---
title: Inviting candidates to an assessment
description: New flow to invite candidates to an assessment
---

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1. [Help Center](https://help.hackerearth.com/?hsLang=en)
2. [Assessments: Recruiters](https://help.hackerearth.com/assessments-recruiters?hsLang=en)
3. [Invites](https://help.hackerearth.com/assessments-recruiters?hsLang=en#invites)

# Inviting candidates to an assessment

The invite flow provides a single workspace within each assessment from which you can add candidates, resolve validation issues, send or schedule invitations, and monitor their status. Candidates are not contacted until you explicitly send the invitations, and credits are consumed only when an invitation is sent.

### Overview of the invite workspace

To access the invite workspace, open the assessment and navigate to **Invites**. The page contains two tabs:

- **Drafts:** The working list of candidates you intend to invite. All newly added candidates are placed here and validated row by row. Candidates in Drafts are not contacted.
- **Invites:** The record of all candidates who have been invited, scheduled, created or revoked. From this tab, you can send reminders and revoke access.

A summary at the top right of the page displays the totals for the assessment, for example: *9 people in this event · 3 in draft · 6 already invited*.

The invitation process consists of three steps:

1. **Add candidates** by uploading a spreadsheet or by typing or pasting entries.
2. **Review the draft.** Invalid email addresses, duplicate entries and previously invited candidates are flagged rather than removed, so that you can correct them.
3. **Send or schedule** the invitations. You may send them immediately or select a send time and an expiry date. The number of credits required is displayed before any invitation is sent.

![Screenshot from 2026-10-21 20-45-25](https://help.hackerearth.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%20from%202026-10-21%2020-45-25.png?width=670&height=289&name=Screenshot%20from%202026-10-21%2020-45-25.png)

#### Step 1: Add candidates

Click **Add candidates**, located at the top right of the page and in the Drafts tab. A panel opens with two methods: **Type or paste** and **Upload a file**. Candidates added by either method are placed in Drafts, and no emails are sent at this stage.

### Type or paste

This method is suited to a small number of candidates or to entries copied from a spreadsheet.

1. Select **Type or paste**.
2. Enter one candidate per line, beginning with the email address, followed by the first name and last name. Entries may be pasted directly from a spreadsheet column.
3. Review the preview. The panel displays the number of rows read and flags any email address that appears to be invalid, such as an address without a complete domain (for example, `name@company`).
4. Click **Add N candidates**. Flagged rows may be corrected immediately or after they have been added.

A maximum of 1,000 rows may be added per request using this method.

![](https://help.hackerearth.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Oct-21-2026-02-17-29-8892-PM.png?width=670&height=467&name=undefined-Oct-21-2026-02-17-29-8892-PM.png)

### Upload a file

This method is suited to larger candidate lists.

1. Select **Upload a file**.
2. Upload a file in .xlsx, .xls or .csv format. To ensure the correct column structure, use **Download the sample sheet** on the Invites page.
3. Review the summary of rows read and rows flagged, and then add the candidates to the draft.

An .xlsx file may contain up to 50,000 rows. An .xls or .csv file may contain up to 20,000 rows.

#### Step 2: Review the draft and resolve held rows

Each row is validated as it is added to Drafts. No row is removed without notice: any row that fails validation is held, and the reason is displayed so that you can decide how to proceed.

The Drafts tab organizes candidates into the following categories:

- **All candidates:** Every candidate in the draft, regardless of status.
- **Ready to send:** Rows that have passed all validation checks.
- **Need attention:** Rows that have been held, for example because of an invalid email address, a duplicate entry, or a candidate who has already been invited to the assessment. When no rows are held, this section displays *Nothing is blocked*.

To resolve a held row:

1. Click **Need attention** to display only the held rows and the reason for each.
2. Click the edit icon on a row to correct it, or the delete icon to remove it from the draft.
3. To correct a large number of rows, update the source spreadsheet and upload it again.

It is not necessary to resolve every held row before sending. Held rows remain in Drafts and are not affected when invitations are sent.

![Screenshot from 2026-10-21 20-48-05](https://help.hackerearth.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%20from%202026-10-21%2020-48-05.png?width=670&height=363&name=Screenshot%20from%202026-10-21%2020-48-05.png)

#### Step 3: Send or schedule invitations

When candidates are ready, the Drafts tab displays a banner (for example, *3 candidates are ready to go*) together with a **Send N invitations** button.

1. Click **Send N invitations**. To send invitations to selected candidates only, select them using the checkboxes before clicking the button.
2. Select when the invitations should be sent: 
     - **Send now:** The invitations are emailed immediately.
     - **Schedule:** The invitations are sent at a time you specify, between 1 hour and 60 days in advance.
3. Optionally, set an expiry date, after which the invitation can no longer be used.
4. Review the number of credits required, and then confirm.

Only candidates listed under **Ready to send** receive invitations. Held rows remain in Drafts until they are corrected or deleted.

> **Note on scheduled invitations:** Credits are not reserved when invitations are scheduled. The credit balance is verified at the time of sending. Ensure that your account has a sufficient credit balance before the scheduled time.

#### Track, remind and revoke invitations

The **Invites** tab lists all candidates who have moved out of the draft, from every source. To filter the list by status, use the options under **Invitation status**:

| Status | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Invited | The invitation email has been sent to the candidate. |
| Created | A login has been created for the candidate, but no invitation email has been sent (for example, a generated anonymous login). |
| Scheduled | The invitation is queued to be sent at a specified future time. |
| Revoked | Access has been withdrawn, and the candidate can no longer take the assessment. |

The **Email status** column indicates the delivery status of each invitation. The search field allows you to locate a candidate by name or email address, the column icon allows you to select which columns are displayed, and the download icon allows you to export the list.

