Configure registration

Richard de Nys

Updated April 03, 2025 12:27

In Award Force, registration is required for entrants to create entries. With a new account, (self-)registration is active with the minimum required user fields that are presented after a user inputs their email address or mobile number for the first time and inputs the six digit code that is emailed or sent via SMS to that user for confirmation.

Note: the six digit code expires after two hours. Registering users will only appear in the Users list for your program once they have input this six digit code and completed the registration steps.

Additional user profile information can be collected by configuring fields of the 'user' resource type.

Activate/deactivate user registration

Program managers may wish to disable user registration prior to entries officially opening or after entries close. The user registration form is in the middle column of the home page and can be deactivated by a program manager by following these steps:

In the Manage workspace, navigate to Settings > Users > Registration
Deselect the Enable user registration checkbox
Click Save

To reactivate registration, simply select the Enable registration form on home page checkbox and Save.

Email or mobile registration

Note: mobile registration is an add-on feature of the Premier solution. Programs looking to collect entrant phone numbers may do so using user fields (Pro plan and above) or phone number fields in the entry form itself (all plans).

Depending on your configuration, users can register using 3rd party authentication (see below), an email address, or with a mobile number. Under the 'User can register with' heading, there are two options:

Email: this means that users can only register for your program with an email address.
Email or mobile: users can register using either their email address or a mobile number.

Important: to learn about regional regulations and limitations association with SMS, check out our dedicated guide: SMS limitations.

Minimum required user fields

The self-registration form on the home page contains the minimum system fields required for user accounts of any type.

Note: these fields can't be removed, renamed, or reordered.

First name
Last name
Email address and/or mobile number
Password

Add user fields

Note: user fields are a feature of the Pro plan and above.

User fields appear during the registration process, on the user's profile settings, and in user exports. To add user fields:

In the Manage workspace, go to Settings > Users > Fields
Click Add field
Select User field resource and click Next
Enter a field label
Add a unique short title to help identify the field

Note: short titles are used to easily identify fields within the fields list view in Settings > Users > Fields as well as exports.
If desired, add a field order value to control the order in which custom user fields appear to registrants

Note: configured user fields will appear after the minimum required user fields and cannot be moved above them.
Set the field type best suited to the user content you wish to collect
Choose whether this user field will persist across all future seasons or only apply to the current season; see: User fields and seasons for more information
In the 'Roles' section, you can set the field to only appear for certain role registration forms if needed, selecting Read and Write to give access and Required only if completing the field is mandatory
In the 'Data protection' section, choose whether standard, elevated, or maximum protection is necessary; see About data protection on fields to learn more
Save

Once saved, the field is immediately functional on the registration form in the current season. If a user has registered for your program prior to the field's configuration, they will be prompted to complete the field the next time they access the platform.

Cookies

When a user navigates to your program for the first time, or after clearing their cookies and cache, they will be presented with a 'Cookies in use' banner (shown below). To comply with global privacy regulations like GDPR the user should select their cookie preferences before continuing. To learn more, see our guide: What does the 'Cookies in use' banner mean?
Cookie banner screenshot

3rd party authentication and single sign-on

Program managers have the ability to allow users to register and log into their platform using social media accounts like Twitter, Google, and LinkedIn or through third party SSO and SAML tools. These settings can be enabled via Settings > Users > Registration. When enabling 3rd party authentication, there is an option to disable traditional registration on the home page. To learn more, see: 3rd party authentication.