Help·Getting started

Quick start guide

Create your first room, invite someone, and export in under 10 minutes.

Step 1 — Create a room

From your dashboard, click Create room. Give it a name (e.g. 'Meridian 2026 — Keynote Panel'), an optional subtitle, and a due date. Choose a template or pick your items manually.

Step 2 — Add items

Items are what you're collecting. Defaults include bio, headshot, slides, and consent. You can add custom items (text, file, URL, or checkbox). Required items are flagged — contributors know they can't skip them.

Step 3 — Invite contributors

Open the Contributors tab and add people by name, email, and role. Draftpile sends them an invite email with a private link. Each contributor's link is unique — they only see their own items.

NoteYou can also add contributors before inviting — useful when building a room in advance. Send the invites when you're ready.

Step 4 — Track progress

Your dashboard shows every contributor's status at a glance: what's missing, what's been received, what needs an update, and what's final. Use the Draftpile Assist flags to spot quality issues early.

Step 5 — Export

When you're happy with what's in, click Export. You'll get a ZIP with files renamed (e.g. Maya_Okonkwo_Headshot_Final.jpg), grouped into folders by item type, plus a room_summary.pdf and contributor_status.csv.