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Joining an Event

This page walks you through creating an account, verifying your email (if required), choosing how you want to play, and finding your way around after you log in.

1. Create an account

Navigate to /auth/register on the event site. You will be asked for:

  • Username — 3–80 characters; this is your public display name.
  • Email address — used for password resets and, if the organizer requires it, email verification.
  • Password — minimum 8 characters, maximum 128.
  • Play mode — choose now; you can adjust later (see below).

Registration may be closed

If the organiser has not yet opened registration, you will see a "Registration is currently closed" message and be redirected to the login page. Check back later or contact the organiser.

Rate limit

The registration endpoint accepts up to 5 form submissions per minute per IP. If you see an error about too many requests, wait a moment and try again.

2. Verify your email (if required)

Some events require email verification before you can log in.

When it is enabled you will see:

"Account created! Check your email for a verification link before logging in."

Open the email and click the verification link. The link points to /auth/verify/<token>. Once clicked, you will be redirected to the login page with a confirmation message.

Didn't receive the email? Go to /auth/login and use the "Resend verification email" option. You will need to enter your username. The platform will send a new link if the account exists and is unverified.

When verification is not required

If the organiser has not configured email delivery, verification is skipped entirely and you are logged in immediately after registration.

3. Log in

Go to /auth/login. Enter your username and password.

After a successful login you are redirected to the challenges page.

Forgot your password?

Go to /auth/forgot-password, enter your registered email address, and a reset link will be sent. The link is valid for one hour. If email delivery is not configured for the event, password reset is unavailable — contact the organiser instead.

4. Choose your play mode

CTFHive supports two modes. You select a default at registration, but you can change it after logging in.

You compete as a team. Scores, flags, and lab instances are shared across the team's principal (the scoring identity). Your flag for a challenge is the same for all team members — and is different from every other team's flag.

To create a team:

  1. Go to /team/ after logging in.
  2. Fill in the Team Name (2–80 characters).
  3. Optionally set a Team Password — members will need to enter it when they join.
  4. Click Create Team.

You become the captain. A join token is shown on the next page — share it with your teammates.

To join an existing team:

  1. Go to /team/.
  2. Paste the Join Token your captain gave you.
  3. Enter the Team Password if the captain set one.
  4. Click Join Team.

Captains cannot leave

If you are the team captain, you cannot leave without first transferring captaincy or disbanding the team. Contact your organiser if you are stuck.

Team size limit

The organiser sets a maximum team size. If the team is full you will see an error; ask your captain whether slots are available.

See Team vs. solo mode for a deeper explanation of how principals work.

You compete as an individual. Your scoring identity (principal) is tied to your user account rather than a team.

  1. Go to /team/.
  2. Click Play Solo (the button appears when you are not yet on a team).
  3. You are redirected to the challenges page.

Solo play must be enabled

The organiser controls whether solo play is allowed. If the option is not shown, solo mode is disabled for this event.

Switching from solo to team: If you later want to join a team, leave solo mode first. Joining or creating a team automatically deactivates your solo principal.

5. What you see after logging in

Once you have set up your play mode, the main view at / shows all visible challenges grouped by category, sorted by points within each category. Challenges your team (or you, in solo mode) has already solved are visually marked.

From here you can:

  • Click any challenge to read its description, download files, and submit a flag.
  • Visit the Scoreboard to see standings.
  • Go to My Team (/team/manage) to see your team's join token, member list, and any active lab instances.
  • Use Instances (/dispatch/instances) to manage running lab containers for dynamic challenges.

Troubleshooting

Symptom Likely cause Fix
"Invalid or expired verification link" Link is more than 24 hours old or already used Use "Resend verification email" on the login page
"Invalid username or password" Wrong credentials, or account is not yet active Double-check username (not email) and password; verify email if required
"Registration is currently closed" Organiser has not opened registration Wait for the organiser to open it
"Invalid join token" Token mistyped or team does not exist Ask your captain to copy-paste the token from /team/manage
"Team is full" Maximum size reached Ask captain, or create your own team