Kickstarter project creation — field inventory
Researched: 23 Sep 2026 (WAT)
Sources: kickstarter.com/start, help.kickstarter.com, updates.kickstarter.com creator guides, kickstarter.com/help/images, Who can use Kickstarter, AI content guidelines, Our Rules (archive), Publishing project-page guide.
Scope: Create draft → fill editor → submit for review → (later) launch.
Caveat: Exact UI labels can shift; this maps the required content Kickstarter expects. Logged-in editor tabs are confirmed from official help (Basics, Story/Campaign, Rewards, People, Payment/Verification) plus Late Pledges controls on Basics/Rewards.
0. Account & eligibility (blocks launch; not on the public page)
| Field / requirement |
Type |
Required |
Notes |
| Kickstarter account |
account |
Yes |
Email verified |
| Age 18+ |
eligibility |
Yes |
|
| Creator country |
select |
Yes |
Must be one of: AU, AT, BE, CA, DK, FR, DE, GR, HK, IE, IT, JP, LU, MX, NL, NZ, NO, PL, SG, SI, ES, SE, CH, UK, US (Who can use Kickstarter) |
| Beneficiary type |
Individual / Business |
Yes |
Business needs entity registration in that country |
| Legal name (individual or entity) |
text |
Yes |
Must match ID / tax docs |
| Government-issued ID |
upload (Stripe) |
Yes |
Same country as project |
| Tax ID (SSN / EIN / local) |
secret |
Yes |
Via Stripe onboarding |
| Beneficial owners (if entity) |
repeat group |
Yes if entity |
IDs + tax docs |
| Bank account (same country, same name) |
bank |
Yes |
Checking / current; supports payouts in project currency |
| Debit/credit card on file |
card |
Yes |
CA: credit only |
| Stripe Connect verification |
flow |
Yes |
Can take days; start early |
| Physical address for verification |
address |
Yes |
In eligible country |
Nigeria is not on Kickstarter’s creator-country list. Launch must be through a registered entity (or resident) in an eligible country (e.g. US BurnedOut Media / WeOwnNet if that is the legal publisher). This is Decision D16+.
1. Start a project (pre-editor)
URL: https://www.kickstarter.com/start
| Field |
Type |
Required |
Limits / notes |
| Primary category |
select |
Yes |
Art, Comics, Crafts, Dance, Design, Fashion, Film & Video, Food, Games, Journalism, Music, Photography, Publishing, Technology, Theater |
| Primary subcategory |
select |
Yes after category |
Publishing includes book-type subcats (e.g. Nonfiction, Fiction, Art Books, … — confirm live list in editor) |
| Additional / second category + subcategory |
select |
Optional |
On Basics later; for Kickstarter guidance only; not public, does not affect search (category help) |
2. Project editor — Basics
| Field |
Type |
Required to submit/launch |
Limits / notes |
| Project title |
text |
Yes |
≤ 60 characters (Publishing guide) |
| Subtitle / short blurb |
text |
Yes |
≤ 135 characters |
| Project image (hero card) |
upload |
Yes |
Recommended 1024×576 (16:9); JPEG/PNG/GIF/BMP; max 50 MB (help/images) |
| Project video |
upload/embed |
Optional for Publishing |
Strongly recommended; ≤ ~250 MB historically; MOV/MP4/etc. Design/Tech may require prototype video — Publishing does not |
| Category / subcategory |
select |
Yes |
Editable while live |
| Project location (city) |
location |
Yes |
City that describes where the project is based; verification address still must be eligible country |
| Funding goal |
money |
Yes |
All-or-nothing; currency from project country |
| Campaign duration |
days or end date |
Yes |
1–60 days; Kickstarter recommends ~30 days / ~4 weeks; blueprint uses 33 days |
| Target launch date (schedule) |
datetime |
Optional |
Can submit for review then schedule launch |
| Late Pledges enable |
toggle |
Optional |
Must enable in draft or while live (Late Pledges) |
| Tags / keywords |
text |
Soft |
Improve discovery; put keywords in description too |
| Project URL slug |
text |
Auto + editable |
Unique kickstarter.com/projects/… path |
3. Story / Campaign tab (public page body)
| Field / block |
Type |
Required |
Notes |
| Campaign story (rich text) |
