Why your post shows more comments than the picker found
You paste your giveaway post into a comment picker, the post says 1.6k comments, and the draw says a few hundred. Nothing has gone missing. The two numbers count different things, and there are four separate reasons they differ. This guide explains each one, shows a gap we measured on a real Instagram post, and gives you a sentence for your rules that makes the difference a non-issue.
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Key takeaways
- The comment count under an Instagram post adds replies to top-level comments, so it is usually far higher than the number of entries: one public post Instagram showed as 1.6k comments had 392 top-level comments.
- Free Comment Picker reads top-level comments only, because under the usual rule, comment on the post to enter, a reply is conversation rather than an entry.
- A draw also stops at its plan's ceiling, up to 100 comments on Free Comment Picker's free draw and more on Pro, so a big post is drawn from the newest part of the thread.
- Filters shrink the pool further: one entry per account removes repeat comments, and a keyword or tag rule removes every comment that does not meet it.
- Comments the platform has hidden, filtered as spam or removed, and comments from accounts that are private or deleted, can still be in the counter but are not readable.
- Write how entries are counted into your rules, for example one entry per account and replies do not count, so the gap is never read as entries going missing.
- Want to see how many top-level comments your post really has? Paste it into the free comment picker and the draw reads them for you, no login.
Draw the winner here
Why is the comment count on my post higher than the picker's?
Because the counter under the post is not a count of entries. On Instagram it adds every reply to the top-level comments, and replies pile up fast on a giveaway: the host answers questions, people reply "good luck" to each other, and an entrant who tags friends often gets a reply from each of them. Facebook, TikTok and YouTube counters can include replies as well.
A comment picker that reads top-level comments counts the comments made directly on the post, one per line of the thread. That is the number that matches the rule most giveaways use, comment on the post to enter, and it is almost always lower than the counter.
How big is the gap in practice?
It can be large. We checked one public Instagram post that Instagram displayed as having 1.6k comments. Reading it through the API returned 392 top-level comments: roughly a quarter of the displayed number. The rest of the counter was, for the most part, replies inside those 392 threads.
There is no fixed ratio. A post where the host answers every comment, or where entrants tag friends who then reply, will have a much bigger gap than one where people simply leave a comment and move on.
| Reason | What it does to the number | Is it a problem? |
|---|---|---|
| Replies are in the counter | Counter is higher than the top-level comments, often several times higher | No: replies are not entries under the usual rule |
| The plan's comment ceiling | The draw stops at up to 100 comments on the free draw, more on Pro | Only on big posts: say in your rules which tool and plan you draw with, or use a higher plan |
| Your filters | One entry per account, keyword and tag rules remove comments from the eligible pool | No: this is your rules working |
| Hidden, filtered, removed or private | Counter may include comments no tool can read | No: those comments are not visible as entries anyway |
Why doesn't Free Comment Picker read replies?
Because in most giveaways a reply is not an entry. If replies counted, anyone could multiply their chances by replying to other people's comments, and the host's own answers to questions would end up in the draw. Reading top-level comments and counting each account once gives every entrant one fair chance.
Some hosts do want replies to count, for example when the rule is "reply to this comment to enter". If that is your rule, use a tool that reads replies: Pickfetti says it reads reply threads on Instagram and YouTube, and commentpicker.com offers an option to add replies on Facebook and YouTube.
How should I write my rules so the count doesn't matter?
Say how an entry is counted, in one sentence, before the giveaway starts. Then the number under the post is just engagement, and the number in the draw is the one your rules promised.
One entry per account. Only comments posted directly on this post count; replies to other comments are not entries. The winner is picked at random from eligible comments after the giveaway closes.
What should I check if the gap still looks wrong?
Run through these before assuming comments are missing.
- Make sure the post is public and you pasted the link to the giveaway post itself, not a different post, Reel or a profile.
- Turn the filters off once and compare. If the pool jumps back up, the gap was your rules, which is what they are for.
- Look at how many top-level comments the post really has by scrolling it in the app with replies collapsed.
- If the post has more top-level comments than your plan reads (up to 100 on the free draw), the draw covers the newest part of the thread. Use a plan or tool with a higher ceiling for a big post.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Why does my Instagram post show more comments than the picker found?
Because Instagram's counter adds replies to top-level comments, and a picker that reads top-level comments counts entries. On one public post Instagram showed 1.6k comments, and 392 of them were top-level. Filters such as one entry per account and the plan's comment ceiling reduce the eligible pool further.
Is the comment picker missing comments?
Usually not. The difference is replies, your own filters, and the plan's ceiling on big posts. Comments the platform has hidden, filtered as spam or removed, or that come from private or deleted accounts, may still be in the counter but cannot be read by any tool.
Does Free Comment Picker count replies?
No. It reads top-level comments on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube, and each one is an entry. If your rules count replies, use a tool that reads them, such as Pickfetti on Instagram and YouTube.
How many comments does the free draw read?
Up to 100 top-level comments per draw on the free plan, with one free draw per day. Pro reads more comments per draw and removes the daily limit. On a post with more comments than the draw reads, the winner comes from the comments that were read.
Should replies count as giveaway entries?
Most giveaways say no, because otherwise anyone could multiply their chances by replying to other comments, and the host's own replies would enter the draw. Whatever you choose, write it into the rules before the giveaway starts.
Why did the number of eligible entries drop after I turned on a filter?
Because the filter is doing its job. One entry per account removes every extra comment from the same person, and a keyword or tag rule removes every comment that does not meet it. Turn the filter off once if you want to see the full pool.