Buffer Commit: Terms and Conditions

Buffer Commit ("the Contest") is a build contest hosted by Buffer, Inc., 2443 Fillmore Street #380-7163, San Francisco, CA 94115, United States ("Buffer," "host," "we," "us"), open to individual developers or teams of developers building third-party applications or integrations on the Buffer API ("Entrant"). There is one entry track: apps and integrations built on the Buffer API.

No purchase or payment of any money is necessary to enter or win. A purchase will not improve the chances of winning. Odds of winning will depend on the number of eligible entries received and on the skill of the Entrant. Void where prohibited by law or where registration or bonding is required. Subject to all federal, state, and local laws.

A Buffer account is required to participate. Entrants may use a free or a paid Buffer account, and no paid plan or purchase is required. To participate, you must register for the Contest (as an individual or part of a team) by logging into your Buffer account and entering the registration information as indicated during the Registration Window (defined below), using the full name and email address associated with your Buffer account. When registering, each individual Entrant, including each team member, must register with the email address of their own verified Buffer account only. Registrations that cannot be matched to a Buffer account may be deemed invalid, and Buffer may contact the Entrant to verify before any registration or Submission is invalidated.

During the Build Window (defined below) you must create or build upon an app or integration using the Buffer API ("Project") and submit it during the Submission Window (defined below), through the submission form linked from buffer.com/api/commit ("Contest Website"), by taking the following steps (collectively, a "Submission"):

1. Submit a demo video, two minutes or less, showing the Project working end to end against the live Buffer API. Slides are not a substitute for a working demonstration.
2. Provide a link to the publicly hosted application or integration.
3. Provide a written summary, approximately 300 words, describing the problem the Project is intended to solve, its intended audience, the Buffer API surface it uses, and planned next steps.
4. Provide the Entrant's full legal name(s), email address(es), and the social handles they wish to be credited with in the gallery, winner announcements, and Buffer's promotional channels. Entries are matched to Entrants via the email address used at registration. Teams must name one team captain, designated by the team, who submits a Project on the team's behalf and is authorized to receive any prize on the team's behalf. All team members and the designated team captain must be identified with the Submission.
5. Provide the Project's Buffer API app client ID, so Buffer can verify the app is built on and connected to the Buffer API.
6. A build-in-public trail (optional). Entrants may provide up to five links to public social media posts about their participation in the Contest, made between October 15, 2026 and the close of the Build Window. Buffer may provide suggested prompts for these posts, though Entrants may also post more generally about the Contest as long as it's related and as long as the post discloses that it is connected with promoting the Contest. The trail is not necessary to an eligible Submission, and won't impact your chances of winning. However, it is required to be considered for the Build-in-Public Award (see Section 5).

Except for the build-in-public trail, all of the above actions are required for a Submission to be eligible. Each individual may be a member of only one team, and each individual or team may submit more than one Project, provided each Submission is unique and substantially different from that individual's or team's other Submissions, as determined by Buffer in its sole discretion.

Entrants may also submit an existing Project, created in part prior to the Build Window, provided the Submission clearly identifies the new functionality built during the Build Window. Only the new elements of the Project will be considered for a prize.

To participate in the Contest, you must register, build, and submit during the following windows:

• Registration Window: All Entrants must first register for the Contest between October 15, 2026, 12:01 am Pacific Time and November 13, 2026, 11:59 pm Pacific Time ("Registration Window").
• Build Window: All Entrants must finish building their Projects between October 28, 2026, 12:01 am Pacific Time and November 13, 2026, 11:59 pm Pacific Time ("Build Window"). Entrants may begin building at any point during the Build Window.
• Submission Window: All Submissions must be received by Buffer between October 28, 2026, 12:01 am Pacific Time and November 13, 2026, 11:59 pm Pacific Time ("Submission Window"). Submissions are made by the individual Entrant or, for teams, by the designated team captain only. Submissions received after the close of the Submission Window will not be eligible.

Judging will occur following the close of the Submission Window, from approximately November 16 through November 20, 2026. Submissions must remain live throughout the judging period. Buffer is the sole timekeeper for the Contest and reserves the right to change the applicable time periods in its sole discretion.

