How to Pick a Facebook Giveaway Winner (and Stay Within Meta's Rules)
Paste the public Facebook post link into a comment picker, choose how many winners to draw, and draw once. Before you post the giveaway, check its entry method: Meta doesn't allow entries that require tagging friends or sharing to a personal timeline.
Try the Facebook comment picker
How do you pick a Facebook giveaway winner?
To pick a Facebook giveaway winner, paste the public post link into a Facebook comment picker, choose how many winners to draw, and draw once after entries close.
- Close entries. After the deadline in your post, add a comment saying entries are closed.
- Copy the post link. Click the post's timestamp or the three-dot menu and copy the link. Post, photo, reel and share links all work.
- Paste it into the picker. Open the Facebook comment picker and paste the link. No Facebook login is involved.
- Set the number of winners. Choose your prizes plus one or two backups, up to five per draw.
- Draw once and record it. Each commenting account is one entry, and the winners are drawn with a cryptographic random number generator.
- Verify and announce. Check winner one against your rules, reply to their comment and send a message explaining how to claim.
Which Facebook posts can a comment picker read?
A no-login comment picker can read any Facebook post whose comments are public, which in practice means Page posts and posts in public groups.
| Where the giveaway is posted | Works? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Public Facebook Page post | Yes | Comments are visible to anyone |
| Public group post | Usually | Readable when the group's posts are public |
| Private group post | No | Only members can see the comments |
| Personal profile post shared with friends | No | Not public, and Meta doesn't allow promotions run from personal timelines |
If your entries are somewhere a picker can't read, such as a private group, copy the entrant names into the random name picker instead.
What entry methods does Meta allow?
Meta's Pages, Groups and Events Policies let you run promotions on Pages, in groups and at events, but not through personal timelines or friend connections. That rules out a few entry methods that are common on other platforms.
| Entry method | Allowed on Facebook? |
|---|---|
| Comment on the Page post | Yes |
| Like the Page post | Yes |
| Answer a question in the comments | Yes |
| Tag friends in the comments to enter | No |
| Share the post to your timeline to enter | No |
| Share to a friend's timeline for extra entries | No |
A tag-a-friend rule that is fine on Instagram breaks Facebook's policy, so don't copy a caption between the two platforms without checking it. This is general guidance, not legal advice; read Meta's current policy before a large promotion.
What must a Facebook giveaway post include?
A Facebook giveaway post needs official rules and the Facebook release and disclaimer that Meta's policies ask for.
- Official rules: how to enter, the deadline, eligibility and the prize.
- A complete release of Facebook by each entrant.
- An acknowledgement that the promotion is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.
- How the winner will be chosen and contacted.
Can you draw one winner from Facebook and Instagram together?
Yes, but not from one link. Either draw each post separately with its own prize, or copy the entrants from both into one list for the name picker. Our guide to running one giveaway across several platforms covers both options.
Should you run the giveaway on a Page or in a group?
Run it on a Page when you want to reach new people and pick the winner with a comment picker, since Page posts are public. A group suits a giveaway for existing members, but in a private group the comments are hidden from a no-login picker.
| Facebook Page | Private group | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sees the giveaway | Anyone, including non-followers | Members only |
| Comment picker can read it | Yes | No |
| How to draw | Facebook comment picker | Copy names into the random name picker |
Can you pick a winner from a Facebook Reel?
Yes. Reels have their own comment section, and the Facebook comment picker accepts Reel links as well as post, photo and share links.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free Facebook comment picker?
Yes. GiveawayPicker picks a random winner from any public Facebook post's comments, with no signup and no Facebook login. One draw a day is free, with up to five winners per draw.
Can I ask people to tag friends in a Facebook giveaway?
Not as a condition of entry. Meta's Pages, Groups and Events Policies do not allow promotions that require tagging friends or sharing to a timeline to enter. Commenting and liking the Page post are allowed.
Can I pick a winner from a Facebook group post?
If the group's posts are public, usually yes. Posts in a private group are only visible to members, so a no-login picker cannot read them; copy the entrant names into a random name picker instead.
Does commenting more than once count as more entries?
Not on GiveawayPicker. Each Facebook account is entered once, however many comments it left, so heavy commenters don't get extra chances.
Do I need to connect my Facebook account?
No. The picker reads the public comments using only the post link. It never asks for your Facebook login or Page access.
Can I pick a winner from a Facebook Reel?
Yes. Paste the Reel's link into the Facebook comment picker; Reels have their own comment section, which the picker reads the same way as a post's.
The Facebook comment picker is free, needs no login and picks up to five winners from a public post in one draw.
Open the Facebook comment picker