Adding judges

There are four ways to add judges to Award Force. The method you choose will depend on how many judges you have and how you want them to access the platform.

You can:

• Add judges manually – best if you only have a few judges
• Import judges in bulk – ideal for a large number of judges
• Invite judges – useful when asking individuals to participate without commitment
• Enable judge self-registration – suitable when judges need to apply for the role

Add judges individually

This method is best for adding a small number of judges.

1. In the Manage workspace, go to Users
2. Click New user
3. Enter the judge’s name, email address, and a 12-character password
4. Under 'Account roles', select Judge
5. Click Save

After adding judges, send them a broadcast with their login details. Judges can change their password after logging in by opening Profile from the user menu.

Import judges in bulk

Bulk importing is the most efficient option when adding many judges at once.

1. In the Manage workspace, go to Users
2. Click Import users
3. Download the provided import template
4. Enter judge details using the template format and save the file
5. Click Import file and upload the completed template
6. In Role to apply to imported users, select Judge
7. Click Process

The import runs in the background. You’ll receive an email once it’s complete confirming the result. If a user already exists in Award Force, the import will add the judge role without changing their name or existing roles.

Invite judges

Inviting judges allows you to request participation without creating full accounts upfront.

1. In the Manage workspace, go to Users
2. Click Invite users
3. Enter one or more email addresses, separated by a comma, new line, semicolon, or colon
4. Select the role(s) to apply
5. Add an optional message
6. Click Send invite

Invited users appear in the Users list with an invited status. When they accept the invitation, they’ll be prompted to provide their name, password, and any required user fields.

Judge self-registration

Self-registration is best suited to programs where judges apply well in advance of judging.

To enable this option, configure a role registration form for judges and share the registration URL with prospective judges. Once registered, judges can be assigned to panels like any other user. Learn more in the Ultimate guide to user roles.

Good to know

• Judges added manually or via import do not receive automatic email notifications. 
• Programs on the Pro plan and above can notify judges using broadcasts. When broadcasting to imported judges, include the {password_set_url} merge field so judges can set their own password.
• Users added manually or via import automatically have notifications and broadcasts enabled.
• Imported users must have unique email addresses.
• Mobile numbers must be included in the import template if required by Settings > Users > Registration and must use international format, for example +44 785 111 111.
• Even if mobile numbers are optional, the 'Mobile' column must remain in the import template but may be left blank.

Video overview