How to run a fair giveaway in 7 steps
Seven steps from the rules to the announcement, so that nobody can say the winner was chosen by hand.
The short version
- Write the rules before you post
- Keep the entry free and simple
- Close on time and collect every entry
- Remove only what the rules exclude
- Draw once, with backups
- Announce with the proof
- Contact the winner safely and close the giveaway
Each platform rule quoted here links to its official page, with the date we read it.
What makes a giveaway fair?
A giveaway is fair when the rules are public before it starts, entering is free, every valid entry has the same chance, and the draw can be repeated by someone else. The last point is the one most hosts skip: a screenshot of a name proves nothing, while a result that can be recalculated does.
The steps below take about ten minutes on top of the giveaway itself. They protect the people who entered, and they protect you when somebody asks how the winner was chosen.
The seven steps
In the order you will need them.
Step 1: Write the rules before you post
Decide who can enter, the dates, how to enter, the prize and how the winner will be chosen. Publish the rules where entrants can open them, with the sentence the platform asks for.
Step 2: Keep the entry free and simple
One action, such as a comment, is easy to count and easy to check. Do not ask for a payment, and on Facebook do not ask people to share the post or tag friends.
Step 3: Close on time and collect every entry
When the deadline passes, load all the comments and copy them in one go. Say in the announcement how many entries you collected and when.
Step 4: Remove only what the rules exclude
Repeated comments, your own account, entries without the required tag or word. Use the same filters for everyone and keep the count of what each one removed.
Step 5: Draw once, with backups
Run a single random draw for the winners and the backups together. Do not draw again because the first name was not the one you hoped for.
Step 6: Announce with the proof
Post the winner together with the number of entries, the verification code and the proof link, and keep the list of entries so that anyone can repeat the draw.
Step 7: Contact the winner safely and close the giveaway
Write from your official account, never ask for a payment or a password, apply the response time you announced and move to the backup if it runs out. Then say publicly that the prize was delivered.
Step 5 is the draw itself. For a list of names, such as a sign-up sheet or raffle tickets, use the random name picker. For the comments of a post, use the picker of the network, listed further down this page.
Random draw, most likes or a jury: which is fair?
All three can be honest. They are not the same kind of giveaway.
| Way of choosing | Who has an advantage | What you must publish | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Random draw among valid entries | Nobody. Every entry has the same chance. | Number of entries, verification code and proof link. | Low, as long as you draw once. |
| Comment with the most likes | Accounts with many followers or traded likes. | The like count at the closing time. | High: invites fake engagement, which YouTube and TikTok forbid. |
| Jury or best answer | Whoever the judges prefer. | The criteria, before the giveaway starts, and who judges. | Medium: a skill contest follows other rules than a draw. |
| Scroll and stop, or “I picked one” | Whoever the host wants. | Nothing can be checked. | High: it cannot be told apart from choosing by hand. |
Source: YouTube’s contest policies and guidelines (opens in a new tab); TikTok Community Guidelines, Integrity and Authenticity (opens in a new tab). Read on .
Example: announcing a result people can check
The sample draw from the home page, written as you would post it.
“The giveaway is closed. We collected 12 comments on Friday at 6 pm.
After removing our own account, repeated comments and comments without two tagged friends, 7 entries went into the draw.
Winner: @nina. Backups, in order: @sam.fit, @anna_w.
The winner has 48 hours to answer our message. The list of entries and the proof link are in the first comment.”
Verification code: GT-0F9AE-0A8B0
Four things make this announcement checkable:
- The count before and after the filters: 12 comments, 7 entries. Anyone can redo the subtraction.
- The backups, named in order before anyone knows whether the winner will answer.
- The code, which changes if a single line of the list or a single name is changed.
- The list and the link, which let anyone repeat the draw on the verify page.
What each platform adds to these steps
One line per network, from its own policy page.
- Include a release of Instagram and say that the giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Instagram.
- Same release and statement for Meta, and no condition to share, repost or tag others.
