How to run a fair giveaway with a random picker

1. Write the rules before you promote

The rules do not need to be a legal document. They need to answer the questions people will ask: who can enter, how they enter, when entries close, how many winners there are, what the prize is, and how you will contact the winner.

Put the rules in the same place as the entry call. A pinned comment, a blog post, or a clearly linked page all work. If the rules live only in a reply somewhere in the thread, expect disputes.

Check the promotion rules of the platform you use. Some platforms require a disclaimer that the promotion is not sponsored or endorsed by them. Some ban certain entry mechanics, such as requiring a share or a tag. A two-minute check prevents a takedown later.

2. Choose one entry method and stick to it

Comment entries, form submissions, and email entries are all workable. The important part is consistency. If the rules say one comment per person, do not quietly count extra comments as extra entries. If you do allow bonus entries, assign each one a separate numbered line so the weighting is visible.

For a simple draw, one entry per person is easier to explain and easier to audit. Numbered entries also make duplicates obvious when you clean the list.

3. Clean and verify the list

Before the draw, remove entries that arrived late, came from accounts that did not meet the rules, or are exact duplicates. Do this before the list reaches the wheel, not after a winner is announced.

Keep the cleaned list in a spreadsheet with a timestamp. Take a screenshot of the full list immediately before the draw. If anyone asks who was included, you have a record.

4. Make the draw visible

Use a tool where the full entry list is visible and the result is shown on screen. A recordable screen is even better. The giveaway picker keeps the list beside the wheel and stores recent winners in the result panel.

For multiple prizes, enable Remove winner. Each winner leaves the wheel, so the same entry cannot take two prizes unless your rules allow it. Announce the order of the prizes before the first spin.

Do not edit the list during a live draw. If you make a mistake, stop, explain it, and restart with the corrected list. Transparency is better than a silent fix.

5. Record the result

Screenshot the winner card and the recent winners list. Note the time of the draw and the method used. If the giveaway is for a brand, keep the record with the campaign files.

A timestamped screenshot is not cryptographic proof, and it does not need to be. It is a reasonable record that answers the common question: was I in the list, and who won?

6. Contact the winner with a deadline

Send a private message or email that names the prize and the deadline to respond. A 48-hour window is common. State what happens if the winner does not reply, and follow that rule exactly.

Never ask a winner for a payment, a password, or sensitive financial information to claim a free prize. Prize scams often impersonate the organiser, so tell winners how you will contact them and from which account.

7. Redraw if you said you would

If the winner does not respond, redraw from the remaining entries and record the new result. Announce that the redraw is happening, and why. A predictable process is the whole point.

A short checklist

• Rules published before promotion.
• One clear entry method.
• List cleaned and timestamped before the draw.
• Full list visible during the draw.
• Winner and time recorded.
• Contact deadline stated in advance.
• Redraw rule written down and followed.

Run the process the same way every time and the wheel becomes what it should be: a quick, visible way to settle the draw, not the source of the drama.