How to run a YouTube giveaway, step by step
A YouTube giveaway has one requirement the other platforms don't: written Official Rules. Everything else is simpler than it looks. This guide walks through a creator giveaway from the prize to the announcement, with the entry rule that works best on YouTube, where to put the rules, and how to pick the winner from the comments so nobody can say it was rigged.
Last updated
Key takeaways
- YouTube's contest policies require every giveaway to be free to enter and to have Official Rules that link the Community Guidelines, include a privacy notice, and state that YouTube is not a sponsor.
- The best entry rule on YouTube is one comment that includes a keyword said in the video, because a comment picker can check it and it proves the viewer watched.
- Ask viewers to subscribe if you like, but don't make it the price of entry: YouTube's Spam policy lists offering rewards in exchange for subscribers as engagement manipulation.
- Put the prize, the entry rule and the closing date and time with time zone in the video, the description and a pinned comment, and link the full Official Rules from the description.
- Draw the winner from the public comments after the closing time, one entry per channel, and reach the winner by replying to their comment, since YouTube has no direct messages.
- Ready to draw? The free YouTube comment picker reads a public video's or Short's comments with no login and no account.
Draw the winner here
How do you run a YouTube giveaway, step by step?
Each step exists to prevent a specific argument after the draw.
- Choose a prize you can describe in one line and ship to every country you open the giveaway to.
- Pick the entry rule: one comment on the video that includes a keyword you say in it.
- Write the Official Rules: who runs it, free entry, eligibility, how to enter, the closing date and time with time zone, how the winner is picked, how they are contacted, the privacy notice, and the lines YouTube requires.
- Publish the rules where the description can link to them, such as a page on your site or a public document.
- Film the video. Say the prize, the keyword and the closing time out loud, and show them on screen.
- Write the description with the short version of the terms and the link to the full rules.
- Post a comment with the terms and pin it, so viewers who skip the description still see them.
- Close the giveaway at the time you announced and draw soon after, so the comments read are the ones made during the giveaway.
- Draw from the comments with one entry per channel and your keyword rule on, publish the proof or record it, then reply to the winner's comment.
What should the entry rule be?
Subscribe, like, comment and turn on notifications is the classic YouTube formula, but only one part of it can be checked. YouTube doesn't let a third-party tool see who subscribed or liked for every entrant, and subscriptions can be set to private, so those requirements end up checked by hand for the winner, if at all.
A comment with a keyword is visible, can be filtered automatically, and shows the person watched far enough to hear the word. It also keeps the giveaway on the right side of YouTube's policies, which allow asking for subscribes but not trading rewards for them. The subscribe question has its own guide on this site.
| Entry action | Can a comment picker check it? |
|---|---|
| Comment on the video | Yes, this is the entry list |
| Include a keyword in the comment | Yes, with a keyword rule |
| One entry per channel | Yes, with a dedupe rule |
| Subscribe to the channel | No, and rewarding it is a policy risk |
| Like the video | No, and rewarding it is a policy risk |
| Comment during a livestream's live chat | No, live chat is not a comment |
Where do the Official Rules go?
YouTube requires Official Rules but does not say where they must live. What works: the full rules on a page you control, linked from the first lines of the description, with a short version in the description and the pinned comment. The rules guide on this site has a copy-paste template that covers every item YouTube's contest policies list.
GIVEAWAY: win [prize]! Comment with the word [keyword] to enter. One entry per channel. Free to enter. Closes [date] at [time] [time zone]. Open to [countries], [age]+. Winner and backup(s) drawn at random from eligible comments and announced here. Official Rules: [link] YouTube is not a sponsor of this giveaway. I will only reply from this channel and will never ask you to pay or message me on another app.
How long should a YouTube giveaway run?
There is no YouTube rule on length. A week or two is common, because YouTube videos keep getting views for days after they go up. Whatever you choose, the closing date, time and time zone go in the video, the description and the pinned comment, and you draw promptly after it, so late comments don't slip into the pool.
On a big giveaway, check how many comments your picker reads. Free Comment Picker reads YouTube comments newest first, up to 500 on the free plan and up to 5,000 on Pro, so on a video with more comments than that the earliest ones are not read.
How do you pick and announce the winner?
Paste the video link into a YouTube comment picker after the closing time, turn on one entry per channel and your keyword rule, and draw your winners and backups together. Free Comment Picker needs no login and no account: everyone gets one free draw a day reading up to 500 comments, and the draw runs in your browser with a cryptographically secure random generator. Tick the proof page option before drawing and the result gets a public link.
YouTube has no direct messages, so reply to the winner's comment and ask them to email the address in your rules, then pin a comment naming the winner. The YouTube giveaway winner guide on this site covers contact, backups and the scam warning to give entrants.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do you do a giveaway on YouTube?
Write Official Rules that meet YouTube's contest policies, post a video asking viewers to comment with a keyword, and put the prize, the entry rule and the closing time in the video, the description and a pinned comment. After closing, draw a winner at random from the comments, one entry per channel, and reply to their comment.
Do I need permission from YouTube to run a giveaway?
No approval step is described in YouTube's contest policies. They make you solely responsible for the contest and set the requirements instead: free entry, compliance with the law, Official Rules with the required content, and a statement that YouTube is not a sponsor.
Can I require viewers to subscribe to enter?
You can ask, but don't make it the price of entry. YouTube's Spam policy says it's okay to ask viewers to like, comment or subscribe, and lists offering rewards in exchange for likes, views or subscribers as engagement manipulation. No tool can verify subscriptions for every entrant either.
Can I run a YouTube giveaway on a Short?
Yes. Shorts have their own comment section, and a YouTube comment picker reads it like a regular video. The same contest policies apply, so link your Official Rules from the Short's description.
Can I pick a YouTube giveaway winner for free?
Yes. Paste the public video or Short link into a free YouTube comment picker such as freecommentpicker.com/youtube. It needs no login and no account, counts each channel once, and draws with a cryptographically secure random generator.