Create or Join a Debate

You can start a new debate and become its Organizer, join an ongoing debate using an identifier shared by someone else, or sign up for a publicly listed Open Debate.

Table of contents

1. Creating a New Debate
2. Joining an Ongoing Debate via a Link or Identifier
3. Joining an Open Debate
4. Rejoining a Debate You Already Joined

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Creating a New Debate

To start a new debate (and become the Organizer), sign in and click Create in the navigation bar at the bottom of the home page.

Enter the motion in the Create Debate dialog and click the + button at the bottom right. You’ll enter the Lobby within a few seconds, where you can invite others, wait for them to join, and assign roles once they arrive.

There is a per-user rate limit on how often you can create new debates; if you’ve hit it, the + button is disabled. Wait a while, or end the debate you most recently created, and try again.

Joining an Ongoing Debate via a Link or Identifier

When someone invites you to a debate, you’ll typically receive a link like the one below. Opening it takes you straight to the Lobby (you may be prompted to log in first).

https://debate.club/?debateId=01KRVJ61H2PDPDN7B4687R24HC

You can also click Join in the bottom navigation bar and paste the identifier into the dialog. The identifier is a short string of letters and numbers — for example:

01KRVJ61H2PDPDN7B4687R24HC

Click the arrow button to enter the Lobby.

You can only join an existing debate using a link or identifier in one of these cases:

1. The debate is in the Lobby stage. Any signed-in user can join, so share the link only with people you actually want in the debate.
2. The debate is in the Preparation, Debate, or Evaluation stage and the Organizer assigned you a role earlier in the Lobby.

For more on the different stages, see The Debate Workflow.

Joining an Open Debate

The home page lists Open Debates that are currently accepting sign-ups in a dedicated Open Debates section. Each card shows the motion, the sign-up window, the current debater and adjudicator counts, and a sign-up button. See the Open Debates page for the full sign-up flow and rules.

Rejoining a Debate You Already Joined

If you lose your connection, close the browser, or refresh the page, you can come back to a debate that is still in progress. The home page lists your recent debates; an in-progress debate appears at the top with a banner that takes you straight back into the room where you left off.