New season guide and checklist

If your new season is planned to be largely the same as your last season, it’s a big time saver to copy the configuration of your last season. You can then make any changes to the new season without affecting your archive.

To copy an existing season:

1. Go to Settings > Seasons
2. Click Create season
3. Give the new season a Season name
4. Ensure Copy an existing season configuration is selected
5. Choose the season to be copied
6. Choose the season status as Active or Draft
7. Click Save

By copying an existing season, all tabs, fields, categories and so on will be copied and you can make updates if needed.

Creating a new season allows you to start with a blank slate. All sections such as tabs, fields, categories will be empty allowing you to start from scratch.

To create a new season:

1. Go to Settings > Seasons
2. Click Create season
3. Ensure Start a new season is selected
4. Choose the season status as Active or Draft
5. Click Save

Creating a new season in Draft mode allows you to prepare for the upcoming season without users seeing it before it’s ready. Once it is ready you can make it active by selecting the season under Settings > Seasons and changing the season status to Active.

There are some areas that are not seasonal, meaning that they are not specific to a particular season and any changes made will apply to all seasons. They include:

• General settings
• Theme
• Content (blocks and terms)

For example, a content block that has dates associated with the current season, if you change them for the next season they will be changed for the current season as well.

Settings > Rounds

Check to make sure the entry round is open so you can perform your testing but more importantly, the Ends date should be set to the correct deadline.

Settings > General

• Check registration is open
• Check name of Program especially the year
• Attachments: check for the new season’s correct number/size of attachments
• Social: correct/latest image & text

Settings > Chapters

• Add/remove chapters if needed (if the limit has been reached, please contact support@awardforce.com)

Settings > Categories

• Add/remove categories if needed
• Update category descriptions if needed (pay special attention to eligibility period information)

Settings > Tabs

• Add/remove/reorder tabs if needed
• Tabs can be category specific; make sure to check if they have been applied to the correct categories

Settings > Fields

• Add/remove fields as needed
• Fields can be category specific and/or conditional to values of other fields; make sure to check they are properly configured per the new season’s  requirements
• User fields can be made to persist across seasons or be specific to the active season only. Please change the settings as necessary. Read more on User fields and seasons 

Settings > Notifications
You must add the following triggers:

• User registered. Include {confirmation_url} in the email copy and {confirmation_code} if using mobile registration
• Entry submitted
• Add Payment pending if using the Invoice method. Include {invoice_url}
• Add Payment success if using credit card and/or PayPal. Include {invoice_url}

Settings > Payments

• Ensure Test mode is set to Off
• If a new gateway is being used, contact support@awardforce.com so proper testing can be done before entries open.
• Review entry price(s) and any pricing rules that may have been previously used
• Update discount codes if applicable

Settings > Roles

• Check if a new role was created last season and made default (Entrant role should be default)

Settings > Review flow

Review flow is not copied over and must be configured in every season. See Review flow configuration

Content > Content blocks

• Update content blocks with rules, links, correct dates and support information (pay special attention to the support information to make sure it is the latest)