> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.puddin.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Creating and Managing Writing Assignments in Puddin
> Learn how to create, configure, and manage writing assignments in Puddin so students can begin working in the verified writing environment.
Assignments are the starting point for any authorship verification workflow in Puddin. When you create an assignment, you define the task, set the parameters students write within, and publish it so Puddin can begin capturing writing process evidence from the moment a student opens the document.
## Create a new assignment
From your Puddin dashboard, select **Assignments** in the left sidebar. This panel lists all active, draft, and archived assignments for your course. Click **New Assignment** in the top-right corner to open the assignment editor.
Fill in the core details for your assignment:
* **Title** — A clear, descriptive name that students will see (e.g. *Essay 2: Comparative Analysis*).
* **Instructions** — The full prompt or task description. Write this directly in the rich-text editor or paste from an existing document. These instructions are displayed to students inside the Puddin writing environment.
* **Due date** — Set the date and time by which submissions must be completed. Puddin timestamps all session activity, so late writing sessions are visible in the process record.
Expand the **Settings** panel to configure optional constraints:
| Setting | Description |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Word count limits** | Set a minimum and/or maximum word count. Students see live word count feedback as they write. |
| **Time limit** | Restrict the total active writing time allowed per session or across all sessions. |
| **Allowed resources** | Specify whether students may use spell-check, external references, or other tools. These notes are displayed to students but are not technically enforced — they form part of the academic integrity context. |
| **Multiple sessions** | Allow students to save and return across multiple writing sessions, or require the assignment to be completed in a single sitting. |
Puddin records all writing activity regardless of the settings you choose here. Settings define the task context; the process record captures what actually happened.
Click **Save Draft** to store the assignment without making it visible to students. When you are ready for students to begin, click **Publish**. Published assignments appear in enrolled students' dashboards immediately.
Save as a draft while you finalise instructions or enrol your student cohort, then publish all at once when you are ready to open the task.
## Manage existing assignments
### Edit an assignment
Open any assignment from the Assignments list and click **Edit**. You can update the title, instructions, due date, and settings at any time. If students have already started writing, any changes to instructions are logged with a timestamp so the historical context is preserved.
Changing the due date after students have begun writing will affect what Puddin flags as a late session. Update due dates carefully and communicate changes to students directly.
### Archive an assignment
Archiving removes an assignment from your active view without deleting the submission data or process records. To archive, open the assignment and select **Archive** from the action menu. Archived assignments and all their associated evidence remain accessible under **Assignments → Archived**.
Archived submissions are never deleted. You can restore an archived assignment to active status at any time from the Archived view.
### Duplicate an assignment
To reuse an assignment structure for a new cohort or semester, open the assignment and select **Duplicate**. A copy is created in draft status with all settings preserved but no student enrolments or submissions carried over.
## Assignment status overview
The assignment is saved but not visible to students. Edit freely before publishing.
Students can see and open the assignment. Writing sessions are actively recorded.
The assignment is closed. Submissions and process records are retained and accessible.