- YouTube
- Free entry, Official Rules with a link to the Community Guidelines, a privacy notice, and no playing with views, likes or subscribers.
- X (Twitter)
- A rule against multiple accounts and against repeated entries in a day. Ask entrants to mention you.
- TikTok
- No deceptive behaviour or fake engagement. TikTok Shop giveaways in the US have their own policy.
- Every network
- You are responsible for following the law where your entrants live, including registration where it is required.
Source: Instagram Promotion Guidelines (opens in a new tab); Meta, Pages, Groups and Events Policies, "Promotions" (opens in a new tab); YouTube’s contest policies and guidelines (opens in a new tab); X Help Center, Guidelines for Promotions on X (opens in a new tab); TikTok Community Guidelines, Integrity and Authenticity (opens in a new tab). Read on .
Not confirmed.TikTok: we did not find one official TikTok page with promotion rules for ordinary creator giveaways (outside TikTok Shop), like the ones Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and X publish. The release and "not sponsored by TikTok" sentence in our template follows the other platforms and is a precaution, not a quoted TikTok requirement.
Pick the page of your network for the details and the picker already set up: Instagram giveaway picker, YouTube comment picker, TikTok giveaway picker, Facebook comment picker or Twitter (X) giveaway picker.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a giveaway fair?
Clear rules published before it starts, free entry, the same chance for every valid entry, a random draw that others can repeat, and a result announced with proof.
How do I choose a giveaway winner at random?
Put every valid entry in one list, remove what breaks your rules, and let a random generator pick. Do not scroll and stop, and do not draw again until a name you like comes out: both destroy the equal chance.
How many backup winners should I draw?
At least one per prize, two if the prize is valuable. Draw them in the same draw as the winner so that the order is fixed before anyone knows who won.
How long should a winner have to respond?
Write the deadline in the rules before the giveaway starts. Choose a period that fits the prize, such as 48 hours or a week. What matters is that the time is announced in advance and applied to everyone.
Can I pick the comment with the most likes instead?
You can, but it is a popularity contest, not a random draw, and it invites people to trade likes. YouTube forbids manipulating likes, and TikTok forbids fake engagement. A random draw among valid comments is simpler and harder to game.
How do I prove I did not rig the giveaway?
Publish the number of entries, the verification code and the proof link when you announce the winner, and keep the list of entries. Anyone can then repeat the draw and get the same names.
Should I say the giveaway is not sponsored by the platform?
Yes. Instagram, Facebook and YouTube require it in their published policies, together with a release of the platform by the entrants.
What do I do if a winner turns out to be a fake account?
Apply the rule you published: disqualify the entry and give the prize to the first backup. Because the backup came out of the same draw, there is no need for a new one.
Where the rules come from
Every rule on this page was read on the official page below. Open it and check.
- Instagram Help Center, "Promotion Guidelines". Open the official page (opens in a new tab) · read on
- Meta Terms and Policies, "Pages, Groups, and Events", section "Promotions". Open the official page (opens in a new tab) · read on
- YouTube Help, "YouTube’s contest policies and guidelines". Open the official page (opens in a new tab) · read on
- X Help Center, "Guidelines for Promotions on X". Open the official page (opens in a new tab) · read on
- TikTok Community Guidelines, "Integrity and Authenticity", section "Deceptive Behaviors and Fake Engagement" (released August 25, 2026; effective September 24, 2026). Open the official page (opens in a new tab) · read on
- TikTok Shop Seller University (US), "Giveaway and Promotions Policy", page dated 09/28/2026; applies to TikTok Shop sellers and creators. Open the official page (opens in a new tab) · read on
Not confirmed.Other places: registration, bonding or licensing rules of other U.S. states and of other countries (for example Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia or Brazil) were not checked. Instagram’s own page warns that promotions in Brazil must follow the rules of the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets of the Ministry of Finance.
General information, not legal advice. Platform rules and laws change: open the official page linked next to each rule before you publish. Giveaway Tools is not affiliated with Instagram, Meta, YouTube, Google, TikTok or X.