![Screenshot from 2026-10-21 20-48-50](https://help.hackerearth.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%20from%202026-10-21%2020-48-50.png?width=670&height=363&name=Screenshot%20from%202026-10-21%2020-48-50.png)

### Send a reminder or revoke access

To send a reminder to, or revoke access for, an individual candidate, use the options in the **Actions** column for that candidate. Reminders may be sent to a maximum of 500 candidates per batch and do not consume credits.

### Review invite activity

The **Invite activity** panel displays every batch of candidates added to the assessment and every batch of invitations sent, in reverse chronological order. To open it, click the more options (⋮) icon at the top right of the page and select Invite activity. The panel may be filtered by **Imports**, **Scheduled** or **Sent**.

- **Import batches** display the source of the batch (for example, *Typed in*), the number of candidates added, the user who added them, and whether the batch is *Ready* or *Ready with errors*. Click **Show candidates** to view the rows in the batch.
- **Sent batches** display the number of candidates to whom invitations were sent, the expiry setting, and the user who sent them. Click the bell icon to send a reminder to the batch, or the revoke icon to withdraw access for the batch.

![Screenshot from 2026-10-21 20-50-43](https://help.hackerearth.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%20from%202026-10-21%2020-50-43.png?width=670&height=456&name=Screenshot%20from%202026-10-21%2020-50-43.png)

### Auto-generate anonymous logins

Anonymous logins provide ready-made credentials for candidates whose email addresses are not available, for example at walk-in drives, proctored labs or partner campuses. Unlike the other methods, anonymous logins do not pass through Drafts, and no email is sent to any candidate. You are responsible for distributing the credentials.

### Generate logins

1. Click the more options (⋮) icon at the top right of the Invites page and select **Auto-generate logins**.  
   ![](https://help.hackerearth.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Oct-21-2026-02-40-37-8232-PM.png?width=480&height=300&name=undefined-Oct-21-2026-02-40-37-8232-PM.png)
2. In the **How many** field, enter the number of logins required. The dialog displays your remaining invite credits, the maximum number of logins per batch (1,000), and the remaining capacity for the assessment.
3. Review the summary, which shows the number of logins that will be created, confirms that no emails will be sent, and indicates that the logins will appear under the **Created** status.
4. Click **Generate logins**.  
   ![](https://help.hackerearth.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Oct-21-2026-02-40-50-1170-PM.png?width=542&height=792&name=undefined-Oct-21-2026-02-40-50-1170-PM.png)

### Download and distribute the credentials

Generated logins appear in the Invites tab under the **Created** status. Each login is assigned a system-generated display name and an email address on the hackerearth-candidate.com domain, and its source is shown as *Auto-generated*.

1. In the Invites tab, select **Created** under **Invitation status**.
2. Click the download icon to download the credentials sheet.
3. Distribute the credentials to candidates through your own channel.

To create additional logins, click **Generate more** in the banner above the list.

Reminders are not available for anonymous logins, because no invitation is sent. Access can be revoked for an individual login using the revoke icon in the **Actions** column. Anonymous logins that are not used do not consume credits.

![Screenshot from 2026-10-21 20-52-11](https://help.hackerearth.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%20from%202026-10-21%2020-52-11.png?width=670&height=456&name=Screenshot%20from%202026-10-21%2020-52-11.png)

### Credit usage

A credit is consumed only when an invitation is sent. The following do not consume credits:

- Candidates in Drafts, including held rows
- Reminders
- Generated anonymous logins that are not used

Scheduled invitations do not reserve credits. The credit balance is verified at the time the batch is sent; therefore, ensure that sufficient credits are available before a scheduled send.

### Limits

| Item | Limit |
| --- | --- |
| .xlsx file upload | 50,000 rows per file |
| .xls or .csv file upload | 20,000 rows per file |
| Type or paste | 1,000 rows per request |
| Generated anonymous logins | 1,000 per request |
| Total candidates per assessment | 200,000 |
| Reminders | 500 candidates per batch |
| Scheduling window | 1 hour to 60 days in advance |

If a candidate list exceeds the limit for a single file, divide it into several files and upload each one separately. All uploaded files are added to the same draft.

### Assessments published before the new invite flow

Assessments published before the new invite flow was enabled for your account will continue to use the previous invite flow for the time being.

### Frequently asked questions

**Are candidates notified when they are added?** No. Adding candidates places them in Drafts only. Invitation emails are sent when you click **Send** or when a scheduled send is processed.

**What happens to rows that contain errors?** Rows that fail validation are held under **Drafts \> Need attention**, with the reason displayed. You may correct them individually, upload a corrected spreadsheet, or delete them. Rows are never removed without notice.

**Is it possible to send invitations to the ready candidates and resolve the remaining rows later?** Yes. Sending affects only the rows listed under **Ready to send**. Held rows remain in Drafts.

**What happens if a candidate who has already been invited is added again?** The row is flagged under **Need attention**, and a second invitation is not created.

**Do reminders consume credits?** No. Reminders do not consume credits and may be sent to a maximum of 500 candidates per batch.

**What happens if the credit balance is insufficient when a scheduled send is processed?** Credits are verified at the time of sending, not at the time of scheduling. Ensure that your account has a sufficient credit balance before the scheduled time so that the invitations can be sent.

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