How to Pick a Giveaway Winner Fairly (and Prove It)
To pick a giveaway winner fairly, collect every valid entry into one list, remove duplicates and ineligible entries, then draw with a random generator while recording your screen. Publish the recording or the results list so entrants can see the draw was not chosen by hand. A spinner wheel makes the draw both fair and fun to watch.
Key facts
- Decide the rules before the giveaway starts: deadline, eligibility and how many entries each person gets.
- Draw with a random generator, never by scrolling and choosing.
- Record the screen during the draw and keep the results.
- Follow the platform’s own promotion rules and your local laws.
Step 1: Write the rules first
Before you announce the giveaway, decide and publish: the end date and time, who can enter (age, country), how to enter, how many entries each person can have, how the winner will be chosen, and how they will be contacted. Changing rules afterwards is the most common cause of complaints.
Step 2: Collect the entries
Export comments or entries into a list, one entry per line. Remove duplicates if the rules say one entry per person, and remove entries after the deadline or from ineligible people. Keep a copy of the full list.
Step 3: Draw with a random generator
Paste the list into the random name picker. Turn on “Remove winner after each spin” if there are several prizes, so nobody wins twice. Our wheel picks the winner with the browser’s secure random generator, the same kind of randomness used for security keys, and every entry has exactly the same chance.
Step 4: Record and share the draw
Start a screen recording before you paste the list, show the number of entries, and spin. Share the clip or a screenshot of the results. This is the simplest way to prove you did not pick a friend.
Step 5: Contact the winner and have a backup
Contact the winner as your rules say. If they do not reply in time, spin again from the remaining entries, which is easy if you kept the wheel saved.
Platform rules
Social networks have their own promotion rules. Instagram, for example, says the person running the promotion is responsible for running it lawfully and must make clear that the promotion is not sponsored by Instagram. Read the current rules for your platform before you start.
Sources
- Instagram Help Center: Promotion guidelines.
