How do I set up a call for entry?

Creating a new call for entries is straightforward. This guide walks you through the form top-to-bottom and explains what each field does.

Getting Started

To create a new call:

Log into your EntryThingy account
Go to your Calls page (click "Calls" in the main navigation)
Click the "New Call" button (top right)
Select "Create New Call From Scratch"

Create new call interface

The form is one continuous page with a rich header card at the top followed by five collapsible sections. You can fill it out in any order — the form remembers which sections you've expanded.

The Header Card

The header is the always-visible top of the form and holds the call's identity, dates, and visibility status.

Banner Image

Click anywhere in the banner area at the top of the form to upload a call image. Landscape banners around 1500 × 785 px work best — that's the same aspect ratio artists see on the public call page. After uploading you can Replace, Reposition (drag to set the focal point), or Remove the image. JPG, PNG, GIF, and HEIC are all accepted.

Call Title and Status

Call title — large editable headline (required). Examples: "2026 Annual Juried Exhibition" or "Spring Photography Show".
Status pill (top right) — controls who can see your call:
Draft — not yet visible to anyone. The default for new calls.
Active — published and visible on the public Calls List and via direct link.
Scheduled — will publish automatically on a date you pick.
Private — published, but hidden from the public Calls List. Only people with the direct link can reach it.
Jury Only — visible only to jurors.
Closed — set automatically once the submission deadline has passed.

You can also publish or schedule from the Save button at the bottom of the form. The chevron next to Save opens a menu with "Publish now" and "Schedule for…" options, which set the status for you.

Metadata Strip

A two-column strip below the title holds the essentials:

Location — City and State, plus checkboxes for International and Online calls
Deadline — the submission deadline, after which artists can no longer apply (required)
Show Dates — start and end dates of the exhibition (optional)
Instagram handle — used in the marketing emails we send out about your call

Description

A larger textarea below the strip (required). Shown under the title on the public call page and in the Calls List preview.

Section 1 — Instructions

This is the brief artists read before they begin their application.

Entry Instructions — optional. Explain submission requirements, eligibility, and what artists need to know. Leave blank if your description already covers it.
Optional Instruction Forms (collapsed by default) — four extra blocks you can turn on:
Legal terms and conditions — terms entrants must agree to before submitting
Post-submit instructions — shown right after an artist submits
Accepted entrant instructions — shown only to artists who are accepted
Print instructions — appears at the bottom of the printable entry form

Each toggle reveals its textarea below; turning it off blanks the value.

Section 2 — Entry Requirements

What's an entry, and what do you need to know about each one?

Pieces per Entry — minimum and maximum number of artworks per entry (defaults: 1 min, 4 max). An entry can contain multiple pieces.
Categories — optional disciplines artists pick from (Painting, Sculpture, Photography, etc.). Up to 20. Leave empty if you don't need them.
Collect from Artists — toggles for entry-level fields:
Entry description — a short paragraph about the submission as a whole
Artist profile statement — pulled from the artist's profile, not specific to this entry
Resume / CV
Advanced (collapsed) — rare-knob territory:
Max entries per artist (default: 4)
Description character limit (only shown when Entry description is on)
Allow editing after submit — artists can keep editing until the deadline
"How did you hear about us?" — required dropdown asking how the artist found the call
Ask for publicity permission — permission to share their work on social media

Custom Questions

Below the standard fields, the Custom Questions sub-block lets you add your own entry-level questions (asked once per entry). These are great for things like "Can you attend the opening reception?" or "What are your shipping preferences?" See What are Custom Questions? for the full guide.

Section 3 — Piece Requirements

What each artwork needs.

Fields for each artwork — toggles for what artists fill in per piece:
Description — brief paragraph about the artwork
Material / Medium — what it's made of
Year created
Dimensions — height × width (depth lives in Advanced)
Price — asking price; pick a currency (USD, EUR, GBP, etc.) when on
Accepted file types — chip toggles for JPG, PNG, GIF, MOV, MP4, PDF, DOC, MP3. At least one must be on.
Advanced (collapsed) — fine-grained piece controls:
File Upload Requirement — Required, Optional, or Either file upload or web page link
Additional Views per Piece — extra views for sculptures or 3D work (1–5, or No)
Min Image Dimension (px) — minimum image width. Recommended: 1920–3000 px for print quality. Leave at 0 for no minimum.
Ask for Depth — for 3D artwork
Ask if artwork or booth display — for fairs and similar calls
File size: up to 50 MB per file. Email support@entrythingy.com if you need larger.

Per-piece Custom Questions

Below the standard fields, the Per-piece custom questions sub-block lets you ask the same question for every artwork the artist uploads — useful for material lists, sale status, or installation notes.

Section 4 — Entry Fees

If your call is free, leave this section toggled off (the dropdown stays on "Free"). When you flip it on, the section opens up:

Entry Fee Type:
Paid Entry — payment runs through PayPal on EntryThingy
Off-Platform Payment — payment happens elsewhere (e.g. your own checkout); EntryThingy doesn't process the transaction
Payment Button Builder — generates the PayPal button. Enter your PayPal email, return URL, base fee, and any per-piece or dropdown pricing options.
Coupon Codes — optional codes artists can use for discounts, plus instructions for how they'll get them.

For PayPal-specific setup, see PayPal IPN setup. For more on fees, see Setting up entry fees and payment.

Section 5 — Jury Settings

If your call isn't juried, leave this section off. When on, configure how jurors evaluate entries.

Jurors for this call — pick from your roster. Add new jurors at Admin → Admins & Jurors.
Jury results due — optional date when jury results will be announced.
Vote by — Entry (whole entries) or Piece (individual artworks).
Voting range — inclusive scoring range. Example: 0 to 4 means jurors can give 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 points.
Voting categories — optional named categories ("Technical Skill," "Creativity," "Concept"). Up to 10. If empty, jurors use a single "Points" category.
Instructions for Jurors — optional notes on how jurors should evaluate entries.
Blind Jurying — hide artist names and profiles from jurors. See Blind Jurying complete guide.

Saving Your Call

The Save button is pinned at the bottom of the page. Click it any time — your work is saved without changing the call's status. Use the chevron next to Save to Publish now or Schedule the call for a future date.

If there are validation errors (missing required fields, etc.), they'll appear in a red box at the top. Yellow boxes are non-blocking warnings — worth reviewing but not blockers.

After saving you can still edit any field, view entries as they come in, manage jurors, download entry data, or view stats from the call's detail page.

Tips for Success

Start with the basics: title, location, deadline, and description in the header. The accordion sections can wait.
Use clear instructions: spell out submission requirements, eligibility, and any special expectations in your description or in the Instructions section.
Set realistic deadlines: give artists enough time to prepare quality submissions, and leave room for your jury timeline.
Test your payment button: if you're charging an entry fee, run a test entry through PayPal to confirm everything works.
Stay in Draft until ready: the status pill makes it easy to flip to Active when you've reviewed everything. You can always go back.

Need Help?

If you have questions about any specific field or setting, check our other help articles or contact support. We're here to help you create a successful call for entries!