Instagram Giveaway Rules for Fair Winner Selection (With a Template)

What should Instagram giveaway rules include?

Every rule set needs the same seven parts. Anything missing becomes a question in your comments, and any gap can later look like an excuse to pick a different winner.

What does Instagram require from giveaways?

Instagram's Promotion Guidelines put the responsibility for running a lawful giveaway on the account that runs it. In practice, they ask for four things:

• A complete release of Instagram by each entrant, and an acknowledgement that the promotion is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram.
• Official rules, offer terms and eligibility requirements such as age and residency limits.
• Compliance with the laws that apply to the giveaway and its prizes where you and your entrants are.
• No inaccurate tagging: don't ask people to tag themselves in photos they don't appear in.

This article is general guidance, not legal advice. Prize promotion law varies by country and, in the US, by state, so check the rules that apply to you for high-value prizes.

Which rules make winner selection fair?

Say the draw is random, and how

“Winner chosen at random” is good. “Winner chosen at random from all eligible comments using a random comment picker” is better, because it tells entrants exactly what will happen. Using a picker such as the GiveawayPicker Instagram picker means the draw can be recorded and shown.

Set one entry per account

One entry per account is the most common rule and the easiest to enforce, since GiveawayPicker removes duplicate entries from the same account automatically. If you want each comment to count as a separate entry, write that explicitly.

State the backup rule up front

Write down what happens if the winner doesn't qualify or doesn't reply: “the prize passes to the next randomly drawn entrant.” Then draw backups at the same time as the winner.

Give the deadline a time zone

“Friday at midnight” is ambiguous across time zones. A date, a time and a zone leave nothing to argue about.

What should you avoid putting in the rules?

Avoid rules that make the giveaway illegal, break Instagram's guidelines, or can't be checked on the winner.

• A purchase requirement. In many places, a prize plus chance plus a required payment makes a giveaway a lottery. Keep entry free.
• “Tag yourself in the photo.” Instagram's guidelines forbid it; ask for friend tags in the comments instead.
• Vague judging. “Best comment wins” is a contest judged by you, not a random draw. Don't call it random.
• Rules you can't check. If you can't verify a condition on the winner, don't require it.

Copy-ready Instagram giveaway rules template

This template covers every rule in the table above; replace the bracketed parts and paste it into your caption.

GIVEAWAY: win [prize]. To enter: 1) follow @[account] 2) like this post 3) comment with one friend's @handle. One entry per account. Open to [country] residents aged [age]+. Entries close [date] at [time] [time zone]. One winner will be drawn at random from all eligible comments using a random comment picker and announced here within 24 hours. The winner has 48 hours to reply to our DM, or the prize passes to the next randomly drawn entrant. This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram. By entering, you release Instagram from any liability.

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