Skip to main content

How to Customise the Submission Received Confirmation Message

Customising the submission received message helps you create a more tailored and professional experience for your users. Here's the steps on how to add this to each project.

Written by Oz Osbaldeston

To customise the submission received confirmation message for a specific project, first create the template in Organisation Settings → Message Templates, then apply it to the project via Project Settings → Messages and Reminders → Messages section → pick your template. Every new submission to that project gets this customised confirmation instead of the default. Useful when different programmes need different tones.

Why customise per project?

  • Different programmes have different audiences — a literary magazine and a film festival use different tones.

  • Some projects need specific next-step instructions in the confirmation (e.g. 'You'll hear back in 6 weeks').

  • Sponsored programmes might require specific brand mentions or co-branded copy.

  • Multilingual programmes can use different templates per language.

Step 1: Create the template

  1. Open Settings → Organisation Settings → Message Templates.

  2. Click Add a new template.

  3. Name it descriptively — e.g. 'Submission Received — Spring Awards'.

  4. Set subject (e.g. 'Thanks — we've got your Spring Awards entry').

  5. Write the body. Use merge tags (/CreatorName, /OrganisationName) for personalisation.

  6. Save.

Full template guide: How to Create and Use Message Templates

Step 2: Apply the template to your project

  1. Open the project → Project Settings.

  2. Open the Messages and Reminders tab.

  3. In the Messages section, find the Submission Received slot.

  4. Pick the template you just created from the dropdown.

  5. Preview the message that will be sent

  6. Save.

Please note: The header image from the submission form will show. If nothing is added there, it will default to the org logo.

From now on, every submission to this project triggers the custom confirmation message you've selected, replacing the default.

What should the confirmation say?

A good submission-received message covers:

  • Confirmation that the submission landed — that's the basic job.

  • What happens next — review timeline, decision date if known.

  • How creators can check status (via their Creator Account).

  • Whether they can edit the submission once sent (usually no — Drafts only).

  • A friendly close from your team.

Keep it under 150 words. Creators forward confirmations to themselves as receipts; long messages get ignored.

Best practice

  • Set a confirmation message for every public project — If nothing is created, a default confirmation will be used.

  • Use merge tags so each confirmation feels personal (/CreatorName, /OrganisationName).

  • Test the confirmation by submitting a test entry to your own project (in Demo Mode or with your own email).

  • Keep the tone consistent with your project's brand — formal contests vs informal open mics get different copy.

The Default

If no template is selected, the default template will be sent which looks like this:

Where to go next

Did this answer your question?