To customise what creators see when a form isn't accepting submissions, open the project's Form Builder, click View, and select View Closed Form. This opens a separate editing canvas — distinct from your live submission form — where you can rewrite the default “Form Closed” message, add extra elements such as images or embedded video, and preview the result before it goes live. The closed form message only displays to creators once the project's Availability is set to Closed.
What is the closed form message?
The closed form message is the screen creators see instead of your submission form when a project isn't currently accepting entries. Every project starts with a default message — a “Form Closed” title and a short paragraph explaining the form isn't open — but this is fully editable in the Form Builder, in the same way you edit the live form itself.
Use it to tell creators when you'll reopen, point them to other open projects, or explain why submissions are paused. Without any customisation, creators just see the generic default text, which gives them no useful information about when to come back.
How do I edit the closed form message?
Open the project and go to Form Builder.
Click View in the toolbar.
Select View Closed Form from the dropdown.
Click into the Title or Text element on the canvas and edit the wording directly.
Use the Elements panel on the right to add more informational elements if needed.
Click Publish New Version to make your changes live.
What can I add to the closed form message?
The closed form screen uses the same informational elements available elsewhere in Form Builder. These are display-only — there are no input fields, since creators can't submit anything while the form is closed.
Element | What it does |
Title | Large heading text — used for the default “Form Closed” headline. |
Highlight | A callout box that draws attention to key information, such as a reopening date. |
Accordion | A collapsible section, useful for FAQs about why the form is closed. |
Text | Standard paragraph text for your main message. |
Image | Upload a photo or graphic, such as a competition banner. |
YouTube | Embed a video, for example a wrap-up of the last round or a teaser for the next one. |
How do I preview the closed form message before publishing?
Click View in the Form Builder toolbar and select Preview Closed Form. This opens a read-only render of the closed screen, the same way Preview Form shows a read-only render of the live submission form. Use it to check layout, images, and wording look right before creators see it.
What's the difference between the four View options?
Form Builder's View dropdown gives you four options, split across two screens (the live form and the closed form) and two modes (editable canvas and read-only preview).
Option | What it shows | Use it to |
View Form | Editable canvas for the live submission form | Build and edit the fields creators fill in |
View Closed Form | Editable canvas for the closed-form screen | Build and edit the message shown when the form isn't open |
Preview Form | Read-only render of the live form | Check how the open form looks before publishing |
Preview Closed Form | Read-only render of the closed screen | Check how the closed message looks before publishing |
When does the closed form message actually display to creators?
The closed form message only shows once the project's Availability is set to Closed. If Availability is set to Anytime or Between Dates and the form is currently open, creators land on the live submission form regardless of what you've built on the View Closed Form screen.
Best practice for closed form messages
Always state when the form will reopen, even if it's approximate — “fall 2027” is more useful than nothing.
Use a Highlight element for the reopening date so it doesn't get lost in a paragraph.
If you run multiple projects, link or point creators to any other project that's currently open.
Keep the design consistent with your live form — same imagery, same tone.
Preview the message before publishing so you know exactly what creators will see.
Update the message every time a project's dates change — a stale reopening date left over from last year looks careless.
Where to go next
How to Set Project Visibility — set when forms open and close.
How to Manage a Contest or Competition Once Submissions Are Open — the workflow to run once your form reopens and entries start arriving.