How a fair draw works here

Paste every entry, one per line. Each line gets a ticket number, starting at #001. Press Lock list and draw: the list is frozen and gets a fingerprint (a SHA-256 hash), so nobody can quietly add or remove a name afterwards.

At that moment the page picks a drand round a few seconds in the future. drand is a public randomness beacon run by independent organisations (the League of Entropy). Nobody, including you, knows that round's number before it's published, so the winner can't be chosen in advance.

When the round arrives, the winner is computed from the randomness and the list fingerprint, then revealed with a slow ticket roll that works well on a stream. Copy the verify link and post it with the result so your audience can check it themselves.

Running a giveaway people trust

Write the rules in the post before the giveaway starts: how to enter, the closing date and time, how many winners and how you'll contact them. Then stick to them. Most complaints about giveaways come from rules that changed halfway through.

Close the entries first, copy the list, and only then press Lock list and draw. Do the draw live on stream or record your screen, and post the verify link next to the result.

Collecting the entries

Paste one entry per line: usernames, comment authors or ticket names. Keep One ticket per person on unless your rules allow more than one entry per person, for example one entry per tagged friend.

If your platform lets you export comments to a spreadsheet, copy the column of usernames straight into the box.

After the draw

Contact the winner the way your rules said and give them a deadline to reply. If they don't answer, draw again from the same list and say so publicly. Check the giveaway rules of the platform you use, and the law where you live, before offering valuable prizes.

Questions