Kickstarter Streamlines Launch Process: Drops Pre-Approval for Most Campaigns
Update: Kickstarter clarifies the “launch now” feature is being rolled out in stages (9:02 a.m. Pacific).
In a significant policy shift, Kickstarter announced today it will no longer manually review every project submission before launch. The crowdfunding platform is introducing a new “launch now” option, allowing creators to bypass the traditional approval process in many cases.
What’s Changing in Kickstarter’s Approval Process?
- Elimination of mandatory pre-launch reviews for most projects
- New “launch now” button (currently rolling out in stages)
- Simplified project guidelines with clearer rules
- Algorithmic monitoring replaces some human oversight
Kickstarter explained the rationale behind these changes:
“Over the past five years, our Community Managers have offered their expertise to more than 100,000 creators — sharing advice, encouragement, and support to give creators the best chance of success. We love doing it, and we’re always here to help. But we’re pleased to offer creators a simpler process for sharing their projects with the world, and the flexibility to choose how much help they need.”
Kickstarter’s New Simplified Rules
The platform has distilled its project requirements to three core principles:
- Projects must create something to share with others
- Projects must be honest and clearly presented
- Prohibitions include:
- Charity fundraising
- Financial incentives
- Items on Kickstarter’s prohibited list
Potential Impacts and Kickstarter’s Assurance
This policy shift represents a major departure from Kickstarter’s historically curated approach, which included decisions like banning charity fundraisers. While the streamlined process may accelerate growth, it raises questions about:
- Quality control without human pre-screening
- Project legitimacy and accountability
- User experience with potentially more low-quality campaigns
Kickstarter addressed these concerns in a statement to VentureBeat:
“We’ll continue to actively govern the site with thought and care. Projects will be reviewed by a sophisticated algorithm we developed that looks at thousands of data points. And our Moderation and Trust & Safety teams are focused on making sure everyone on Kickstarter is following the rules.”
This move reflects Kickstarter’s balancing act between maintaining platform quality while reducing barriers for creators—a challenge familiar to many growing platforms in the digital age.
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