Before adding categories to your contest, it’s important to understand how they work and how they may impact participation, prizes, and fundraising. The sections below outline key considerations to help you decide whether using categories is the right fit for your contest.
What are Categories?
Using categories in your contest means that entrants must select a specific category when entering the contest.
Each category has a separate leaderboard on the Homepage of your contest site:
Under each leaderboard, the entries in each category are ranked by the number of votes they have received.
Categories are fully customizable:
You can name your categories however you like. We recommend keeping them broad and simple (see #2 "Categories Can Limit Participation” below) to encourage more participation.
Your contest can include an Overall Leaderboard, which lists all entries across every category:
For example, the Bunnyfest contest below displays both category leaderboards and an overall leaderboard.
| 💡 You can also choose to hide the Overall Leaderboard if you prefer a Category-Only contest — a great option when prizes are awarded only by category, with no prize for the top overall vote-getter. |
Things to keep in mind when using Categories:
#1 Categories Should Align with Your Prizes
When setting up categories, first determine how your prize structure will correspond to them.
Because each category has its own leaderboard, participants will expect that prizes are awarded to the top vote-getter(s) in each category.
If your contest also includes an Overall Leaderboard, plan to award an additional prize for the top overall vote-getter, in addition to any category prizes.
| 💡 Tip: Clearly outline your prize structure in your Rules section so participants understand how winners will be determined. |
#2 Categories Can Limit Participation
If your primary goal is fundraising, avoid creating categories that are too specific.
Overly specific categories can discourage participation if a potential entrant doesn’t have a photo that fits the criteria—resulting in fewer entries and missed fundraising opportunities.
Broad categories such as “Dog, Cat, Other” typically encourage the most participation.
If you’d like to include more creative or themed categories, make sure they remain inclusive so everyone can participate.
| 💬 Example: A contest with categories like “Grumpiest Face” or “Silly Costume” might sound fun, but entrants who don’t have those types of photos may decide not to enter at all. |
#3 Categories May Create a Perception of Unfairness
Some categories will naturally be more competitive than others. This can result in a winner from a smaller category raising fewer votes than someone who did not win in a larger, more competitive one.
Requests to switch categories after entry can lead to perceptions of unfairness and should not be granted.
To avoid confusion or dissatisfaction, finalize and communicate your category structure and prize plan before launching your contest.
| ⚠️ Important: Once your contest is live, we recommend keeping all categories and prize details unchanged to ensure fairness for all participants. |
Examples of Categories:
🔎 Click each image to view the full contest site.
Broad Categories (Dogs, Cats, etc):
| category only contest | category only contest |
Specific/Creative Categories:
| category only contest | has overall leaderboard |