> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.referly.so/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Contests overview

> Run a time-boxed affiliate contest with prizes. Learn how contests differ from the leaderboard, what you configure, the draft-to-completed lifecycle, and where to find them.

A contest is a time-boxed competition that rewards your top affiliates with prizes. Where your [default leaderboard](/docs/help-center/gamify/leaderboards/overview) runs forever, a contest has a clear start and finish, a set of prizes, and winners who are picked and paid automatically when it ends. It's the fastest way to create a burst of activity — a launch push, a seasonal sprint, or a monthly recurring race.

You can run as many contests as you like alongside your default leaderboard. Each one appears as its own tab on the Leaderboards page and in the affiliate portal.

## How a contest is different from the leaderboard

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Default leaderboard" icon="infinity">
    Always on, never ends. Shows current standings by a single metric. No prizes or winners.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Contest" icon="trophy">
    Runs for a set period. Rewards specific ranks with cash or non-cash prizes. Picks and awards winners automatically.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## What you decide when you run one

Every contest is built from a few choices, all covered in [Create a contest](/docs/help-center/gamify/contests/create):

* **Who competes** — everyone, or a filtered set of affiliates and groups.
* **The metric** — the same ranking options as the leaderboard: referrals, revenue, sales, earnings, or conversion rate.
* **The prizes** — a reward for each top rank, either cash or something physical.
* **The schedule** — when it ends, and whether winners are picked once at the end or on a repeating cycle.
* **Visibility** — where the contest shows up and whether affiliate identities are masked.

## The contest lifecycle

<Steps>
  <Step title="Draft">
    A new contest starts as a **Draft**. It's saved but not visible to affiliates, so you can set it up and fine-tune it in private.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Active">
    When you **publish** it, the contest goes live and starts counting from that moment. Affiliates can see it and start climbing. You can pause and resume an active contest at any time.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Completed">
    When the final period ends, Referly picks the winners, awards the prizes, and marks the contest **Completed**. See [Pick winners](/docs/help-center/gamify/contests/winners).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Find your contests

Contests live in two places, and both stay in sync:

* Open **Contests** from the left sidebar for the full list, with each contest's status, prizes, and a way to view winners.
* Open **Leaderboards** to see each active contest as its own tab next to the default leaderboard.

Select **Create Contest** from either place to start a new one.

<Note>
  Creating and drafting a contest is free. **Publishing** a contest to make it live requires the **Gamification add-on** or an Enterprise plan. See [Add-ons](/docs/help-center/billing/add-ons).
</Note>

## Related

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Create a contest" icon="plus" href="/docs/help-center/gamify/contests/create" arrow>
    Set the dates, prizes, and how winners are picked.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Pick winners" icon="medal" href="/docs/help-center/gamify/contests/winners" arrow>
    How winners are chosen and prizes awarded.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Leaderboards overview" icon="ranking-star" href="/docs/help-center/gamify/leaderboards/overview" arrow>
    The always-on leaderboard contests run alongside.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Give a bonus" icon="gift" href="/docs/help-center/manage/affiliates/give-a-bonus" arrow>
    How cash prizes reach your affiliates.
  </Card>
</Columns>