Contents 

• Overview 
• What is Test Mode 
• Before You Activate Test Mode
• Step-By-Step Instructions
  • Navigate to the Workflow Builder
  • Activate Test Mode
• Next Steps
• Related Articles

Overview

This step-by-step guide shows Program Admins how to activate Test Mode after creating their Award Cycle forms and workflows.

What is Test Mode?

Test Mode lets you run through your award cycle workflow exactly as an applicant, reviewer, or administrator would before publishing live.

• With Test Mode, you can:
  • Test every step of your workflow, including accepting and reviewing applications
  • Make edits to your forms and workflow if needed
  • Do all of this without making the program visible to applicants
• Who can activate Test Mode? 
  • Organization Owners 
  • Program Owners 
  • Program Managers

For more information about Test Mode, see ➡️Test Mode vs. Publish. 

⚠️IMPORTANT: 

• Test Mode can only be activated once per award cycle. Don’t click “Finish Testing” until you’ve tested the full workflow. 

💡 Tip: If you finish by mistake, you can duplicate the award cycle to run another test. For help, see ➡️Duplicate (Copy) an Award Cycle. You can have multiple cycles in Test Mode at once, but we recommend only one or two at a time. Changes in one cycle won’t show up in the others. 
 

Before You Activate Test Mode

✓ Before you begin testing, read  ➡️Pre-Testing Checklist: Prepare an Award Cycle for Testing. 
 

Step-By-Step Instructions

Go to the Workflow Builder

Follow these instructions to activate Test Mode.

1.  Open the Award Cycle you want to test: Program Settings > All Award Cycles > Click Open next to the award cycle. 

2. On the Cycle Settings screen, click Workflow in the top menu. 

3. Select Workflow Builder from the left menu, if not already selected. 

Activate Test Mode

Test mode will not be available until at least one intake round and a corresponding review round are set up and added to the cycle’s workflow.

• If you still need to set up your workflow, see these articles: 
  • ➡️Set Up an Intake Round 
  • ➡️Set Up a Review Round 

To activate Test Mode: 

1. On the Workflow Builder screen, click the Test button in the upper-right corner.

2. On the confirmation pop-up, select Test Mode to confirm.

3. Two confirmation messages will display on the screen.  

a. The message at the bottom of the screen will disappear on its own.  

b. The message in the top-right can be dismissed by selecting the Got it button in the lower right corner of the message.


 

Next Steps

• After you activate Test Mode: 

  1. Find and Share the Test Cycle URL: Use this URL to test your cycle as an applicant or reviewer, and share it with others helping you test. See ➡️ Accessing & Sharing a Test Cycle URL for instructions.
  
  2. Test the Full Workflow: Run through the entire workflow, from intake to review to awarding. This helps you confirm everything works as expected, catch issues, and make fixes before going live.

  3. Edit During Testing: Stay in Test Mode while you make changes. Any updates you make (e.g., form edits, fixes, or changes to settings) can be tested right away so you can see how they look and work.

 ⚠️Reminder: Once you finish testing, you won’t be able to re-enter Test Mode for this cycle.
 

Related Articles 

➡️(Video) How to Test Your Program and Go Live

➡️How to Publish an Award Cycle

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