YouTube Giveaway and Contest Checklist with an Official Rules draft
Check a giveaway against YouTube's contest policies and draft its Official Rules to copy or download.
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Runs in your browser. Not legal advice.
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About the YouTube Giveaway and Contest Checklist
Tick through YouTube's contest policies, each with the rule from YouTube Help. Then fill in your contest's details to get a draft of its Official Rules: the organiser, dates in IST, how to enter, who can enter, the prize, how winners are chosen and told, and a privacy notice, plus the statements YouTube asks for. Copy the draft or download it as a text file. It runs in your browser, and your ticks stay on this device.
How it works
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Step 1
Tick through the policy checklist as you plan the contest.
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Step 2
Fill in the Official Rules form, or click "Try an example" to see a finished draft.
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Step 3
Read the warnings, have a lawyer check the draft, then publish the rules and link to them from your video.
YouTube's contest policies
Contests on YouTube must follow YouTube's contest policies, its Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Community Guidelines, and applicable laws. They must be free to enter, cannot run through ad units, cannot ask entrants to give all rights for, or transfer ownership of, their entry, and cannot manipulate views, likes, dislikes or subscribers. YouTube says you are solely responsible for your contest.
What the Official Rules must say
YouTube asks for rules that link to the Community Guidelines and say entries that break them are disqualified, state all legally required disclosures, are consistent with the Terms of Service, state that YouTube is not a sponsor, require entrants to release YouTube from liability, and include a privacy notice on how personal data will be used. You must then run the contest as the rules describe.
What this tool cannot do
It gives you a starting point, not legal advice. It does not cover India's laws on prize competitions and lotteries, so have a lawyer check the draft before you publish it. It does not set an age limit: you decide who can enter. Nothing is sent to YouTube or to us.
Frequently asked questions
Are giveaways allowed on YouTube?
Yes, if they follow YouTube's contest policies: free to enter, within applicable laws and YouTube's Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Community Guidelines, and not run through ad units. YouTube says you are solely responsible for your contest, and it needs Official Rules with the statements YouTube asks for.
Can I ask viewers to like and subscribe to enter?
YouTube's spam policy allows you to encourage viewers to subscribe, like, share or comment. Making that a condition of entry is different: the fake engagement policy prohibits content that solely exists to incentivise engagement, so it may conflict with YouTube's policies. Asking for many identical or repetitive comments may also lead to removal.
Can a YouTube contest charge an entry fee?
No. YouTube says contests must be free of charge to enter, and reminds you to check your local lottery laws. In India, check the laws on prize competitions with a lawyer before you run one.
What must the Official Rules say?
They must link to YouTube's Community Guidelines and say entries that break them are disqualified, state all legally required disclosures, be consistent with the Terms of Service, say YouTube is not a sponsor, require entrants to release YouTube from liability, and include a privacy notice on how personal data will be used.
Can I keep the rights to the entries?
No. YouTube does not allow contests that ask viewers to give all rights for, or transfer ownership of, their entry. The draft says entrants keep ownership of their entries; if you want to show entries on your channel, ask your lawyer how to word that permission.
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