Frequently Asked Questions

What is async drafting?

Async drafting — short for asynchronous drafting — means everyone in your group picks when it is their turn rather than all being online at the same time. GetDraftedNow sends each drafter a notification by email or SMS the moment their turn arrives. They can make their pick immediately from a browser or phone, or wait as long as the commissioner's configured pick timer allows — with no hard upper limit.

If a drafter misses their timer, the auto-pick behavior the commissioner configured kicks in automatically, so the draft keeps moving without anyone needing to step in. This format is ideal for friend groups, work leagues, and anyone spread across different time zones or with busy schedules who cannot all be online at the same time.

How do I set up my first draft?

Creating a draft on GetDraftedNow takes about two minutes:

• Create a league. Sign up for a free account, start a new league, and choose your draft format and number of rounds.
• Add your item pool. Paste in fantasy football players, movies, Pokemon, beers, or any custom list. Items can have names, categories, and optional notes.
• Invite your drafters. Enter names or email addresses. GetDraftedNow sends each person a magic-link invite they can use without creating an account.
• Configure your settings. Set the pick timer length, auto-pick behavior, whether guests can watch, and whether to reveal the draft order before the draft starts.
• Start the draft. Hit Start Draft — the live board goes live immediately and the first drafter on the clock gets notified.

What draft formats does GetDraftedNow support?

GetDraftedNow supports five draft formats:

• Snake — the pick order reverses every round. The last picker in round one picks first in round two.
• Linear — the same pick order repeats every round.
• Auction — each drafter has a budget and bids competitively on items.
• Third-round reversal — a snake variant where only the third round is reversed. Popular in fantasy football best-ball leagues.
• Random last round — snake format with the final round order randomly shuffled before the draft starts.

All formats support async turn-based picking, configurable pick timers, commissioner-configured auto-pick, and email or SMS turn notifications.

What happens when a pick timer expires?

When a drafter's timer runs out, GetDraftedNow automatically applies the auto-pick behavior the commissioner chose in league setup. The commissioner picks from several options:

• Commissioner's ranked list — the commissioner ranks all items 1 to N in league setup; the highest-ranked available item is picked automatically.
• Random pick — a random available item is selected.
• Commissioner pick — the commissioner is alerted to make the pick manually on the drafter's behalf.
• Skip to end of round — the drafter's turn is skipped; they pick last in the current round.

The commissioner can change the auto-pick setting at any time, including mid-draft. If a time bank reserve is configured, it activates before auto-pick — the drafter draws on their banked seconds first.

How does the pick timer work?

Each draft has a configurable pick timer that limits how long each drafter has to make a selection. The minimum is 30 seconds. There is no hard upper limit — commissioners can set as long a window as the league needs. The timer starts as soon as the previous pick is confirmed and the drafter receives a turn notification by email or SMS when their clock starts.

If the timer expires, the auto-pick behavior the commissioner configured takes over. Options include picking from the commissioner's ranked item list, choosing a random available item, assigning the pick to the commissioner, or skipping to the end of the round. Commissioners can also pause a draft manually at any time and resume it later.

Can the commissioner pause or change a draft after it starts?

Yes. Commissioners can pause a draft at any time and resume it when ready. Pick timer length, auto-pick behavior, and time bank settings can all be adjusted mid-draft. Commissioners can also undo the last pick, override a pick on a drafter's behalf, or reset and restart the draft entirely.

What is a time bank?

A time bank is an optional reserve of extra seconds each drafter can draw on when they need more time than their base pick timer allows. The commissioner sets the initial time bank balance (for example, 300 extra seconds) in the draft settings. When a drafter's base timer runs out, the countdown automatically switches to their time bank reserve instead of triggering the auto-pick.

Drafters can spend their banked time on any picks — all at once on a tough early round choice, or spread across many rounds. Once a drafter's time bank is exhausted, the standard timer expiry behavior applies. Time banks are optional and can be left off for faster-paced or live synchronous drafts.

Can guests watch or join a draft without creating an account?

Yes. Commissioners can invite drafters using a magic link that works without requiring the recipient to register or create a password. The drafter clicks the link, enters a display name, and they are added to the draft immediately.

For public leagues, anyone with the draft URL can watch the live board in read-only mode without logging in at all — useful for spectators or league members who just want to follow along. Private leagues hide the board from non-participants. If a guest drafter later wants to create a full account, they can register and their existing drafter slot is linked to the new account automatically.

How do invite links work?

Each drafter slot has a unique magic-link invite URL that the commissioner can share directly via email, text, or any messaging app. When a recipient opens the link they are authenticated as that drafter without needing an email address or password. The link is long-lived and can be resent from the league setup page if a drafter loses it.

Commissioners can revoke a link and issue a new one at any time from the Drafters section of the league setup page. For larger drafts, GetDraftedNow can send invites automatically by email to all drafters at once, so commissioners do not have to distribute links manually.

Is GetDraftedNow free?

Yes — GetDraftedNow is free to create and run a draft. There is nothing to install; it works in any modern browser on desktop or mobile.

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