Add submission guidelines to your form by inserting a Text or Accordion field titled 'Submission Guidelines' followed by a Checkbox creators tick to confirm they've read them. The Accordion keeps the form clean while letting creators read the full requirements; the Checkbox creates a record that they agreed. Set up takes five minutes in Form Builder.
Why submission guidelines matter
Clarity — creators understand exactly what's expected before they submit.
Quality control — submissions are more likely to meet your standards when the rules are visible.
Efficiency — far less back-and-forth on incomplete or off-brief submissions.
Auditable agreement — the Checkbox is your record that creators saw and accepted the rules.
How to add submission guidelines
Open the project → Form Builder.
Click Add Item → Accordion.
Title the field 'Submission Guidelines'.
Add the body content (see the recommended sections below).
Save.
Add a confirmation Checkbox below the Accordion. Title it something like 'I have read and accept the submission guidelines'. Mark Required.
Click Save new version.
What should the guidelines include?
Section | What to cover |
Eligibility | Who can submit — age, location, professional background, member-only status. |
Formatting requirements | File types, word counts, image dimensions, page limits. |
Submission deadlines | The end date and time, plus the time zone. |
What you're looking for | Brief on the kind of work you want — genre, theme, style. |
What disqualifies a submission | Anything that makes a submission ineligible — late, wrong format, multi-creator, AI-generated, etc. |
Specific instructions for this project | Anything unique to this opportunity — e.g. anonymous submissions only, no covers, etc. |
Best practice for guidelines
Keep it scannable — short paragraphs, bullet points, and clear sub-headings. Walls of text don't get read.
Lead with the most important rule. If 'submissions must be under 5000 words' is the top filter, put it first.
Use plain language. Avoid legalese — that belongs in your Terms and Conditions.
Review and update before every open call. Last-cycle rules can quietly drift out of date.
Where to go next