Reviewer due dates in Dapple are set per Review Round and give members of the Review Group a visible deadline for completing their assigned reviews. Set a due date during Step 3 (Deadlines) of the Review Round setup wizard, or add and edit one at any time by opening the round settings from Workflow & Reviews. You can choose between a fixed calendar date or a rolling deadline that counts from when each submission is sent to the round.
Why set a reviewer due date?
Gives reviewers a clear target to plan their time around.
Sets shared expectations across the Review Group without you having to chase individually.
Prevents scoring from trailing into the announcement period.
Reduces follow-up — reviewers can see a countdown of days remaining on their dashboard and review forms.
How do I set a due date when creating a Review Round?
Due dates are configured in Step 3 — Deadlines of the Review Round setup wizard.
In your project, open Workflow & Reviews.
Click + Add review round on the relevant in-progress stage column.
Work through Steps 1 and 2, then continue to Step 3 — Deadlines.
Toggle on Display due date to reviewers.
Choose a date mode (see below) and set your date or number of days.
Continue through the remaining steps and save the round.
How do I add or change a due date on an existing Review Round?
Open Workflow & Reviews and find the stage column.
Click the review round card to open its settings.
Select Deadlines from the left-hand navigation.
Toggle on Display due date to reviewers (if not already on).
Update the date mode and value.
Click Save changes.
The change takes effect immediately. Reviewers who already have submissions assigned will see the updated deadline on their next login.
What are the two due date modes?
Mode | Best for | How it works |
Specific date | Fixed-deadline programmes — award announcements, cohort starts, or any round where everyone must be done by the same day | All reviewers see the same hard calendar date regardless of when their submissions were assigned. Ideal when you need the whole Review Group done simultaneously. |
X days from send | Rolling submissions or ongoing open calls where submissions arrive continuously | The clock starts when each submission is sent to the round. Each reviewer's deadline is calculated individually — a submission sent today gets today + X days; one sent next week gets next week + X days. |
What do reviewers see?
When a due date is set, reviewers see a countdown of days remaining on their review dashboard and on the feedback form for each assigned submission. There is no hard cutoff — reviewers can still submit feedback after the due date passes — but the visible countdown keeps the deadline front of mind and typically reduces the need for follow-up from your team.
Best practices for reviewer due dates
Allow at least five to ten business days — rushed feedback is rarely useful and reviewers who feel pressured give shorter, less considered responses.
Align the due date with your announcement or shortlist timeline, not your internal deadline — add a buffer for any final-round deliberations after scoring closes.
Use a specific date for award rounds where all scores need to be in before a judging meeting. Use X days from send for open calls where submissions arrive throughout the window.
Communicate the deadline to your Review Group when you set it — the in-product countdown reinforces it, but a heads-up message when you launch the round sets the right expectations from the start.
Check the Stats section of the Review Round to see who is on track and who is falling behind before the deadline arrives.
Where to go next
How to create a Review Round in Dapple
How to add a Review Round to a project stage
How to view and manage all reviewers in Dapple
How to send submissions for review in Dapple
You set feedback due dates on each Review Panel in Project Settings → Reviews → Guidance and Feedback. Choose between a specific calendar date or a rolling 'X days from when each submission is sent'. The due date appears as a live countdown in reviewers' accounts, so everyone knows exactly what's expected.
Why set a due date?
Without a deadline, review work expands to fill every available hour — and decisions slip. A visible due date helps reviewers plan their time, sets clear team expectations, prevents bottlenecks ahead of announcements, and removes the awkward 'have you got to those yet?' chase emails. Reviewers usually juggle other commitments — a concrete deadline gives them a target.
How to set a due date
Open Project Settings → Reviews.
Select the Review Panel you want to edit.
Open the Deadlines and toggle on Display Due Date to Reviews.
Pick one of the two date modes (below) and save.
Which due-date mode should I use?
Mode | Best for | How it works |
Specific future date | Fixed-deadline rounds — awards with announcement dates, programmes with end-of-month decisions | Every reviewer sees the same hard deadline regardless of when their submissions were assigned. |
X days from send | Rolling submissions or ongoing programmes | The clock starts when each submission is sent to the panel. A reviewer who gets a submission on Monday with a 7-day due date has until the following Monday. |
What do reviewers see?
Reviewers see a countdown showing remaining days until their feedback is due. The countdown appears on their dashboard and on each individual feedback form. There's no hard cut-off — reviewers can still submit feedback past the deadline — but the visible countdown is usually enough to keep things on track. If it's overdue, it appears in bright red.
Best practice
Give reviewers enough time for considered work — usually 5–10 days minimum.
Align the due date with your publication or announcement timeline.
Use day-based due dates for rolling submissions, fixed dates for awards with set announcement dates.
Be clear with reviewers what happens after the deadline — usually a reminder email, not a lock-out.
Where to go next