    ```

#### Example Requests

Code example: [examples/pooling/classify/classification_online.py](../../../examples/pooling/classify/classification_online.py)

You can classify multiple texts by passing an array of strings:

```bash
curl -v "http://127.0.0.1:8000/classify" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "jason9693/Qwen2.5-1.5B-apeach",
    "input": [
      "Loved the new café—coffee was great.",
      "This update broke everything. Frustrating."
    ]
  }'
```

??? console "Response"

    ```json
    {
      "id": "classify-7c87cac407b749a6935d8c7ce2a8fba2",
      "object": "list",
      "created": 1745383065,
      "model": "jason9693/Qwen2.5-1.5B-apeach",
      "data": [
        {
          "index": 0,
          "label": "Default",
          "probs": [
            0.565970778465271,
            0.4340292513370514
          ],
          "num_classes": 2
        },
        {
          "index": 1,
          "label": "Spoiled",
          "probs": [
            0.26448777318000793,
            0.7355121970176697
          ],
          "num_classes": 2
        }
      ],
      "usage": {
        "prompt_tokens": 20,
        "total_tokens": 20,
        "completion_tokens": 0,
        "prompt_tokens_details": null
      }
    }
    ```

You can also pass a string directly to the `input` field:

```bash
curl -v "http://127.0.0.1:8000/classify" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "jason9693/Qwen2.5-1.5B-apeach",
    "input": "Loved the new café—coffee was great."
  }'
```

??? console "Response"

    ```json
    {
      "id": "classify-9bf17f2847b046c7b2d5495f4b4f9682",
      "object": "list",
      "created": 1745383213,
      "model": "jason9693/Qwen2.5-1.5B-apeach",
      "data": [
        {
          "index": 0,
          "label": "Default",
          "probs": [
            0.565970778465271,
            0.4340292513370514
          ],
          "num_classes": 2
        }
      ],
      "usage": {
        "prompt_tokens": 10,
        "total_tokens": 10,
        "completion_tokens": 0,
        "prompt_tokens_details": null
      }
    }
    ```

## More examples

More examples can be found here: [examples/pooling/classify](../../../examples/pooling/classify)

## Supported Features

### Enable/disable activation

You can enable or disable activation via `use_activation`.

### Problem type (e.g. `multi_label_classification`)

You can modify the `problem_type` via problem_type in the Hugging Face config. The supported problem types are: `single_label_classification`, `multi_label_classification`, and `regression`.

Implement alignment with transformers [ForSequenceClassificationLoss](https://github.com/huggingface/transformers/blob/57bb6db6ee4cfaccc45b8d474dfad5a17811ca60/src/transformers/loss/loss_utils.py#L92).

### Affine Score Calibration

Affine Score Calibration, also known as [Platt Scaling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platt_scaling) (Platt, 1999), is the most widely used method for calibrating classifier outputs into well-calibrated probabilities.

The calibration follows the transformation:

`activation((logit - logit_mean) / logit_sigma)`

| Parameter | Default | Description |
| --------- | ------- | ----------- |
| `logit_mean` | `None` | Mean subtracted from logits (centers scores) |
| `logit_sigma` | `None` | Standard deviation used to scale logits after mean subtraction |

The computation order is as follows:

```python
logits -= logit_mean   # subtract mean (center scores)
logits /= logit_sigma  # divide by sigma (scale)
logits = activation(logits)  # e.g. sigmoid
```

Example configuration:

```bash
--pooler-config '{"use_activation": true, "logit_mean": 4.5, "logit_sigma": 1.0}'
```

## Removed Features

### Remove softmax from PoolingParams

We have already removed `softmax` and `activation` from PoolingParams. Instead, use `use_activation`, since we allow `classify` and `token_classify` to use any activation function.

### Remove `logit_bias` and `logit_scale`

`logit_bias` and `logit_scale` are deprecated aliases for `logit_mean` and `logit_sigma` respectively. When using `logit_scale`, it is automatically converted to `logit_sigma = 1/logit_scale`. These deprecated parameters will be removed in v0.21.