To be eligible, Entrants must be 18 years of age or older, or the age of majority where they live, whichever is older, as of the date of Submission. Entrants may participate individually or as part of a team, of any size. Buffer is not responsible for establishing teams but will determine, in its sole discretion, the eligibility of each Submission, including as to individual members, based on the team roster registered and submitted. If an individual team member is determined to be ineligible, the remaining team members may still be eligible. Buffer shall have the ultimate right to determine the eligibility, identity, and composition of Entrants in its sole discretion.

Geographic eligibility: The Contest is not open to legal residents of Quebec (Canada), Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Sudan, Belarus, Myanmar, China, the Crimea region, Russia, the so-called Donetsk People's Republic or Luhansk People's Republic, or any other country or region subject to comprehensive US trade sanctions administered by the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Residents of these regions may not register, submit, or receive any prize or participation perk, and Buffer will not pay, ship, or deliver anything to these regions.

Buffer team members: Employees and contractors of Buffer, and members of their immediate families and households, are not eligible to win any prize. Buffer team members may build and submit Projects alongside participants and will receive an honorary badge, but they are not eligible for any prize or participation perk and do not count toward the winning Submissions.

Project requirements: To be eligible, a submitted Project must be publicly available at the time of Submission and through the judging period, must be connectable to a Buffer account, must authenticate users through Buffer OAuth, and must make at least one successful call to the Buffer API. The Project must also comply with Buffer's API terms of use and rate limits, and with the terms and policies of any third-party platform it connects to. It must not contain malicious code, and must not collect, store, or use any person's data beyond what the Project needs to function or without that person's consent. Submissions that do not meet these requirements by the close of the Submission Window are ineligible and will not be considered for a prize.

Buffer may access, test, and review any Project, including by using Buffer test accounts. Buffer reserves the right to verify eligibility and to disqualify any Entrant who does not meet these requirements. Entrants may be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility prior to any judging process or before receiving any prize. Buffer determines eligibility in its sole discretion.

Judging; Build Winners. A panel of three Buffer team members from Buffer's leadership and product teams will score each eligible Submission on a scale of 1 to 5 against three equally weighted criteria: real usefulness (whether the Submission solves a problem a realistic user would actually have, not simply a demonstration of technical skill), technical execution and craft (how well the Submission is built on the Buffer API), and creativity and originality (how novel the idea is). A Submission's build-in-public trail is not part of this score. Each Submission's final score is the average of the panel members' total scores. Submissions are ranked by final score, and up to a maximum of 16 of the highest-ranked Submissions will be selected as winners ("Build Winners"). A Submission must reach a minimum final score of 9 out of 15 to qualify as a potential Build Winner, meaning fewer than 16 Submissions may be selected. In the event that no Submission meets the scoring threshold, no Build Winners will be selected and no prizes will be issued.

Category awards. All Build Winners will receive a Commit Award, as detailed below. From among the Build Winners, Buffer's design team will also select up to three Delight Award recipients for the most distinctive user experience, and Buffer's content team will select up to three Build-in-Public Award recipients from among the Build Winners that included a build-in-public trail, based on the effort and thought shown in documenting their participation. A Build Winner may receive one or both category awards.

Team size is not a scoring factor. Submissions are judged on their own merits regardless of how many people contributed. Buffer's decisions regarding scoring, advancement, and winner selection are final. In case of a tie at the cut-off, the Submission with the higher real usefulness score wins, and if it is still tied, the panel makes the final decision in its sole discretion.

There is a $25,600 (USD) total cash prize pool in addition to other prizes, as detailed below. Prizes are awarded per Submission, not per individual. Where a Submission was built by a team, the team's designated captain is the default recipient of any prize and is responsible for determining how it is divided among team members. Teams can choose to alter the prize distribution, subject to further communication with Buffer. Each participating individual, whether entering as an individual or as part of a team, may only be part of one Build Winner, though a Build Winner may additionally win for one or both of the category awards.

