Contest rules, judging criteria, and disclosures

Explain how submissions are evaluated

Contest rules must explain how a submission is evaluated and what happens to the submitted content.

Contest-specific details to include

• Accepted media and submission requirements
• Content restrictions and reasons for rejection
• Participant eligibility and number of submissions allowed
• Rights, permissions, licenses, and public gallery display
• Requirements for people, music, brands, or property appearing in media
• Moderation and removal authority
• Voting period, limits, verification, and treatment of suspicious activity
• Judging criteria, weights, judges, and tie process
• How public votes affect the final decision
• Prize, winner verification, notification, claim, and alternate terms

Keep the experience consistent

The upload instructions, consent fields, gallery labels, voting controls, judging process, and winner workflow should all reflect the same rules. If voting is advisory, do not label the gallery rank as the final winner.

Review changes carefully

Changing an entry requirement, voting period, judging method, or public-use term after submissions begin can materially affect participants. Obtain appropriate review before making a change and communicate it when required.

Revup’s contest-rule draft is an operational starting point, not legal advice. Qualified review is especially important when submissions include minors, third-party intellectual property, high-value prizes, multiple countries, or broad rights to participant content.