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How to pick a giveaway winner on Facebook

Facebook giveaways usually live on a business Page post, and Facebook hides some comments behind its "Most relevant" filter. Switch the view first, then copy every comment. Facebook's own rules also restrict a few entry tactics that are common elsewhere, so check yours before you draw.

Draw your Facebook winner

Your comments

0 comments
Copy your Facebook comments in three steps
  1. On desktop, open your Facebook giveaway post and choose all comments when available, rather than most relevant.
  2. Expand replies and load more comments, then select and copy the authors and comments you can see.
  3. Paste below or upload an author/comment CSV. On mobile, open the post in a browser's desktop view or use an existing export if copying isn't available.

0 comments → 0 eligible entries. 0 didn't tag 0 friends; 0 duplicates; 0 excluded; 0 missing the word; 0 removed.

Paste comments to see who's in.

Check this list before continuing. You can edit names on the next step. Parsing stays in your browser; eligible names are sent to Perkadoo when you draw and appear on the public results page.

Get your Facebook entries

  1. Switch to All comments

    Under the post, change the sort from "Most relevant" to "All comments". Most relevant can hide comments Facebook thinks are low quality, and those are still valid entries.

  2. Load every comment and reply

    Click "View more comments" until it disappears, then open any reply threads that matter for your rules. On big posts this takes a few minutes, so do it on a computer at facebook.com.

  3. Copy the thread

    Select from the first comment down to the last and copy. Reaction counts, "Top fan" badges and timestamps come with it, which the Facebook comment picker ignores.

  4. Check shared posts separately

    Comments on someone else's share of your post stay on their share, not yours. If your rules only counted comments on your Page post, say so up front, and only copy that one post.

Pick and check the winner

  1. Paste and remove Page replies

    Paste into the comment picker and exclude your Page's name and any admins. Page replies like "Love this!" would otherwise sit in the pool.

  2. Use a keyword if you asked for one

    "Comment your favorite flavor" works as an entry, but if you asked for a specific word, filter on it so off-topic comments don't count.

  3. Draw with backups

    Pick your winner plus one or two alternates. Facebook Messenger often drops messages from Pages into a message requests folder, so backups save you from a winner who never sees the note.

  4. Announce on the original post

    Comment the winner's name and the results link on the giveaway post itself, then edit the post text to add "Winner announced below" so new visitors stop entering.

Mistakes that make a draw look rigged

  • Requiring people to share the post to their timeline or tag friends to enter. Facebook's Pages promotion guidelines say personal timelines and friend connections must not be used to run promotions.
  • Leaving the comment sort on "Most relevant" and missing entries Facebook tucked away.
  • Counting comments on other people's shares when your rules only mentioned your post.
  • Leaving out the release that the promotion isn't sponsored or administered by Facebook.
  • Picking a winner from a personal profile post instead of a Page; Facebook's promotion rules apply to Pages, groups and events.

Announce the winner

Post it where people entered, and link the results page so anyone can check the draw.

Facebook winner post
🎉 And the winner is... [winner name]! Congratulations, you've won [prize]. Please send us a message within 72 hours to claim it. We picked at random from [number] comments, and you can check the draw here: [results link]. Thank you to everyone who entered!

Questions people ask

Can I ask people to share my post to enter a Facebook giveaway?

Facebook's Pages promotion guidelines don't allow "share on your timeline to enter" or "tag your friends to enter". Ask people to comment or react on the Page post instead.

Does a Facebook group giveaway work the same way?

Yes. Open the post in the group, show all comments, copy them and paste into the picker. Ask the group admins first, since many groups ban promotions.

Can I pick a winner from reactions instead of comments?

You can see who reacted by clicking the reaction count, but that list is hard to copy cleanly on big posts. Comments make a far better entry list.

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