Step 1: Log In to Your Account
Navigate to bestof.cityspark.com.
Sign in using your CitySpark login credentials.
Once logged in, you’ll see your email address in the top-right corner and the name of your publication next to the Contact button.
Step 2: Access Your Photo Contest
You can access your photo contest in two ways:
Click View Photo Ballots at the top of the screen, or
Select Photo Ballots from the left-hand navigation menu.
If you haven’t created a ballot yet, please refer to our “How to Create a Photo Contest” article before continuing.
Step 3: Select Your Contest
Choose the photo contest you’d like to edit.
In this example, the contest uses Categories Only (no groups).
Step 4: Add and Organize Categories
Click the name of the group (Categories) or the Manage button.
From here, click Add Category to create new ones.
To reorder your categories if you do not want the categories alphabetical:
Turn on Manual Sorting, then
Drag and drop categories into your preferred order.
Return to the Ballot Builder to confirm your updates. You should now see your newly added categories.
To rename a category:
Navigate to Manage again.
Click the category name or the Edit button.
Update the name and click Save (top right or bottom left).
⚠️ If you do not click Save, your changes will not be applied.
Step 5: Enable Groups and Categories (Optional)
If you’d like to organize your photo contest into Groups and Categories:
Go back to the Photo Ballots page.
Locate your ballot and select Edit to open Ballot Settings Page.
Under Ballot Setup, select Groups and Categories.
Scroll down and click Save.
Return to the Ballot Builder—you’ll now see a New Group button.
Step 6: Create and Manage Groups
Click New Group and enter a name (e.g., Cats).
Scroll down and click Create Group.
To rename an existing group:
Select the gear icon (⚙️) next to the group,
Update the name (e.g., change Categories to Dogs),
Click Save Group.
You can now add category names under each group (e.g., under Cats or Dogs).
Step 7: Add Group Cover Images
You can personalize each group with a cover image:
Click the gear icon (⚙️) for the group.
Select Group Cover > Choose a File.
Upload a local image file from your computer.
Click Save Group to apply the image.
Repeat these steps for each group (e.g., Cats, Dogs).
💡 For recommended image dimensions, refer to our “Recommended Image Sizes for Group Covers” help article.
✅ You’re All Set!
You’ve now successfully created and customized your photo contest with categories, groups, and cover images.
Need Help?
If you have any questions or need additional assistance, please reach out to us at:
📧 support@cityspark.com