Frequently Asked
Questions

Web Guru Awards is an international design recognition platform that celebrates the talent, creativity, and hard work behind the world's best websites. We evaluate submissions from designers, agencies, and developers across 190+ countries, awarding the titles of Guru of the Day, Guru of the Month, and Guru of the Year to sites that demonstrate exceptional design, innovation, and user experience.

Anyone can submit — whether you're a solo freelancer, a design agency, a startup, or a large enterprise. If you've built a website you're proud of, we want to see it. We welcome entries from all corners of the globe, in all industries and categories.

We accept websites across a wide range of categories including agencies, portfolios, e-commerce, SaaS, corporate, creative, editorial, apps, and more. We do not accept illegal, adult, or obscene content (including betting or gambling websites). All submissions are reviewed before they appear publicly.

We combine expert jury evaluation with community engagement — your votes count toward a site's score, but design merit always comes first (votes account for 40% of the final score; creativity and innovation account for 60%). We also offer three progressive award tiers — Day, Month, Year — giving deserving sites multiple chances to climb. With a truly global audience across 190+ countries, a win here carries real international prestige.

Click the "Submit Your Site" button in the top navigation or visit webguruawards.com/site-submit. Fill in the submission form with your website URL, category, description, and upload a banner image and thumbnail. Choose your submission package and you're done — our jury will take it from there.

No account registration is required for free submissions. Simply fill out the submission form and submit. For Pro and Elite packages, you may be prompted to provide an email address so we can send you your review feedback and status updates.

The image dimensions are specified clearly on the submission form and must be followed exactly — our system does not auto-resize uploads. Your banner image is displayed prominently on the homepage when you win Guru of the Day, so it's worth making it sharp and representative of your site. Use the exact pixel dimensions stated at the time of submission.

Yes, absolutely. Being in the nominees list means your site is actively being evaluated by our jury. The review timeline for free submissions is typically 7–14 days, but high submission volumes may extend this. Pro and Elite entries receive priority placement in the review queue. Keep sharing your listing page to accumulate votes — they contribute 40% to your score.

Share your Web Guru Awards listing page across all your social channels, include it in your email signature, and reach out to your network of colleagues, clients, and fellow designers. The more people who visit and vote, the better your standing. Remember, though, that votes account for 40% of your total score — the jury's assessment of design quality makes up the remaining 60%.

All three packages enter the same merit-based jury process. The difference is speed and exposure:

Free Entry ($0) — Listed in the nominees pool, jury review within 7–14 days, community voting enabled.

Pro Entry ($29) — Priority 48-hour jury review, featured nominee badge, newsletter promotion, social media spotlight post reaching 50K+ designers.

Elite Entry ($79) — Same-day senior jury review, homepage hero feature for 24 hours, dedicated blog post, 3× social media posts, premium print-ready certificate, emblazon gallery feature with backlink.

No. Paid packages provide faster review times and greater promotional visibility, but all entries — free or paid — are judged on exactly the same design criteria. A beautifully crafted free entry will always beat a mediocre paid one. We believe in recognising merit above all else.

We accept all major credit and debit cards via Stripe, our secure payment gateway. All prices are displayed in USD ($). If you have a question about payment options or need an invoice for your business, please contact us.

Our expert jury evaluates each submission against a scoring model that combines community votes and expert assessment:
The jury looks at design quality, visual storytelling, UX, performance, originality, and overall impact. A high vote count alone is not sufficient to win.

You cannot nominate a website — our jury selects nominees from all valid submissions. However, once a site is in the nominees list, anyone can vote for it using the thumbs-up icon on its listing page. To vote, visit the Nominees page and find the sites you love.

The three award tiers are progressive:

🥇 Guru of the Day (GOTD) — Awarded daily. Your site is featured on the homepage for 24 hours.

🏅 Guru of the Month (GOTM) — Only GOTD winners are eligible. The strongest GOTD winner of the month earns this title.

🏆 Guru of the Year (GOTY) — Only GOTM winners are eligible. The standout site of the year earns the ultimate title.

You must win GOTD before you're eligible for GOTM, and GOTM before you're eligible for GOTY.

Free Entry: 7–14 business days from submission.
Pro Entry: Within 48 hours of payment confirmation.
Elite Entry: Same-day review by a senior jury panel.

If you haven't heard anything after the stated timeframe, please contact us and we'll look into it for you.

Yes! Every winner receives a digital certificate for each title they earn — GOTD, GOTM, and GOTY each come with their own certificate. Elite package winners receive a premium print-ready version. If you haven't received your certificate within 10 business days of winning, please email us at contact@webguruawards.com.

Absolutely — and that's the goal! Winning GOTD is the first step on the journey. GOTD winners become eligible for Guru of the Month, and GOTM winners are eligible for Guru of the Year. Each step is a new competition, so keep building your presence and vote count.

The Emblazon gallery is our showcase of winners celebrating their achievements. If you've won a GOTD, GOTM, or GOTY title and received your certificate, we'd love to feature your photos. Send your celebration photos or screenshots to contact@webguruawards.com and we'll blazon them in our gallery for the world to see.

We love hearing from our winners! Send your testimonial or gratitude message to contact@webguruawards.com and we'll feature it in our Gratitude section. Include your name, website URL, and a brief message about what the award meant to you.

Visit our Advertising page to explore placement options including homepage features, newsletter inclusions, sponsored award categories, and premium community placements. Fill out the enquiry form and our team will get back to you within 24 hours with a tailored media kit.

Advertising pricing varies by placement type and duration. Each placement runs for 30 days. Options range from newsletter inclusions starting at lower price points to premium homepage features. For a full rate card and availability, please download our Media Kit or submit an enquiry on the advertising page.

Our audience consists of web designers, developers, creative directors, UX professionals, digital agencies, and design-savvy business owners — over 50,000 unique monthly visitors from 190+ countries. It's one of the most targeted design-industry audiences on the web, making advertising here ideal for design tools, SaaS products, hosting platforms, and creative services.

You can reach us through the Contact Us page on our website — fill in the form and we'll reply within 24 hours. For urgent matters, you can also email us directly at contact@webguruawards.com.

We have a dedicated Jobs board where design and tech companies can post open roles, and candidates can discover opportunities. Visit webguruawards.com/jobs to browse current listings or post a role. It's the perfect place to connect with the global design community.

Yes! Our Blog features design insights, industry trends, winner spotlights, and tips for creating award-worthy websites. It 's a great place to stay inspired and learn what makes designs stand out from our jury's perspective.