Competition rules

01 / GET STARTED

How to enter.

1. Register. Sign up using the hackathon registration form with an email address you check regularly.
2. Build your software factory. Follow the weekday challenges from November 2 to December 2, 2026. Use the coding agent of your choice. To participate, you must register for a Qodo account and use Qodo during the hackathon. Qodo is not required for every challenge; follow each challenge’s instructions.
3. Keep evidence. Record your progress, including relevant code changes, reviews, tests, standards, and automation.
4. Submit your final project. Submit through the GitHub Discussion threads linked in the daily hackathon emails. Follow each email’s instructions on where and how to share your work. A repository or social post alone does not count as an entry.

Late starters may catch up before the final deadline. Entry is free, no purchase is required, and buying a product or subscription does not improve your chances of winning. Qodo will provide free Qodo licenses for the duration of the hackathon. Other tools you choose to use may have their own terms or costs.

02 / WHO CAN ENTER

Eligibility.

Entrants must be at least 18 and the age of majority where they live. Participation is open worldwide where lawful, subject to applicable restrictions. Prize delivery is subject to applicable legal, shipping, and import restrictions. Qodo will work with winners individually to determine available delivery arrangements; worldwide delivery is not guaranteed.

Entries are individual: one entrant and one final project per person. You may learn from others, but your submission must clearly identify your own work and any assistance received. Team entries are not eligible.

Qodo ambassadors are eligible for prizes, provided they meet all other eligibility requirements. Qodo employees, event organizers, judges, and their immediate family or household members may participate for learning but are not eligible for prizes. Judges must disclose conflicts of interest and abstain from judging affected entries. Participants are responsible for obtaining any employer or other permission needed to enter and share their work.

03 / SHOW YOUR WORK

What to submit.

• A link to your project repository, hosted on any platform, accessible to the judges throughout judging.
• A short explanation of how your project works.

Existing projects, open-source libraries, and AI tools may be used when properly licensed and disclosed. Judging will focus on your work and improvements made during the event. Do not submit confidential information, credentials, personal data without permission, or material you have no right to share.

Final cutoff: Midnight Pacific Time at the end of December 2, 2026 (00:00 on December 3, PST, UTC−8). Submission instructions and GitHub Discussion links will be sent in the daily emails. Keep submitted links accessible through judging. Final judging will be completed within seven days after the December 2 deadline, by December 9, 2026.

Sharing progress on social media is optional but highly recommended. Follower counts, likes, reposts, and purchases do not determine winners, and a social media post is not required for prize eligibility.

04 / JUDGING

How to win.

Completing the challenges is the main consideration in judging. Support your completed challenges with the requested deliverables and evidence; a claim alone does not demonstrate completion. Missed days may be caught up before the final cutoff.

Qodo also considers the overall quality of the work, including how well it functions, the thought put into its implementation and verification, and how clearly the result is demonstrated. Entries are assessed as a whole, without fixed numerical scores or equal weighting. Qodo exercises judgment when comparing entries and resolving ties, based on challenge completion and overall quality.

There are four weekly merch award rounds: November 2–8, November 9–15, November 16–22, and November 23–29, 2026. Each round closes on its final Sunday at 23:59 CET (UTC+1, Europe/Bratislava): November 8, 15, 22, and 29 respectively. Weekly judging recognizes exceptional projects submitted during that round. November 30–December 2 is the finale and has no separate weekly merch round; the final submission deadline applies. Qodo selects between one and three projects for weekly merch awards, with the number determined by the work submitted.

Final judging will be completed within seven days after the December 2 submission deadline, by December 9, 2026. Qodo selects the first-, second-, and third-place winners and notifies them using their registration email.

Qodo may request clarification or a demonstration to verify submitted work. Claims must be supported by the entry. Completing challenges or registering does not guarantee a prize. Qodo is responsible for the judging and award decisions.

05 / WHAT’S UP FOR GRABS

The prizes.

1. 1st placeiPhone Duo
2. 2nd placeMac Mini
3. 3rd placeNintendo Switch 2

These are the prizes currently advertised on the hackathon homepage. Qodo will provide the advertised prizes. Exact configurations, colors, and accessories may vary; images are illustrative and do not guarantee a particular specification. No product manufacturer’s sponsorship or endorsement is implied.

Qodo merch is awarded weekly to exceptional projects as described in the judging section. Weekly awards are separate from the final rankings; participation does not guarantee merch.

Potential winners will be contacted using their registration email and must pass reasonable identity and eligibility checks. Qodo will contact winners directly to arrange verification and delivery. If a potential winner is ineligible or declines the prize, Qodo may select another eligible entry using the same judging considerations.

No entry fee or payment to claim a prize is required. Winners are responsible for taxes or reporting obligations that legally apply to them. Shipping arrangements, any customs duties or delivery costs, and destination restrictions will be discussed with each winner individually before fulfillment. Entrants should not assume worldwide delivery or that all charges are covered.

06 / KEEP WHAT YOU BUILD

Your work & data.

You retain your rights in your original work, subject to any existing employer, collaborator, or third-party rights. You must have permission to use and submit all included material and comply with its licenses. Entry does not transfer ownership of your project to Qodo.

By submitting, you grant Qodo and its judges a limited, non-exclusive permission to access and evaluate your submitted material solely to administer and judge the event. Public repositories and social posts remain visible according to those platforms’ settings and terms.

Registration and event administration data are handled under Qodo’s Privacy Policy and applicable law. Provide only information needed for participation; delivery details should be collected privately from verified winners. Marketing consent is separate from entry and must follow the choices offered at registration.

07 / BUILD FAIRLY

Fair play.

Be respectful. Harassment, discrimination, plagiarism, fabricated evidence, impersonation, duplicate identities, manipulation of judging, and interference with other participants are prohibited. AI assistance is welcome; you remain responsible for the accuracy, safety, originality, and licensing of your submission.

Only test systems and data you are authorized to use. Do not submit malware, expose secrets, bypass access controls, or perform destructive or unauthorized security testing. Demonstrate failure cases in an environment you control.

Qodo may exclude an entry for a material rule violation or verified ineligibility, with a recorded reason and a reasonable opportunity to clarify disputed facts where practical. Requests for clarification must not be used to give selected entrants an unfair opportunity to improve their entry after the deadline.

08 / THE PRACTICAL DETAILS

Event terms.

The competition is sponsored and organized by Codium Ltd., doing business as Qodo (“Qodo”). For eligibility questions, accessibility needs, conduct reports, or prize issues, reply to an official hackathon email.

Qodo may make necessary, reasonable changes to address legal requirements, security incidents, or circumstances beyond its control. Material changes will be communicated on this page and by email to registered participants. Changes should not unfairly disadvantage existing entrants; any revised deadlines or award terms must be explained.

You are responsible for your equipment, internet access, and any optional services you choose to buy. Third-party tools are subject to their own terms and availability. Participation does not guarantee employment, investment, certification, a prize, or uninterrupted service.

Nothing in these rules excludes liability or limits consumer, privacy, or other rights that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited. Mandatory local law continues to apply.

By entering, you agree to these competition rules and the applicable challenge-specific submission requirements communicated in the daily emails.