A FEW GOOD ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
Before the whistle blows.
Is BracketForge free?
Yes. Core tournament creation and management are free. Future display advertising may help support operation. No billing or paid features are active.
Do I need an account?
No. Tournaments stay in this browser. There is no account system, server database or live collaboration.
Why is someone advancing without playing?
Non-power-of-two elimination fields need byes. The seeded bracket gives these first to the highest seeds. A bye is not a played match or a loss.
How many participants can I use?
Single elimination: 2–128. Double elimination and round robin: 2–64. Home-and-away round robin has up to 4,032 matches, so choose a round in the viewer for easier navigation.
What happens when I edit a previous result?
Dependent elimination results are cleared with confirmation. Round-robin fixtures are independent. Nothing is silently transferred to a different pair of participants.
Where are my tournaments?
They are stored on this browser and origin. Private browsing, device changes, browser cleanup and different domains can remove or isolate them. Export JSON backups.
Are shared links private or live?
No. Anyone with a link can view its data. Links are snapshots; later organizer changes do not update them. Shared events are not saved automatically by recipients.
Why won’t my snapshot link fit?
The complete URL is limited to 8,000 characters. Large events can exceed this even after compression. Use JSON export instead. Snapshot compression requires a modern browser.
How do exports work?
PNG exports provide one page or separate page download buttons. PDF includes all pages. Large brackets remain readable through pagination, with match IDs for cross-page references. Unicode uses fonts available on your device; PDF pages are raster images. Print offers a complete results report.
Who can use classroom templates?
Adult organizers and users aged 13 or older. This site is not directed at children under 13 and has no age-verification or parental-consent system. Follow applicable local age and parental-permission requirements. Use aliases and do not enter sensitive student information.