Can a YouTube giveaway require you to subscribe?
"Subscribe, like and comment to win" is the most copied giveaway formula on YouTube, and it sits on the wrong side of YouTube's own policies. YouTube is clear that you can ask viewers to subscribe. What it lists as engagement manipulation is offering a reward in exchange for the subscribe. This guide quotes the three policies involved and gives you an entry rule that is both allowed and checkable.
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Key takeaways
- 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.
- A giveaway that makes subscribing the price of entry is offering a reward in exchange for a subscriber, so the safe version asks viewers to subscribe without making it an entry requirement.
- YouTube's contest policies separately forbid manipulating metrics to misrepresent genuine viewer engagement, and name views, likes, dislikes and subscribers as those metrics.
- No comment picker can verify a subscribe requirement, because YouTube subscriptions are private by default and private subscribers don't appear in a channel's subscriber list.
- The entry rule that is allowed and checkable is one comment that includes a keyword said in the video, which a comment picker can filter on automatically.
- Running a keyword giveaway? The free YouTube comment picker filters comments by keyword and counts each channel once, with no login.
Draw the winner here
What do YouTube's policies say about subscribe to enter?
Three YouTube policies touch it. None uses the words "subscribe to enter", but read together they draw the line between asking and paying.
| Policy | What it says | What it means for a giveaway |
|---|---|---|
| Spam, deceptive practices and scams | "It's okay to ask viewers to like, comment, or subscribe"; engagement manipulation includes "offering rewards in exchange for likes, views, or subscribers" | Asking is fine; a prize in exchange for a subscribe is listed as manipulation |
| Fake engagement | "You're allowed to encourage viewers to subscribe, hit the like button, share, or leave a comment"; "content that solely exists to incentivize viewers for engagement" is prohibited | A video that exists only to trade a prize for engagement is out |
| Contest policies | You may not "manipulate metrics on the YouTube service to misrepresent genuine viewer engagement", including subscribers | Subscribers gained only to win don't represent genuine engagement |
- YouTube Help: Spam, deceptive practices and scams policiesEngagement manipulation: "Repetitive or templated content aimed at artificially inflating engagement through bots, coercion, or offering rewards in exchange for likes, views, or subscribers. It's okay to ask viewers to like, comment, or subscribe."
- YouTube Help: Fake engagement policy"Also, content that solely exists to incentivize viewers for engagement (views, likes, comments, etc) is prohibited."
- YouTube Help: YouTube contest policies"You and any third-party may not manipulate metrics on the YouTube service to misrepresent genuine viewer engagement." These metrics include views, likes, dislikes and subscribers.
So can you ask viewers to subscribe at all?
Yes. Both the Spam policy and the Fake engagement policy say so in plain words. The difference is whether the subscribe is a request or a condition. "Subscribe if you enjoy the channel" is a request. "Subscribe to enter" makes the prize the reward for the subscribe, which is the exchange the Spam policy lists.
The same applies to likes. Asking is fine; making a like an entry requirement trades a prize for a like.
To enter: comment with the word [keyword] before [date] at [time] [time zone]. One entry per channel. Subscribing is never required to enter or win, but if you enjoy the channel, I'd love to have you.
Can a comment picker check who subscribed?
No, and not because of the picker. YouTube subscriptions are private by default, and a private subscriber does not appear in the channel's subscriber list, so there is nothing for any outside tool to check against. A subscribe requirement can only ever be checked by hand for the winner, and only if the winner has made their subscriptions public.
That makes a subscribe rule unenforceable as well as risky. Two entrants did the same thing, but one of them can be disqualified and the other can't, depending on a privacy setting.
- YouTube Help: Change your subscription privacy settingsSubscriptions are private by default; hidden subscriptions are not shown in a channel's subscriber list.
What entry rule should a YouTube giveaway use instead?
One comment on the video that includes a keyword you say in it. It is the only common entry action that is both allowed without question and checkable for every entrant. It shows the viewer watched, it filters out the generic bot comments a giveaway attracts, and a comment picker can apply it automatically.
- Pick a keyword that only someone who watched would know, such as the name of the prize's colour or a word you say mid-video.
- Say it in the video and put the rule in your Official Rules: one comment including the keyword, one entry per channel.
- After the closing time, paste the video link into a YouTube comment picker and turn on the keyword rule and one entry per channel.
- Draw your winners and backups together, and reply to the winner's comment.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is subscribe to enter allowed on YouTube?
YouTube says it's okay to ask viewers to subscribe, but its Spam policy lists offering rewards in exchange for likes, views or subscribers as engagement manipulation. Making the subscribe an entry requirement trades the prize for it, so ask for the subscribe without making it a condition of entry.
Can I make my YouTube giveaway subscribers only?
Not in a way anyone can check. YouTube subscriptions are private by default, and private subscribers don't appear in a channel's subscriber list, so no tool can verify who subscribed. Use a keyword from the video as the entry rule instead.
Can I require a like to enter a YouTube giveaway?
The same line applies. Asking viewers to like is allowed; offering a reward in exchange for likes is listed as engagement manipulation in YouTube's Spam policy. YouTube also doesn't show creators who liked a video, so a like rule can't be checked either.
What is the best entry rule for a YouTube giveaway?
One comment on the giveaway video that includes a keyword said in the video, one entry per channel. It is allowed, it proves the viewer watched, and a comment picker can filter on it automatically.