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This guide will walk you through setting up your account, joining a team, and participating in your first CTF competition on GZCTF.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:
  • A valid email address for account verification
  • Basic understanding of CTF competitions
  • A team to join or create (you can create your own)

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Account registration

1

Navigate to registration page

Visit your GZCTF instance and click the Register button. You’ll need to provide:
  • Username (unique identifier)
  • Email address (for verification)
  • Password (strong password recommended)
2

Complete CAPTCHA verification

Complete the Cloudflare Turnstile CAPTCHA challenge to prevent automated registrations.
3

Verify your email

Check your email inbox for a verification link. Click the link to activate your account.
If email verification is disabled by the administrator, your account will be active immediately.
4

Wait for admin approval (if required)

Some instances require administrator approval for new accounts. You’ll receive an email once approved.
5

Log in

Once your account is activated, log in with your credentials.

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Create or join a team

1

Navigate to teams

After logging in, go to the Teams section in the navigation menu.
2

Create a new team or join existing

Click Create Team and provide:
  • Team name
  • Optional team bio
  • Team avatar (optional)
You can create up to 3 teams where you are the captain.
3

Configure team settings (captains only)

Team captains can:
  • Generate/regenerate invitation codes
  • Remove team members
  • Update team information
  • Transfer team ownership

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Join a competition

1

Browse available games

Navigate to the Games page to see upcoming and active CTF competitions.
2

Select a game

Click on a game to view details:
  • Competition description
  • Start and end times
  • Participation rules
  • Available divisions (if any)
3

Register for the game

Click Join Game and:
  • Select your team
  • Choose a division (if applicable)
  • Accept any competition rules
Some competitions require administrator approval before you can participate.
4

Wait for the competition to start

Once registered, wait for the competition start time. You’ll be notified when it begins.

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Solve your first challenge

1

Browse challenges

When the competition is active, navigate to the Challenges tab to see available challenges organized by category.
2

Select a challenge

Click on a challenge to view:
  • Challenge description
  • Hints (if provided)
  • Point value
  • Solve count
3

Start container instance (if needed)

For dynamic container challenges:
  1. Click Start Instance
  2. Wait for the container to be created
  3. Note the connection details (IP, port)
Container instances have a lifetime limit. You can extend them if needed.
4

Download attachments (if available)

Some challenges provide downloadable files. Click the download button to get them.
5

Solve the challenge

Use the challenge description, hints, and any provided resources to find the flag.Flags typically follow a format like:
flag{some_secret_text_here}
6

Submit the flag

Enter the flag in the submission box and click Submit.You’ll see immediate feedback:
  • ✅ Correct: Points added to your team score
  • ❌ Incorrect: No points awarded, try again
  • ⏱️ Rate Limited: Wait before submitting again

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Monitor your progress

Track your team’s performance throughout the competition:

Scoreboard

View real-time rankings and scores for all teams

Challenge Status

See which challenges you’ve solved and which are still pending

Team Stats

Monitor your team’s solve times and points

Blood Bonuses

First three teams to solve earn bonus points (5%, 3%, 1%)

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Post-competition

After the competition ends:
  1. Submit writeups: Document your solutions and submit them for review
  2. Review scoreboard: See final rankings and statistics
  3. Practice mode: Continue solving challenges in practice mode (if enabled)

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Best practices

  • Communicate with your team using external chat tools
  • Divide challenges by skill areas (web, crypto, pwn, etc.)
  • Share discoveries and approaches
  • Start with challenges in your area of expertise
  • Don’t spend too long on a single challenge
  • Monitor the scoreboard to prioritize high-value targets
  • Keep notes of your findings
  • Save important commands and scripts
  • Test your flags before submitting
  • Monitor container instance lifetimes
  • Don’t share flags between teams
  • Don’t attack the platform infrastructure
  • Follow the competition rules
  • Report any technical issues to administrators

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Next steps

Core Concepts

Learn about challenge types and scoring

User Guide

Detailed guides for all platform features

Installation

Deploy your own GZCTF instance

API Reference

Integrate with the GZCTF API

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