When you want to stop accepting signatures on your Change.org petition, you have two options: declare victory to celebrate your success, or close your petition to end it for other reasons. Both options keep your petition visible on Change.org while preventing new signatures from being added.

Declaring victory vs. closing your petition

Understanding the difference between these two options helps you choose the right one for your situation on Change.org:

Declare victory

Declaring victory is available once your petition has reached 10 signatures. Choose this option when your petition has achieved its goal or made meaningful progress. Declaring victory on Change.org is appropriate when:

● You've accomplished what you set out to achieve

● You've reached your petition goal

● Your efforts contributed to creating positive change

● Your petition had a positive impact in your community

When you declare victory, you can share a message thanking your supporters and explaining how their signatures made a difference.

Close your petition

Choose this option when you want to end your petition without celebrating a specific victory. Common reasons to close a petition on Change.org include:

● You've gathered enough signatures to deliver to the decision-maker

● You want to temporarily pause your petition activities

● You didn't meet your goal but want to keep the petition page visible for reference

● Circumstances have changed and the petition is no longer needed

How to declare victory on Change.org

1. Log in to your Change.org account
2. Go to your petition dashboard by clicking "My Petitions" in the top menu and selecting the petition you want to declare victory on
3. Click Edit to access the petition editing interface
4. Click the Settings tab next to Edit petition
5. Click the Declare Victory button
6. On the congratulations page, write an update to inform your supporters about the successful outcome
7. Add a title for your update, optionally upload a photo, and describe what happened
8. Submit your victory declaration

Note: If your petition has fewer than 10 signatures, it's not publicly visible. You can still declare victory by clicking "Declare your victory" at the bottom of the page.

How to close a petition on Change.org

1. Log in to your Change.org account
2. Go to your petition dashboard by clicking "My Petitions" in the top menu and selecting the petition you want to close
3. Click Edit to access the petition editing interface
4. Click the Settings tab next to Edit petition
5. Click Close Petition
6. Confirm by clicking Close Petition again on the confirmation popup

Your petition will no longer accept any signatures once closed.

How to reopen a closed petition

If you close your petition by mistake or decide to continue gathering signatures, you can reopen it at any time on Change.org:

1. Log in to your Change.org account
2. Go to your petition dashboard by clicking "My Petitions" and selecting the closed petition
3. Click Edit under the petition title
4. Click Settings next to the Edit tab
5. Click Reopen Petition

Your petition will immediately start accepting new signatures again.

Closing vs. deleting a petition

Closing a petition and deleting a petition are different actions on Change.org:

● Closing: The petition remains visible on Change.org but stops accepting new signatures. You can reopen it later if you change your mind. Remember that closing your petition does not remove your petition from Change.org. The general public and the media will still be able to view your petition and may reach out to you for any inquiries they have.

● Deleting: The petition is permanently removed from Change.org and cannot be recovered. Deletion requires contacting Change.org support.

If you want to permanently remove your petition rather than just stop accepting signatures, see the separate article on deleting your petition.

Petitions with fewer than 5 signatures

Petitions on Change.org with fewer than 5 signatures are not publicly visible unless the page URL is shared directly. If your petition has fewer than 5 signatures, you may not need to close it or declare victory unless you want to formally end the campaign.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change from closed to victory?

If you closed your petition but later want to declare victory, you can reopen it first and then declare victory.

Deleting your petition