Creators find out whether they've been successful through the status shown on their Dapple account, backed up by a message from you. To announce results properly: get every submission into the correct stage, customise the creator-facing label on each stage so it reads clearly, then send a bulk message to just the creators in that stage — either from the Submissions list or straight from the Stages board. Do this in order. If you message before the stages are correct, or before the creator-facing labels reflect the outcome, creators can see a message that contradicts what their account shows.
What's the correct order of operations for announcing results?
Four steps, in this order:
Get every submission into the correct stage. Confirm all unsuccessful submissions sit in a Rejected / Not Selected stage, and everyone through to the next round sits in the right Shortlist, Longlist, or In Review stage.
Set the creator-facing label on each stage, so what the creator sees in their account matches the outcome — not your internal stage name.
Send a bulk message to the creators in each stage, using a saved template or a customised one-off message.
Announce publicly (social media, your website, or a general notice) that results are out, so creators know to check their email and Dapple account.
Doing this out of order is the most common cause of confused or upset creators — for example, sending a rejection email before the stage move means the creator's account still shows 'In Review' when they open it after reading the email.
How do I make sure every submission is in the right stage before announcing results?
Before sending anything, audit your Stages board project by project. Every unsuccessful submission needs to sit in a Rejected / Not Selected stage, and everyone advancing needs to be in the correct next-round stage — Shortlist, Longlist, In Review, or whatever your project calls it. Use filters in the Submissions view (by score, tag, or assignee) to spot-check groups before you move them.
Once you've confirmed a batch is ready, move them in bulk rather than one at a time:
From the Submissions list: tick the submissions (or Select All), click the action button, choose Move Stage, and pick the destination.
From the Stages board: open the three-dot menu on a stage column and choose Move all to… — the fastest option when an entire column advances together.
Bulk-move only works within a single project — selecting submissions across multiple projects triggers a warning. Full steps:
Why does the stage need to be correct before I message creators?
The stage drives what the creator sees on their account. Any Stage Automations configured on the destination stage — messages, tags, webhooks — fire automatically for every submission you move, and the creator-facing stage label updates the next time they sign in. If you send a manual bulk message announcing results while the submission is still sitting in an old stage, the creator reads 'You've been selected' in their inbox but sees 'In Review' when they log in — and that mismatch generates support queries and trust problems you don't need mid-results-announcement.
How do creator-facing status labels work, and why do they matter here?
Dapple lets you set a separate label for what a creator sees on a stage, independent of your internal stage name. Internal names can stay precise for your team — 'Round 2 — Shortlist Review' — while creators see something clearer, like 'Currently being reviewed' or 'Selected — congratulations'. Set this before you announce results, so the account view matches the outcome the moment you move submissions into that stage.
To set it:
Open the project → Project Settings → Stages.
Click into the stage you want to customise.
Find the 'Displayed to creator as…' field underneath the stage name.
Click Edit and enter the label the creator should see.
Save.
The change applies immediately to any submission currently in that stage, and to any submission that moves into it afterwards. Full guide:
What's the difference between messaging from the Submissions list and the Stages board?
Method | Best for | How |
Submissions list | Precise, filtered cohorts (e.g. Stage = Shortlist AND Tag = Photography) | Filter → tick submissions or Select All → With Selected → Send Message |
Stages board | Messaging everyone in one stage column, fast | Open the stage's three-dot menu → Compose Message — acts like Select All for that column |
Both methods land you in the same compose flow: write a message or select a saved template, set Allow Replies on or off, and send. Use the Submissions list when you need to combine Stage with another filter; use the Stages board when the whole column is going out together.
How do I send the actual results message to creators?
Two supported routes, depending on whether you're staying inside Dapple or moving the message elsewhere.
In-app bulk message:
Open the Submissions view.
Filter to the submissions you want to message (e.g. Stage = Shortlist), or open the Stages board and use the three-dot menu on the relevant column.
Tick the submissions, or use Select All / Compose Message.
Compose your message or select a saved template.
Set Allow Replies on or off, depending on whether you want the outcome to open a two-way conversation.
Send.
Turn Allow Replies off for one-way announcements like rejections or programme cancellations, and on where you expect creators to reply with questions or next steps — for example, a shortlist notification asking for availability.
Sending via an external CRM or marketing tool:
In the Submissions view, filter down to the submissions in the stage you want (Stage, tag, score, or any combination).
Click More → Export Query to generate a CSV of the filtered view.
Download the CSV once notified — it includes every form-field column, including the creator's email address.
Import into your CRM or marketing platform and send from there.
Bulk messaging inside Dapple is transactional only — status updates, deadline reminders, and feedback delivery. It isn't for marketing content. If your results announcement includes promotional material, run that through a dedicated marketing tool instead, not Dapple's bulk message feature.
Should I use a saved template or write a one-off message?
Use a saved template for anything you'll send more than once — longlist notifications, rejections, shortlist confirmations. Set these up in Settings → Message Templates so they're ready before results day, with merge tags for the creator's name and project title already in place. Write a customised one-off message only for something specific to this results round that won't repeat.
To create a template:
Open Settings → Message Templates.
Click + New Template.
Name it (for example: 'Shortlist Notification').
Write the subject line and body, using merge tags for dynamic fields like first name or organisation.
Save.
Send a test to yourself first on any high-stakes message — your name and email replace the merge tags, so you see exactly what creators will see. Full guide:
Do I still need to announce results publicly outside Dapple?
Yes — treat the in-app message and status change as the source of truth, and use public channels to point creators toward it. A short social media post or website notice saying results are out and creators should check their email and Dapple account catches people who don't check their inbox immediately, and reduces one-by-one enquiries in the days after you announce. This step doesn't replace the individual message or the stage/status update — it's a nudge layered on top.
What should I check before I press send on a results announcement?
Check | Why it matters |
All unsuccessful submissions are in a Rejected / Not Selected stage | Prevents a creator seeing 'In Review' after reading a rejection email |
All advancing submissions are in the correct next-round stage | Keeps the account status and the message consistent |
Creator-facing labels are set on every stage involved | Creators see plain, accurate wording rather than raw internal stage names |
Filters are applied before selecting recipients | The most common cause of an accidental mass-send to the wrong cohort |
Allow Replies is set deliberately | Off for one-way rejection or cancellation messages; on where you expect follow-up |
A template exists for repeat messages | Keeps tone and content consistent across a large results round |
Best practice for announcing results
Move stages first, message second — never announce an outcome before the account reflects it.
Set creator-facing labels before you open the results round, not on the day you send messages.
Filter precisely before selecting recipients for a bulk message — a wrong cohort is hard to walk back.
Turn Allow Replies off for rejection and cancellation messages; leave it on where a reply is expected.
Stagger bulk sends across stages rather than sending several from one project in a single day.
Pair the in-app announcement with a public post so creators who don't check email straight away still find out.