How to Create an Engaging Contest Entry Application Form with Formify

Last Updated: 2025-05-16

Create a professional contest entry form with Formify, your go-to online form builder, that captures all necessary participant information while keeping it engaging and easy to complete. This guide will help you create online forms effectively for your contests, using our intuitive form creator tools.

Step 1: Start with the Basic Information using Your Online Form Builder

  1. Log into Formify and create a new form. You can name it something like "[Your Contest Name] Entry Form".
  2. Add a header or rich text display component to showcase your contest name, a brief description, and a link to the full rules.
  3. Add these essential fields to your digital forms:
    • Text input for Full Name.
    • Email input for contact information and updates.
    • Phone input for an alternate contact method (optional but recommended).
    • Text long input for an open-ended response, like "Why should you win?" or a creative submission if text-based.

Step 2: Add Contest-Specific Details to Your Web Forms

  1. Add a dropdown component or radio buttons for "How did you hear about our contest?"
    • Examples: Social Media, Friend/Family, Our Website, Advertisement, Other.
  2. Use checkbox components if participants can enter multiple prize categories, or radio buttons for a single choice: "Which prize category interests you most?"
    • Example options: Grand Prize, Category A, Category B, Any Prize.
  3. Add a single choice radio component or a checkbox for age verification if your contest has age restrictions:
    • E.g., "I confirm I am 18 years or older."

Step 3: Include Media Submissions (e.g., Photo or Video Contest)

If your contest requires participants to submit files (images, videos, documents), utilize Formify's form builder with file uploads feature (available on Starter plan and above):

  1. Add a file upload component to your application form creator.
  2. Configure settings like maximum file size. Formify's plan-based limits are:
    • Starter Plan: Up to 25MB per file.
    • Pro Plan: Up to 100MB per file.
    • Business Plan: Up to 250MB per file.
    • (The Free plan does not support file uploads for submissions).
  3. Specify allowed file formats. Formify supports a wide range including common image (JPG, PNG, GIF, WEBP), document (PDF, DOCX, TXT), audio (MP3, WAV, M4A), and video (MP4, MOV, WEBM) types.
  4. Enable multiple file uploads if participants can submit more than one file (up to 10 files per form submission, depending on element configuration).

Step 4: Add Terms and Conditions, and Consent

  1. Use a rich text display component to embed or clearly link to the full contest rules, terms, and privacy policy.
  2. Add checkbox components for necessary agreements:
    • "I have read and agree to the official contest rules and terms and conditions."
    • "I confirm all information submitted is true and accurate."
    • (Optional, if collecting user-generated content) "I grant [Your Company Name] permission to use my submission for promotional purposes as outlined in the terms."

Step 5: Configure Form Settings for Your Contest Form

  1. Enable email notifications (Starter plan and above) for yourself or your team to receive entries instantly.
  2. Set up a custom success page or message to thank participants for entering and provide any next steps (e.g., "Winners will be announced on [Date]"). Custom success pages are available on the Starter plan and above.
  3. Configure data export options (CSV/Excel available on all plans; PDF export on Pro plan and above) for easy entry management and winner selection.

Pro Tips for Your Contest Entry Forms

  • Ensure your form is mobile-friendly. Formify helps you create mobile-responsive form creator experiences by default.
  • Use form builder with conditional logic (Pro plan and above) to show/hide relevant fields. For example, if they heard about you via "Other," show a text field to specify.
  • Set up integrations with tools like Google Sheets or Notion to track entries in real-time.

Available Integrations for Your Contest Forms

Connect your contest online forms with:

  • Starter Plan & above: Google Sheets (sync entries), Notion (organize submissions), Telegram (instant notifications), Email Notifications (to admins).
  • Pro Plan & above (includes Starter integrations, plus): Slack/Discord (team notifications), Zapier (connect to 8000+ apps, including email marketing platforms like Mailchimp for adding entrants to a list - ensure consent), Webhooks.

Formify Plan Features Relevant for Contests

Here's how Formify's plans can support your contest entry forms:

Free Plan

  • Up to 2 forms and 20 responses/month.
  • Basic form elements (no file uploads for submissions).
  • AI Form Generation (2 generations/month).
  • CSV & Excel exports.
  • Formify branding present.

Starter Plan (e.g., $29/month)

  • Up to 10 forms and 1,000 responses/month.
  • File uploads up to 25MB per file.
  • AI Form Generation (30 generations/month).
  • Email notifications for new entries.
  • Integrations: Google Sheets, Notion, Telegram.
  • Custom success page options.
  • Removes Formify branding (from forms embedded on your site).

Pro Plan (e.g., $59/month)

  • Up to 50 forms and 10,000 responses/month.
  • Larger file uploads (up to 100MB per file).
  • AI Form Generation (100 generations/month).
  • All integrations available, including Slack, Discord, Zapier, Webhooks, Mailchimp.
  • Access to form builder with conditional logic.
  • PDF export for submissions.
  • Full removal of Formify branding.
  • All advanced form elements (e.g., signature, video/audio recording if needed for creative contests).

(For the most current pricing and a full feature list, please visit our Pricing Page.)

Best Practices for Contest Entry Forms

  1. Keep it Concise: Only ask for information essential for the contest. An easy way to create surveys or forms means not overwhelming users.
  2. Make it Professional: Use consistent branding, include your logo, and maintain a clean, appealing layout.
  3. Ensure Compliance: Include necessary legal disclaimers, link to your privacy policy, and clearly state contest rules. Ensure age verification if required by regulations for your contest type.
  4. Optimize for Completion: Make important fields required. Use a logical field order. For longer forms, consider using sections or multi-page form builder features (available on all plans).

Remember to test your contest entry form thoroughly before launching your contest. Check that all notifications, integrations, and data collection methods are working as expected.

Need more help? Contact our support team or explore our help documentation for the best online form builder experience.

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