How to run a fair giveaway draw
- Export or copy your entrants: comment usernames, form responses or ticket names. Paste them in. One line becomes one entry.
- Press Remove duplicates. Entries count as the same person whatever the capitals, a leading
@or extra spaces, so@MAYA.DESIGNSandmaya.designsare merged. The sample list has two repeats to try it on. - Set how many winners and alternates you need, then press Draw all. The wheel spins once per prize, labels each result (Winner 1, Winner 2, Alternate 1…) and takes each pick off the wheel so nobody wins twice.
- Press Copy results for a summary with the draw time, entrant count and every winner in order, ready to paste into your announcement.
Tips for a giveaway your audience trusts
- Screen-record the whole draw, from pasting the list to the last spin. Full screen hides your other tabs.
- Post the entry count before you spin, so viewers can check the summary matches.
- Remove ineligible entries on camera: tap a chip to sit it out instead of deleting it quietly, so everyone sees what changed.
- Draw alternates now, not later. If a winner doesn’t reply in time, the next prize goes to an alternate who was picked in public.
- Check platform rules: Instagram, TikTok and YouTube each have promotion guidelines, and many places regulate paid-entry raffles. A wheel picks winners. It doesn’t make a contest legal.
Extra entries, done openly
If your rules give extra chances, for example a bonus entry for sharing, you can either paste the person twice (and skip Remove duplicates) or turn on weighted entries in Options and write @leo_runs x2. With weights, the slice doubles in size, so viewers can see who holds extra chances.
For one quick winner with no setup, the main spin the wheel page works too.
Getting entrants from Instagram, TikTok or YouTube comments
Most platforms don’t export comments directly. The simplest honest method is to copy the usernames from the comment list into a document or spreadsheet, one per line, then paste the whole column here. Remove duplicates, check the count against your rules, and draw.
If you used a form for entries, export the responses as a CSV and use Import. The wheel takes the first column and skips a header such as “Name”, “Username” or “Email”.
Questions people ask
How do I pick multiple giveaway winners?
Set the Winners and Alternates numbers, then press Draw all. The wheel spins once per prize and removes each winner so nobody wins twice.
How are duplicate entries detected?
Two entries match if they are the same after ignoring capitals, a leading @ and extra spaces. Remove duplicates keeps the first one and shows how many were removed.
Can I prove the draw was random?
Record your screen during the draw and share the copied results summary. Winners are drawn with your browser’s cryptographic random generator, and every winner is saved with its time in the History tab, which you can download as a CSV.
How many entrants can I add?
Up to 1,000 per wheel. For bigger giveaways, remove duplicates first, or draw in batches and spin the batch winners in a final round.
What if a winner doesn’t reply?
Give the prize to Alternate 1, then Alternate 2, in the order they were drawn. That’s why it helps to draw alternates on camera at the same time as the winners.
How many winners can I draw at once?
Up to 50 winners and 20 alternates in one draw, as long as there are enough entrants on the wheel.
Do I need to remove the host or team accounts?
Yes, if your rules exclude them. Tap their chips to sit them out before you draw, so viewers can see they were left out on purpose.
Updated by the SpinnWheel team