> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.rafflex.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.rafflex.io/create-your-first-raffle/create-a-competition/schedule-a-competition.md).

# Schedule a Competition

Set a future start date so a competition stays hidden, shows a Coming Soon countdown, and opens for entries automatically at the time you choose.

**The short answer:** give your competition a future **Start Date (Scheduler)** and keep it **Active**. Until that moment it is hidden from your site and nobody can buy tickets. Anyone who opens its direct link sees a **Coming Soon** countdown. When the countdown reaches zero, the competition goes live on its own, so you do not need to be online.

This is ideal for launching a big prize at a set time, lining up next week's competitions in advance, or teasing a draw on social media before tickets go on sale.

***

### How to schedule a competition

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Open the competition

In the **admin panel**, find the **Competitions** group in the left-hand menu and click **Competitions**. Open the competition you want to schedule. To start a new one, click **New Competition**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Set a future start date

Find the **Start Date (Scheduler)** field and pick the date and time you want entries to open.

While the date is now or in the past, the helper text reads "Set a future date to schedule this competition. While Active, it will appear on site and open for entries automatically at this time."

As soon as you choose a future date, an amber **Scheduled** note appears under the field instead. It confirms that, while Active, the competition stays hidden and shows a "coming soon" countdown until this date, then goes live automatically.

The start date must be before the competition's **End** date.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Check the end and draw dates

Make sure the **End** and **Draw date** still make sense for your new start date. They do not move automatically when you change the start date.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Make sure it is Active

Switch the **Active** toggle on. A schedule only works while the competition is Active.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Save

Click **Create** (or **Save changes** if you are editing). That is it. The competition will open automatically at the start time.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Active and scheduled work together.** If **Active** is off, the competition stays offline and customers cannot open it at all, even once the start date has passed. Leave **Active** on and let the start date decide when it opens.
{% endhint %}

***

### What customers see before it opens

A scheduled competition does not appear anywhere on your site, but it can still be reached by its direct link. That means you can share the link ahead of launch to build excitement. You will find the link in the **Shareable competition link** card at the top of the competition form, with a **Copy link** button.

Anyone who opens the link sees the competition page with a **Coming Soon** panel in place of the ticket picker. The panel shows:

* A **Coming Soon** badge and the heading **Entries open**, followed by when it opens. This reads "Today", "Tomorrow" or the date, with the time (for example "Entries open Tomorrow 7:00pm").
* The message "This competition hasn't started yet. Come back when the timer hits zero to grab your tickets."
* A countdown to the start time in days, hours, minutes and seconds.
* The full opening date and time.

The prize description, images and gallery are all visible, so customers can get excited about the prize. While the competition is waiting to open, the entry list and the countdown to the end date are hidden. When the countdown hits zero, the page refreshes itself and the ticket picker appears, ready for entries.

***

### Where a scheduled competition is hidden

Until its start time, a scheduled competition is left out of every place customers would normally find it:

* Your homepage **Product Grid**, **Product Horizontal Grid** and **Sliders**.
* The **Next Competition** countdown in the Stats block.
* Your **category pages**, and the competition counts shown for each category.
* **Related competitions** on other competition pages.
* Your **entry lists** page, and the competition's own entry list.
* **Upsell** suggestions when customers add to basket or check out.
* Your **sitemap**, so search engines are not pointed at it yet.
* Your [Meta product catalogue](/marketing/facebook-and-meta/product-catalogue.md) feed and [Klaviyo](/marketing/sms-and-email/klaviyo-integration.md) product feed.
* Any [custom Twig blocks](/advanced/twig-templating/custom-twig-block.md) that list your active competitions.

The moment it opens, it joins all of these automatically.

***

### What is held back until it opens

A few more safeguards make sure nobody can enter early and nothing announces the competition too soon.

* **No tickets can be added to a basket.** A customer who tries sees a message saying the competition has not started yet and when entries open.
* **Baskets are tidied up.** If a scheduled competition is somehow already in a customer's basket (for example, you moved its start date later), it is removed when they open their basket or checkout, with a message explaining that it has not started yet.
* **Auto draw will not run.** A competition is never drawn automatically before it has opened, even if it has **Auto draw** switched on.
* **Instant wins stay quiet.** Instant wins from the competition are left out of your public instant winners list, the instant winners carousel and the instant winners Twig feed.
* **Dropped basket reminders leave it out.** [Reminder emails](/marketing/website-tools/dropped-basket-recovery/dropped-basket-reminders-explained.md) only feature competitions customers can actually enter.
* **Notify emails will not send.** If you select a scheduled competition for a [Notify email](/marketing/sms-and-email/sending-an-email-with-notify.md), the send is stopped and a red "Not sent" message names the competitions that have not opened yet. Remove them from your selection, or wait until they go live.

***

### Preview it as an admin

While you are logged in as an admin, you can open the competition page before it goes live to check everything looks right. Use the **Preview** or **View** button at the top of the competition in the admin panel, or the **Open in new tab** button on the **Shareable competition link** card.

An amber **Admin preview** banner at the top of the page confirms the competition is not visible to customers yet and tells you when it is scheduled to open. The banner ends with "Only admins can see this banner."

As an admin you also still see the normal ticket picker rather than the Coming Soon panel, so you can check the page exactly as it will look once it opens.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Test with care.** Because admins see the normal ticket picker, you can add tickets and check out before the competition opens. Any order you complete is a real order with real tickets, so avoid buying tickets in a scheduled competition unless you mean to.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
The same admin preview banner also appears on a competition that is not Active, reminding you that it is marked inactive, so customers cannot view the page or buy tickets.
{% endhint %}

***

### Find your scheduled competitions

Your **Competitions** list helps you keep track of what is coming up.

* The **Starts** column shows each competition's start date and time. Competitions that have not opened yet are shown in amber with a clock icon. Hover over one to see "Scheduled: goes live automatically at this time (if Active)." If you cannot see the column, switch it back on from the column options above the table.
* The **Show Only Scheduled Competitions** filter lists just the Active competitions that are waiting to open.
* The **Show Only Live Competitions** filter leaves scheduled competitions out, so it only shows competitions customers can enter right now.

For more on searching, filtering and sorting your list, see [Managing Competitions](/create-your-first-raffle/managing-competitions.md).

***

### Change the schedule

* **Open it early:** set the **Start Date (Scheduler)** to the current time and click **Save changes**. It goes live straight away.
* **Push it back:** choose a later start date and save. It goes back to being hidden, and it is removed from any customer baskets it was already in.
* **Pause the launch completely:** switch **Active** off. It stays offline until you switch it back on.

{% hint style="success" %}
Once the start time passes, there is nothing else to do. As long as the competition is Active, it opens for entries and appears across your site on its own.
{% endhint %}

***

### Related pages

{% content-ref url="/pages/rwVEXhq1XlXV2IEw8J1J" %}
[Create a Competition](/create-your-first-raffle/create-a-competition.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/ZQ8kFhKDXwnuBTd9GVl6" %}
[Why a Competition Is Not on My Homepage](/customise-your-site/set-up-your-homepage/why-a-competition-is-not-on-my-homepage.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}