Product Updates
Regular improvements based on organizer feedback to make hackathon management simpler and more reliable.
Judging Rooms
Split your judging panel into parallel rooms. Create rooms, assign judges and submissions, and each room scores its own set of projects. Perfect for large hackathons where you need judging to happen in parallel across multiple rooms.
Track & Challenge Scoring
Organizers can now enable a dedicated scoring layer for tracks and challenges. Flip it on, and judges will score each submission within its tracks and challenges separately alongside the standard criteria - making it easy to determine track-level winners independently from overall rankings.
Event Announcements
Post announcements that display as banners on your event page, and send email updates to all participants. Perfect for sharing schedule changes, reminders, or important updates during your hackathon.
Redesigned Event Creation Wizard
Creating an event is now a guided multi-step experience. Set up competitions, prizes, and custom form questions before your event goes live. Choose exactly which features you need (event page, registration, submissions) - everything can still be changed later.
Top Picks Voting Method
A new voting method that lets judges or audiences quickly pick and rank their top submissions. Voters choose their favorite submissions and rank them - points are assigned by position. Perfect for large hackathons where speed and simplicity matter.
Submission Details on Results Page
Preview the full submission details directly from the results page without navigating away. Click any submission to open a slide-out panel with all the details, making it faster to review and assign winners.
YouTube & Loom Video Embeds
Submissions now support embedded YouTube and Loom videos with a clean, distraction-free player. Videos appear everywhere submissions are surfaced - on submission pages, during voting, and on the results page - so judges and audiences can watch demos without leaving HackHQ.
Import Participants from CSV
Bulk import participants from a CSV file. Upload your spreadsheet, map columns to fields, and import hundreds of participants in seconds. Great for adding pre-registered attendees or importing from platforms like Luma or Eventbrite.
Custom Judge Assignments
Control which submissions each judge reviews. Assign judges to specific tracks or challenges, manually include or exclude submissions, or automatically distribute workload evenly across your judging panel.
Fresh New Navigation
We completely redesigned the organizer dashboard with a clean horizontal navigation bar and contextual tabs. Managing your hackathon now feels faster and more intuitive with everything just one click away.
Anonymous Project Submissions
Participants can now submit projects without creating an account. Each submission gets a unique link, making it easy for teams to view and update their projects right up until the deadline.
Multiple Submissions Per Participant
Participants can now submit multiple projects to a single hackathon. Perfect for prolific hackers or events where teams want to tackle multiple challenges.
QR Codes for Easy Sharing
Instantly generate QR codes for your registration and submission pages. Display them at your venue, add to slides, or print on posters - participants just scan and go.
Confirmation Emails
Participants now receive professional confirmation emails when they register or submit a project. Each email includes quick links to view or edit their information.
Free Tier Now Available
Get started with HackHQ for free! Our new Free tier lets you run hackathons with up to 10 submissions at no cost. Perfect for testing the platform or getting started.
Export Results to CSV
Download your hackathon results as a CSV file with one click. Get all submissions, scores, and rankings in a spreadsheet-ready format for reports or further analysis.
Unified Event Pages
All your event URLs now live under one clean structure. Participants get a simpler experience navigating between registration, submissions, and event information.
Require Registration for Submissions
Control who can submit to your hackathon. Enable the new "Require Registration" toggle on submission forms to only allow registered participants to submit projects.
Streamlined Registration & Submission Forms
Forms are now smarter and simpler. Each event gets one registration form and one submission form with purpose-built fields. System fields like name, email, team members, and competition tracks are automatically configured.
Revamped Competition & Awards System
Completely redesigned how hackathons handle competitions and awards. Organize by tracks, challenges, and overall prizes. Assign winners directly from the results page with our new award management panel.
Enhanced Results Page
Results page now features a two-column layout with integrated winner selection. See all submissions alongside available awards, assign winners with one click, and track progress visually.
Simplified Voting Setup
Setting up voting is now easier than ever. Choose your voting method, configure criteria, and launch voting in minutes. Smart defaults get you started faster.
Competition Type Badges
Visual badges now clearly identify competition types across the platform. Instantly see if a submission is competing for overall prizes, track awards, or partner challenges.
Optional Challenge Support
Added dedicated support for optional challenges. Create special competition categories with dedicated awards, separate from main tracks but fully integrated into judging.
HackHQ is Now Live
HackHQ is now available! The all-in-one hackathon management platform that lets you focus on innovation, not administration. Set up in 30 minutes, run without stress, and save 40+ hours on hackathon logistics.
Lightning-Fast Performance
Everything loads instantly now. Smart data caching keeps your dashboards responsive even with hundreds of submissions. Handle hackathons with 1000+ participants smoothly and reliably.
Enhanced Security & Sign-In Options
Your account is now more secure and easier to access. Sign in with Google for one-click access, add two-factor authentication for extra protection, and manage your sessions across all your devices.
Team Collaboration
Invite your organizing team to collaborate on HackHQ. Work together on forms, manage submissions, and coordinate voting - all in one shared workspace. No more email chains or file sharing.
Early Access Program Launch
Selected hackathon organizers are now testing HackHQ. Initial feedback: "This would have saved me an entire weekend of prep work."
Real-Time Voting System
Zero-friction voting is here. No accounts needed, instant results, and complete transparency. Share public links or send personalized invites to judges - you control who votes and how.