Prizes

• Commit Award (up to 16): each Build Winner will receive a Commit Award including: a cash prize equal to an equal share of the $25,600 (USD) prize pool, which is $1,600 (USD) or more depending on the number of Build Winners selected; identification as a winner in the Buffer Commit project gallery on the event website; a mention in Buffer's Contest wrap-up blog post; an invitation to one virtual group session of approximately 90 minutes with Buffer's CEO and the other winners; and one year of complimentary access to the Buffer Essentials plan for one channel (approximate retail value $60, based on $5 per month), or, for Build Winners already on a paid Buffer plan, one year of that plan as described below.
• Delight Award (up to three of the Build Winners): Buffer swag (approximate retail value $60), in addition to the Commit Award.
• Build-in-Public Award (up to three of the Build Winners): Buffer swag (approximate retail value $60), in addition to the Commit Award.

The total approximate value of all prizes is $26,920.

Participation perks

Every Entrant who submits an eligible Submission receives a Buffer Commit cap (approximate retail value $15), whether or not the Submission wins. Entrants who register but do not submit an eligible Submission do not receive a cap. Participation perks are not Contest prizes and do not depend on judging.

Terms for prizes and perks

• Cash payment. Cash prizes are paid in US dollars via Bill.com. Buffer will initiate payment within seven days after the later of the winner announcement and the winner completing eligibility verification and the required steps of their Bill.com account setup, including a completed IRS Form W-9 (US winners) or Form W-8BEN (non-US winners). The time it takes for a payment to arrive depends on the Build Winner's bank and country, and Buffer does not guarantee an arrival date. Buffer does not withhold taxes from cash prizes. Build Winners are solely responsible for any taxes owed on their prize and should consult their own tax advisor. Buffer will issue tax forms, such as IRS Form 1099, where required. The amount received may be reduced by costs associated with receiving the prize, including but not limited to currency conversion rates and bank fees.
• Buffer plan access. Build Winners who are not on a paid Buffer plan receive one year of the Buffer Essentials plan at no cost, which ends automatically after 12 months and returns the account to Buffer's free plan, unless the Build Winner chooses to continue on a paid plan. Build Winners already on a paid Buffer plan keep their existing plan with the next 12 months covered in full (twelve monthly payments for monthly plans, or the next annual renewal for annual plans), after which their plan continues at its regular price under their existing subscription. Complimentary access has no cash value, is not transferable, and is subject to Buffer's Terms of Service.
• Group session. The CEO session has no cash value, is not transferable, and is held virtually. Buffer may reschedule it, or substitute another member of Buffer's leadership team if the CEO is unavailable.
• Swag and caps. Buffer covers shipping costs. Items ship only to eligible regions, while supplies last, and Buffer may substitute items of similar value. Buffer also covers any import fees it is able to prepay.

Buffer reserves the right to substitute a prize of comparable value at its sole discretion.

Winners are required to respond to Buffer communication about awarded prizes within 10 days after the winners are announced. After 10 days, Buffer may award unclaimed prizes to runner-up Submissions.

Submissions. Entrants retain full ownership of their Submission, including all associated intellectual property. Buffer does not claim any ownership interest in, or take any equity stake in, any Submission.

By entering, each Entrant grants Buffer a non-exclusive, worldwide, fully paid, perpetual, transferable, royalty-free license to display, reproduce, promote, and otherwise use the Submission, including its name, description, demonstration video, and screenshots, in connection with the Contest, the post-Contest gallery, the wrap-up blog post, and Buffer's marketing.

Entrant warranties. Each Entrant represents that their Submission is their own original work (including any portions created with the help of AI tools, which the Entrant has the right to submit), that it does not infringe or violate the rights of any third party, and that it complies with these terms. Each Entrant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Released Parties (Section 12) from any claim arising out of their Submission or its use by others. Each Entrant warrants that the Submission and materials and information provided do not contain information considered by Entrant, its employer, team members, or any other third party to be confidential, and that the Entry, materials and information provided do not violate any laws or regulations. Entrant represents and warrants that he or she has permission from their employer and any necessary third party to enter the Contest and receive a prize. Entrant understands and acknowledges that in the event a Submission is selected as a winning Entry, and Entrant's ownership, rights and the originality of the Entry cannot be verified to the satisfaction of Buffer or is in any other way ineligible, Buffer may select an alternate winner based on the same judging criteria.

