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How to pick a giveaway winner on Reddit

Reddit giveaways run in a subreddit, and each one has its own rules on promotions. Get mod approval first, then collect usernames from top-level comments and draw from a clean list with no alts.

Draw your Reddit winner

Who's in?

0 entries
How many win?
Prizes (optional)

Doo draws with public randomness that doesn't exist until after your list is locked in. Anyone can check the result.

Get your Reddit entries

  1. Ask the mods before you post

    Many subreddits ban giveaways or allow them only on certain days. Message the moderators with what you're giving away and how you'll pick, and keep their reply.

  2. Sort comments by Old

    Set the comment sort to Old so you see entries in the order they arrived. That makes the deadline easy to enforce.

  3. Expand every collapsed thread

    Click "more replies" and "continue this thread" wherever they appear. Downvoted comments get collapsed too, and they still count.

  4. Copy u/ names from top-level comments

    Keep only top-level comments unless your rules said replies count. Write each username once, without the u/ if you prefer, in a note or sheet.

Pick and check the winner

  1. Filter out alts and deleted accounts

    "[deleted]" comments can't win. If your rules set an account age or karma floor, remove anyone below it before pasting.

  2. Paste into the Winner Picker

    Drop the cleaned list in and draw. If several prizes are up, pick them all at once so the order is fixed by the randomness, not by you.

  3. Edit your post with the result

    Add an EDIT line at the top of your giveaway post with the winner and the results link, and send the winner a chat or private message.

Mistakes that make a draw look rigged

  • Posting a giveaway without mod approval and getting the thread removed halfway through.
  • Asking for upvotes to enter, which breaks Reddit's rules on vote manipulation.
  • Skipping collapsed or downvoted comments when you copy.
  • Letting one person enter on three alt accounts; set an account age rule if alts are a risk in your sub.

Announce the winner

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

Reddit winner post
EDIT: Giveaway closed! Congrats u/[winner], you won [prize]. Check your chat requests. Picked at random from [number] top-level comments, verifiable here: [results link]. Thanks r/[subreddit] and the mods for letting us run this.

Questions people ask

Can I run a giveaway in any subreddit?

No. Each subreddit sets its own rules, and many ban giveaways entirely. Always ask the mods first, and follow Reddit's sitewide rules on spam and vote manipulation.

How do I stop alt accounts from entering?

Set a minimum account age or karma in your rules, like 30 days and 100 karma, and check entrants against it before the draw.

Can I ask entrants to upvote the post?

No. Asking for votes counts as vote manipulation under Reddit's rules. Ask for a comment instead.

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