Announcements

This guide covers sending updates and announcements to teams during a hunt.

Send an Update

To create an update about the hunt or a specific puzzle:

1. Log in with a staff or superuser account
2. Navigate to the Django Admin interface at /admin/
3. Click on “Updates” in the Puzzlehunt section
4. Click “Add Update” in the top right corner
5. Fill in the update form:
   • Hunt: Select the hunt this announcement is for
   • Puzzle: (Optional) Select a specific puzzle if the announcement is puzzle-specific, or leave blank for a general hunt announcement
   • Text: Enter the announcement text (up to 1000 characters)
   • Time: Set the announcement time (defaults to current time)
6. Click “Save” to create the announcement

Update Visibility

When an update is created, it will:

• Appear on the “Updates” page accessible to all teams in the hunt
• Generate a notification event in the system
• Be visible to teams who have unlocked the associated puzzle (if puzzle-specific)

Best Practices

• Keep announcements concise and clear
• Use puzzle-specific updates for errata or hints related to individual puzzles
• Use hunt-wide updates for schedule changes, general hints, or important announcements
• Consider the timing of your updates - teams may be asleep or away during off-hours