Download contest configuration and content as spreadsheet-friendly CSV "packs," and re-import the packs that are safe to bring back in - a portable way to back up, bulk-edit, or move structure between contests without touching live scores.
You never know what can potentially happen to data stored anywhere - while this system is backed up, you can't be too careful. Remember the 3, 2, 1 Rule:
And it goes without saying that you should probably think about doing that with your own data, too. I've seen people lose priceless family photos, important documents, and more because they forgot to back them up. Contest data is no different - you should always keep records for those, too.
# === table === markers.# === table markers intact - the importer expects a strict column match per table).//TODO: Chris: Screenshot: Backup & Restore page
//TODO: Chris: Screenshot: Import confirmation
| Pack | Contents | Import? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoring Structure | Sections + subsections, including scoring mode (Tallymaster / Audience) and time penalty settings | Yes | Replace is owner-only |
| Contest Details | Detail sections + items | Yes | Replace is owner-only |
| Contestant Application Form | Form settings + fields | Yes | Never includes the passphrase |
| Judge Agreement Form | Form settings + fields | Yes | |
| Volunteer Application Form | Form settings + fields + positions | Yes | Never includes the passphrase |
| Pop Questions | Form on/off + passphrase flags + submission bank | Yes | Sensitive |
| Judge Invitations | Email + invitee name list | Yes | Always issues fresh invitation links; tokens are never exported. Optional "email each new invitee" checkbox |
| Chaos Ops Tasks | Manually-created tasks | Yes | Requires Chaos Ops enabled |
| SquirrelGenda | Timezone, time display (24h/12h), embed theme hex colors, schedule items | Yes | Requires SquirrelGenda enabled. Public tokens and change notices are never exported |
| Contest Email Templates | Subject/body overrides | Yes | |
| Results Snapshot | Places, totals, percent of max, tiebreak labels | Export only | Not a source of truth - a point-in-time archive |
| Contestant Results & Feedback | Per contestant / section / subsection scores + contestant-facing feedback | Export only | |
| Producer Feedback | Internal producer feedback | Export only | Sensitive |
| Audience Score Audit | Registration email, scores, per-subsection feedback, counted/excluded flags + exclude reason | Yes, with a catch | See below |
This pack behaves differently from the others because it tracks a live public voting window (see Audience Scoring):
excluded flag and excluded_reason column are honored, so you can bulk-load pre-excluded submissions the same way you'd exclude one by hand.excluded_reason if one was recorded. Open links haven't finished voting, so they're left out of the export entirely.This keeps a bulk-loaded backup from silently overwriting a live, in-progress audience vote.
| Mode | Effect | Confirmation |
|---|---|---|
| Merge (default) | Updates matching rows by name/key, adds new rows, never deletes | None |
| Replace | Also deletes existing rows not present in the file | Required checkbox; owner-only for Scoring Structure and Contest Details |
Use this when you want a spreadsheet-friendly copy of the live schedule settings and items (for another contest or an offline edit pass):
settings table (timezone + time_format + embed theme hex columns) and an items table (title, date/time, location, etc.).settings table is present.# === table markers in a spreadsheet app in a way that breaks the strict column match.Can I use this to copy structure into a brand-new contest?
Yes - export the packs you want from the old contest, then import into the new one. This is separate from Clone, which copies structure automatically when you duplicate a contest.
Will importing recreate a deleted passphrase?
No - passphrases are never exported, so re-importing a form pack never restores or overwrites a passphrase.
Why can't I import Results Snapshot?
It's a computed archive, not a source of truth - importing scores directly isn't supported in this release.
What happens to extra or renamed columns in my edited CSV?
Keep the header row exactly as exported; the importer expects a strict column match per table.