Module 2: Giveaways and prizesLesson 5 of 94 min read
Turning comments into a clean entry list
Most giveaway disputes start before the draw. Someone commented five times, a spam account slipped in, a reply was counted but another was not. A fair draw needs a list built by rules you announced in advance and applied to everyone in the same way.
Write the entry rules before the first comment
Decide and post three things up front: what counts as an entry (a top-level comment, a tag, an answer to a question), whether repeat comments count, and when entries close. Changing the rules after you see who entered is the fastest way to lose trust.
Platforms also expect rules. YouTube's contest policies say the creator is solely responsible for the contest, must publish official rules that state YouTube is not a sponsor, and must keep entry free. Instagram publishes its own promotion guidelines in its Help Center; read them before you post.
Importing: know what is included
The giveaway picker can import YouTube comments from a public video: paste the link under Import YouTube comments. It adds the name of everyone who left a top-level comment; replies do not count, and the import stops at 2,000 names. That matches how YouTube's own Data API lists comment threads, page by page.
For Instagram or anywhere else, copy the usernames and paste them, one per line. Every line becomes a numbered ticket.
One person, one ticket
If your rules say one entry per person, keep One ticket per person (remove duplicates) ticked. Repeated lines are removed before the list is locked, and capital letters do not matter, so Mia_K and mia_k count once.
If your rules allow extra entries, for example one per friend tagged, leave duplicates in on purpose and say so in the post. Either choice can be fair. Mixing them without telling anyone is not.
Filter by rules, not by feeling
Removing obvious spam and bots is fine, but do it with a rule you can state: accounts with no posts, comments that are only links, entries after the closing time. Apply the same rule to every line, then lock the list. Never remove a name after you have seen the result.
Keep a short note of what you removed and why. If a viewer asks, you can answer in one sentence.
After the draw
Post the winner, the number of tickets and the verify link. The link contains the whole list, so think about privacy: usernames are usually public, but a list of real names or emails is not something to publish.
Contact the winner through the platform and set a reply deadline in your rules, for example 72 hours. A simple way to plan for silence is to set Winners to 2 and announce that the second name is the reserve, so the backup comes from the same proof and nobody thinks it was hand-picked.
Open the giveaway picker and paste or import your entries.
Build an entry listQuick check
Three questions. Pick an answer to see why.
When should you decide whether repeat comments count?
Show the answer
Answer: Before the giveaway starts, in the posted rules Rules set in advance cannot be bent to favour someone, and entrants know what to expect.
What does the YouTube import add to the list?
Show the answer
Answer: Everyone who left a top-level comment on a public video Replies are not included, and the import stops at 2,000 names.
Why should you never remove a name after the draw?
Show the answer
Answer: It changes the list the proof was based on, so the result no longer verifies The fingerprint covers the locked list. Editing it afterwards breaks the proof and looks like cheating.
Sources
Last checked October 25, 2026