Use of the Buffer name. Entrants may reference Buffer and the Buffer API in describing their Submission, for example "built on the Buffer API." Entrants should not name or present a Submission in a way that could reasonably lead a customer to believe it is an official Buffer product, or that it is endorsed by or affiliated with Buffer, beyond its participation in the Contest. Buffer reserves the right to request a name or presentation change if a Submission creates confusion about its official status.

• Governing Law and Forum. This Contest and the rights and obligations of Buffer and participants will be governed and controlled by the laws of the State of California, applicable to contracts made and performed therein without reference to the applicable choice of law provisions. All actions, proceedings or litigation relating hereto will be instituted and prosecuted solely within the State of California, San Francisco County. Entrant agrees that: (i) any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action; (ii) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this Contest, but in no event attorneys' fees; and (iii) under no circumstances will Entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and Entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental and consequential damages and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses, and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased.
• Terms may change. Buffer may amend these terms before or during the Contest where reasonably necessary, and will communicate any material changes to registered Entrants.
• No confidentiality. Buffer has no obligation to keep any Submission confidential. Buffer may already be developing, or may later develop, features or products similar to a Submission, and nothing in these terms restricts Buffer from doing so.

By submitting an entry for, or participating in, the Contest, Entrants agree to abide by these official rules and any decision Buffer makes regarding this event, which Buffer shall make in its sole discretion. Buffer reserves the right to disqualify any participant whom Buffer reasonably suspects of tampering with the Contest Website or the entry process, violating these rules, engaging in fraud or attempted fraud, or acting in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner.

Except where prohibited, participation in the Contest constitutes participant's consent to Buffer's use of participant's Submission and the individual name(s), likeness(es), voice(s), opinions, biographical information, and residence of all individual participants for promotional purposes in any media without further payment or consideration. Build Winners may be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility, liability release and a publicity release that, among other things, will further allow Buffer to use the name(s), likeness(es), voice(s), opinions, biographical information, and residence of all winning team members for publicity and promotional purposes without further compensation where permitted by law.

Because this is a contest of skill, winning the Contest is dependent on the quality and number of submissions received.

Each team is solely responsible for its own cooperation and teamwork. The host will not officiate in any dispute among a team or its members regarding their conduct, participation, cooperation, or contribution. If such a dispute cannot be resolved, the host reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to determine the identity of the team's members or its designated captain, and may disqualify a team or any of its members at its sole discretion.

Buffer collects personal information from you when you enter this event and uses it to run the Contest, including sending Contest-related emails to registered Entrants. The host reserves the right to use any information collected in accordance with its privacy policy, which may be found at buffer.com/legal.

Winning Entrants will be notified by email on or about December 4 to December 7, 2026, and winners will also be announced on the event website on or around December 7, 2026. Members of a winning team may be required to sign and return to the host an affidavit of eligibility, a liability release, and, where permitted by law, a publicity release, as well as provide information necessary for compliance with any applicable tax laws. Failure to comply may result in disqualification and the selection of an alternate winner.

The Buffer Commit event and all prizes and participation perks are provided "as is," without warranty of any kind, express or implied.

By entering, you release and hold harmless Buffer, its affiliates, prize suppliers, and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents (the "Released Parties") from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of your participation in the event or the receipt, use, or misuse of any prize or participation perk, including personal injury, death, or property damage.

The Released Parties are not responsible for inaccurate entry information, technical failures or malfunctions of any kind, unauthorized intervention in the entry process, or human or technical error in administering the event or processing entries.

No more than the stated number of prizes will be awarded. If fraud, technical failure, or any other event beyond Buffer's control compromises the fairness or integrity of the Contest, Buffer may cancel, suspend, or modify it, and may, but is not required to, select winners from eligible entries received before that action was taken.