Getting Started

Everything entrants need to know about submitting work, paying entry fees, viewing results, voting, and earning certificates on AwardKit.

This guide is for award program entrants, audience voters, and anyone interacting with an AwardKit program.

What you can do on AwardKit

The way you interact with AwardKit depends on your role:

Submit an entry

Open the entry link, pick your categories, fill in the form, add team members, and confirm your email with a code. No account to create first.

Pay entry fees

Pay at submit or add several entries to a balance and pay once.

Manage your entry

View, edit, and track the status of your entry from its page.

Vote on entries

Cast your votes as an audience member using the voting link the organizer shared. No account needed.

Certificates and awards

View your awards, open certificates, and add them to LinkedIn.

Do I need an AwardKit account to submit an entry? No. Open the entry link and start filling in the form. When you submit, AwardKit emails you a 6-digit code to confirm your address; entering it confirms the entry and quietly becomes your account, so you can come back to view, edit, or pay without a password. Nothing to sign up for, no credit card.

Do I need an account to vote on entries (audience voting)? No. Audience voting works through a public link the organizer shares. You vote without signing in.

Do I need an account to judge? No. Judges access the program through a unique link the organizer sends them. No AwardKit account is required.

Will I need to pay an entry fee? That depends on the program. If the organizer charges a fee, you see the amount next to each category before you submit. Payment is processed by Stripe and goes directly to the organizer. See Paying entry fees.

How do I find my entry? After submitting, you receive an email confirming your entry. The link in it goes to your entry page. Opening that page from a new device shows Get back to your entry: click Email me a code, enter the code, and you are in.

Can I edit my entry? Yes, as long as entries are still open. Open your entry and click Edit Entry. Once the organizer closes entries or the deadline passes, editing is locked.

I closed the tab halfway through. Is my work gone? No. The form saves as you type. Come back to the entry link and you see "Welcome back! We saved your progress." with everything where you left it.

Where are my certificates? Certificates appear on your entry page after the organizer publishes results. Each team member gets their own certificate with an Add to LinkedIn button.