Releasing Notes to Groups

Notes can be released to groups either automatically or manually. This article explains how to configure and manage note release settings.

Release Modes

Automatic Release

When set to Automatic:

• Notes become available to groups as soon as they're entered by judges
• No manual intervention is required
• Groups can access notes immediately through their dashboard

Manual Release

When set to Manual:

• Notes are not visible to groups until you explicitly release them
• You control exactly when each performance's notes become available
• Useful for reviewing notes before groups see them

Changing the Release Mode

1. Navigate to the Notes page for your competition
2. In the left sidebar, locate the Group Access toggle
3. Click the toggle to switch between:

• Automatic - Notes released immediately
• Manual - Notes require manual release

The change takes effect immediately and applies to all performances in the competition.

Manually Releasing Notes

When in Manual mode, you'll see release controls on each performance:

Releasing a Performance

1. Locate the performance panel you want to release
2. In the panel header, find the Release toggle buttons
3. Click Release to make notes available to the group

The button changes to show "Released" when notes are available.

Unreleasing Notes

If you need to revoke access:

1. Find the performance with released notes
2. Click Unrelease in the panel header
3. Notes will no longer be visible to the group

Batch Operations

Currently, notes must be released one performance at a time. To efficiently release multiple performances:

1. Use the filter to narrow down to a specific division
2. Work through each performance panel
3. Click Release on each as you review it

Understanding Release Status

Performance Panel Indicators

What Gets Released

When you release notes for a performance:

• All judge notes for that performance become available
• Training caption notes are never released (regardless of settings)
• Captions with "Requires Release" setting will show notes to groups

Captions That Require Score Release

Some captions may be configured to require score release before notes are visible:

• These show a "Requires Release" notice in the note editor
• Notes on these captions follow score release timing, not note release
• Configure this setting in your scoring system's caption settings

Best Practices

Before Releasing

• Review all notes for professionalism and constructive content
• Verify notes are complete (no missing judge feedback)
• Consider timing - release after groups have performed if in-progress

During Events

• Use Manual mode if you want to review notes before groups see them
• Use Automatic mode for faster feedback delivery
• Remember that released notes cannot be easily "un-seen" by groups

Recommended Workflow

1. Set to Manual mode during the event
2. Review notes as they come in from judges
3. Release notes division-by-division after performances complete
4. Or release all at once after the event concludes

Troubleshooting

Notes Not Showing for Groups

If groups report they can't see notes:

1. Verify you're in Automatic mode, or that the specific performance is released
2. Check if the captions have "Requires Release" enabled (tied to score release)
3. Confirm the notes exist (check for "No note" indicators)
4. Verify the caption is not marked as "training"

Accidentally Released Notes

If notes were released too early:

1. Click Unrelease on the affected performance immediately
2. Note that groups may have already seen the content
3. Consider contacting affected groups if needed

Related Articles

• Judge Notes Overview
• Managing Judge Notes
• Releasing Scores