How to Do a YouTube Giveaway: Rules, Ideas & Picking a Winner
Step-by-step guide to running a YouTube giveaway: clear rules, YouTube’s contest policies, prize ideas, and how to pick a random winner from comments fairly.
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YouTube comment picker
Load the comments of any public video, set your giveaway rules and pick as many random winners as you need – fair, fast and free.
Only comments posted before (optional)
Time
Pick winners
How to pick a YouTube giveaway winner
- Copy the link of your video or Short and paste it above. The comments load automatically.
- Set how many winners you need, and add backup winners if you want a plan B.
- Add your rules: a keyword or hashtag the comment must contain, names to exclude (your own channel, moderators) and the deadline of the giveaway.
- Press Pick winners. The draw takes a second and shows each winner with their profile picture, comment and a link to the comment on YouTube.
- Press Copy results to paste the winners into your community post, pinned comment or video description.
The rules you can set
| Rule | What it does |
|---|---|
| Number of winners | 1 to 100 winners in one draw |
| Backup winners | Up to 20 extra people, drawn at the same time |
| One entry per person | Each YouTube account counts once, even with many comments |
| Comment must contain | Only comments with your keyword or hashtag, e.g. #giveaway |
| Exclude names | Leave out your own channel, team members or moderators |
| Only comments posted before | Ignore comments made after the giveaway closed |
How to run a fair giveaway on YouTube
- Write clear rules in the video and the description: what to comment, the deadline, who can enter and how winners will be contacted.
- Follow YouTube’s contest policies. You, not YouTube, are responsible for the giveaway, and your rules must follow local laws.
- Record the draw. A short screen recording of the picker is the easiest proof that the result was random.
- Announce winners publicly in a pinned comment or community post, and ask them to contact you – never ask for passwords or payment.
- Watch for fake “winner” scams. Remind viewers that you will never message them first from another account asking for money.
Why winners are fair
The picker uses crypto.getRandomValues, the same secure random generator browsers use for encryption, with no bias toward the first or last comments. The draw happens on your device, the full list of eligible entries is used, and the result shows the exact time of the draw so you can share it with your audience.
Tips to get more entries
Giveaways work best when the entry rule helps your channel: ask a question that sparks real comments, or ask viewers to name their favourite part of the video. For more ideas, read how to get more YouTube subscribers. Want to send viewers straight to the comments in the app? Share your video with the YouTube deep link generator.
When comments don’t load or seem to be missing
- “Comments are turned off for this video.” Turn comments on in YouTube Studio, wait a minute and load again.
- “Video not found – is it public?” The picker can only read comments of public videos. Private videos and typos in the link return this message.
- “Too many requests.” Many people are loading comments at the same time. Wait a few minutes and try again.
- A comment you can see on YouTube is missing. It may be a reply (only top-level comments count), it may be held for review or caught by YouTube’s spam filter, or it was posted in the last few minutes – loaded comments are cached briefly, so reload after five minutes before the draw.
- The total looks lower than YouTube’s comment count. YouTube’s number includes replies and sometimes removed comments; the picker only counts comments it can actually read.
Running the draw on camera
If you show the draw in a video or live stream, open the picker in a clean browser window, zoom in so the text is readable, and say your rules out loud before you press the button: number of winners, keyword, deadline and one entry per person. Keep the backup winners visible on screen so everyone sees who is next if a winner does not reply. For the full process, from writing rules to contacting winners, read how to do a YouTube giveaway.
Frequently asked questions
How does the YouTube comment picker choose a winner?
It loads the public comments of the video, applies your rules (keyword, one entry per person, deadline, excluded names) and then draws with your browser’s cryptographic random generator. Every eligible entry has exactly the same chance, and nobody – including us – can influence the result.
Can I pick more than one winner?
Yes. Choose up to 100 winners and up to 20 backup winners in one draw. Backups are useful when a winner doesn’t reply in time – you already have the next person, picked in the same fair draw.
Can the same person win twice if they commented many times?
Not when “One entry per person” is ticked (it is by default). Each YouTube account then counts once, no matter how many comments it posted. Untick it if your rules say every comment is a separate entry.
Are replies to comments included?
No – only top-level comments are counted, which is what most giveaway rules ask for (“comment below”). Replies inside other people’s threads are not entries.
Can it check if the winner is subscribed or liked the video?
No tool can check this reliably. YouTube doesn’t show who liked a video, and most viewers keep their subscriptions private. If subscribing is a rule, ask the winner for a screenshot before you send the prize.
Can I use it for Instagram, TikTok or a live chat giveaway?
Yes – open “From your own list”, paste the names or comments (one per line) and draw. It works for any list, from Instagram comments to a class of students.
Are replies counted as entries?
No. The picker loads top-level comments only, so replies to other comments are not entries. Ask people to write their own comment in your rules, not to reply to the pinned one.
How many comments can the picker load?
Up to the 10,000 most recent top-level comments of a public video. For bigger giveaways, use a keyword and a deadline so only valid entries count, or paste your own list of entries in the second tab.
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