A fair giveaway is reproducible in process, even though its result is random. Another organizer should be able to read your rules, inspect the eligible list, and understand exactly why each entrant had the chance you promised.
1. Write the rules before collecting entries
State the opening and closing time, geographic or age restrictions, how a valid entry is earned, the number of prizes, whether one person can win more than once, and how long a selected winner has to respond. Include a contact method and explain any circumstances that allow a redraw.
Platform promotions and prize draws may be regulated by local law and by the rules of the social network or community where they are hosted. ReadySetPick provides a selection tool, not legal advice, so check the requirements that apply to your promotion before launch.
2. Build one canonical entry list
Export entries from the source you announced, then keep an untouched original file. Create a separate working copy for validation. Normalize obvious formatting differences, remove entries submitted after the deadline, and apply the duplicate policy exactly as written.
| Situation | Recommended treatment | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Blank row | Remove | It does not identify an entrant |
| Same identifier twice | Follow the published entry limit | Changing the rule later is unfair |
| Different capitalization | Treat consistently | Case should not create extra chances |
| Late entry | Exclude and record the reason | The deadline must apply equally |
| Ineligible account | Exclude before the draw | Avoid drawing a known invalid winner |
Use a public username, entrant number, or shortened identifier in the draw. Keep email addresses and shipping information in the original system where they were collected.
3. Choose a draw method that matches the prizes
For one prize, the standard random wheel gives participants an easy visual reveal. For several prizes, the multi-winner raffle picker is cleaner because it shuffles the unique list once and returns ranked winners without replacement. If prizes have different values, decide whether the first result receives the highest-value prize or whether each prize will have a separate draw.
ReadySetPick's raffle picker removes duplicates case-insensitively and limits one person to one position in a single draw. If your published rules intentionally allow multiple entries per person, use unique entry IDs rather than repeating an indistinguishable display name, and preserve the mapping privately.
4. Run the draw without improvising
- Close entries at the announced time and save the original export.
- Complete validation and note the final eligible count.
- Paste or import the public-safe identifiers into the raffle picker.
- Set the winner count before drawing.
- Draw once, then download or copy the ranked result.
- Verify the selected entrants against the original records.
5. Separate selection from verification
The selected identifier is a provisional winner until eligibility is confirmed. Verification might include checking that the entry action was completed, the entrant meets published restrictions, and the response arrived before the stated deadline. Never invent a new eligibility test after seeing who won.
If verification fails, use the next ranked alternate when your rules allow it. Ranking alternates in the original draw is easier to explain than repeatedly drawing until a convenient name appears.
6. Keep a proportionate record
A useful record includes the rules version, entry closing time, eligible entry count, draw time, tool used, winner order, and verification outcome. The raffle picker can export ranked results as CSV, but it does not upload the entrant list or create a server-side audit certificate.
Keep records only as long as needed for the promotion and any legal obligations. Delete working exports that contain personal data when they are no longer necessary.
Common fairness mistakes
- Changing the number of winners after seeing the first result.
- Removing disliked but eligible entrants before the draw.
- Allowing duplicate entries when the rules promised one entry per person.
- Redrawing because a winner is inconvenient rather than ineligible.
- Posting full names, email addresses, or other unnecessary personal information.
- Calling a selection “certified” when it used an informal browser tool.