rich editor |
Yes |
Sections become left TOC when marked as headings |
| Images / GIFs in story |
upload |
Strongly expected |
Honest imagery; no misleading renders for physical products |
| Embedded video(s) |
embed |
Optional |
Beyond hero video |
| Risks and challenges |
dedicated section |
Yes (expected by KS + backers) |
Honest obstacles + mitigations |
| AI disclosure |
story + sometimes submission |
Yes if AI used |
What AI, how used, what is original human work (AI guidelines) |
| FAQ entries |
Q&A list |
Strongly recommended |
Can grow during campaign |
| Collaborator / author bios in story |
prose |
Recommended |
Link creator profiles |
| Environmental commitments |
optional module |
Usually Design/Tech |
Publishing: often N/A / skip unless offering |
4. Rewards tab
4a. Items (SKU building blocks)
| Field |
Type |
Required |
Notes |
| Item name |
text |
Yes |
e.g. eBook (PDF + Kindle) |
| Item description |
text |
Optional |
|
| Item image |
upload |
Recommended |
|
4b. Reward tiers
| Field |
Type |
Required |
Notes |
| Tier title |
text |
Yes |
Public name |
| Pledge amount |
money |
Yes |
|
| Description |
text |
Yes |
What they get; no equity/crypto/NFT |
| Included items |
multi-select from Items |
Yes |
|
| Limit quantity |
number / unlimited |
Optional |
Early bird = limited |
| Estimated delivery |
month/year |
Yes |
Per reward |
| Shipping |
no shipping / restricted / worldwide + rates |
Yes if physical |
Digital = no shipping |
| Image |
upload |
Recommended |
Blueprint: 1200×628 |
| Available start / end |
datetime |
Optional |
Time-boxed early bird |
| Late Pledge amount |
money |
If Late Pledges on |
KS recommends ~+10% |
| Late Pledge window |
datetime |
If Late Pledges on |
At least one reward must start when campaign ends |
4c. Add-ons
| Field |
Type |
Required |
Notes |
| Add-on title, price, items, limits, shipping, delivery |
same as tiers |
Optional |
|
Prohibited reward content: equity, revenue share, cryptocurrency, NFTs/tokens as the product, charity pass-through, misleading claims (Our Rules).
5. People / Collaborators
| Field |
Type |
Required |
Notes |
| Project creator profile |
profile |
Yes |
Bio, photo, website, social links |
| Collaborators |
invites |
Optional |
Authors, designer, etc. with roles |
| Creator location / links |
profile fields |
Recommended |
|
6. Payment / Funding / Stripe
| Field |
Type |
Required |
Notes |
| Funds recipient (individual vs business) |
select |
Yes |
|
| Stripe onboarding (ID, tax, bank, card) |
Stripe hosted |
Yes |
Blocks submit/launch until complete |
| Currency |
derived |
Yes |
From country |
7. Prelaunch page (optional but in blueprint)
| Field |
Type |
Required |
Notes |
| Prelaunch / “Notify me” page |
toggle + story |
Optional |
Collect followers before launch |
| Prelaunch story |
rich text |
If used |
Can differ from final |
8. Submit for review
| Field |
Type |
Required |
Notes |
| Review checklist completeness |
system |
Yes |
Incomplete Basics/Story/Rewards/Payment block submit |
| AI / honesty attestations |
checkbox(es) |
If prompted |
Disclose AI use |
| Submit for review |
action |
Yes |
Kickstarter Trust & Safety review typically several business days (plan 5–7) |
9. After approval (launch controls)
| Field |
Type |
Required |
Notes |
| Launch now / schedule launch |
action |
Yes to go live |
Blueprint: Friday protocol; 3:00 AM PST optional (D12) |
| Post-launch edits |
limited |
— |
Category editable; some fields locked |
Media cheat sheet
| Asset |
Spec |
| Project image |
1024×576, ≤50 MB |
| Reward / social cards |
Blueprint uses 1200×628 |
| Author headshots |
Blueprint 800×800 |
| Hero video |
2–3 min; optional for Publishing; submit without if not ready |
What “complete form filling” means for this campaign
Public page fields can be drafted from ks-campaign-blueprint.md.
Cannot be invented by an agent: Stripe legal entity, tax IDs, bank, government ID, exact print unit costs, contracted retreat dates, live KS login. Those stay owner-only.
