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Is your campaign idea actually possible?

Tell us what you want people to do to enter, and we'll tell you what works, what doesn't, and what depends on the details — based on what each platform's API and rules actually allow. No more building a campaign around something that was never possible.

We restored your earlier answers.

What do you want people to do to enter?

Pick every action your idea relies on — and for social actions, check which platforms you'd run it on. Don't filter yourself; choose what you want, even if you're not sure it's allowed. That's what we're here to check.

Which platforms? Check all that apply.

Pick at least one platform for this action.

Just for your own notes — it's shown back with your results. The verdict comes from your selections above.

Your idea:

Won't work ()

Do this instead:

Depends on the details ()

Do this instead:

Will work ()

You didn't select any entry actions. and pick what you want people to do.

Want to build the version that works?

ShortStack turns the workable mechanics above into a real campaign — entry forms, photo contests, refer-a-friend, quizzes, voting galleries, and random winner draws — all with verifiable entries and leads you keep. We'll even help you reshape an idea that hit a wall.

Start Free Speak with an expert
Running a contest or sweepstakes? Once your mechanics work, you'll need official rules. Our free Rules Generator builds a starting-point legal document in minutes.

This tool reflects how each platform's API and promotion policies generally worked when last reviewed (June 2026). It is expert guidance, not legal advice or a compliance guarantee. Platform rules, API access, and pricing change frequently and vary by region, account type, and use case — always confirm against the official sources below and each platform's current terms before you launch. You are responsible for your promotion's compliance with platform policies and applicable law.

How the campaign idea checker works

Most failed promotions don't fail at launch — they fail at the idea stage, built around an action no platform will actually let you collect. This free tool catches that before you waste a campaign on it.

1

Tell us your idea

Pick the platforms you'll run on and every action you want people to take to enter and win.

2

We check it against reality

Each action is measured against what that platform's API can actually collect and what its promotion policies allow.

3

Get a clear verdict

See what will work, what depends on the details, and what won't — plus a workable alternative for anything that hits a wall.

Why some social actions are impossible to require

It usually comes down to one of two walls: the platform won't give you the data, or the platform's rules forbid the ask. Here's the quick version of what does and doesn't work.

Actions that genuinely work

  • Filling out a form. Works on every platform, fully verifiable, and you keep the email.
  • Commenting on a Facebook Page post, Instagram Business/Creator post, or YouTube video.
  • Liking a Facebook post. Facebook's Graph API exposes who reacted to your Page's post — the one platform where "like to enter" can actually be collected.
  • Submitting a photo, video, or other entry through your own page.
  • Referring friends with a unique tracked link.
  • Voting and quizzes hosted on your own campaign.

Actions that don't (and why)

  • "Like to enter" on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, or Pinterest. Those platforms don't release who liked a post (Facebook is the exception).
  • "Follow to enter." No platform gives you your follower list, so you can't verify it automatically — only by hand, if you've captured the username.
  • "Share to enter." Shares aren't trackable, and Facebook forbids requiring them.
  • "Tag friends to enter." Against Facebook's rules and easy to game.
  • "Most likes/shares wins." You usually can't tally per-entry engagement, and it invites bots.

Where this comes from — official platform sources

Every verdict in this tool is based on each platform's own promotion policies and developer documentation. Here are the primary sources, so you can verify anything yourself or dig deeper. These pages change — when in doubt, the platform's own docs are the final word.

Facebook (Pages)

Instagram (Business/Creator)

TikTok

YouTube

X (Twitter)

LinkedIn

Pinterest

Sources last reviewed June 2026. Platform policies and API access change frequently — always confirm against the official documentation above before launching.

Frequently asked questions

Why can't I require people to like my post to enter a giveaway?
It depends on the platform. Facebook does make post Likes available to third-party tools through its Graph API, so on Facebook a 'like to enter' promotion can actually work and the likers can be collected as entries. But Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Pinterest don't release who liked a post, so on those platforms there's no way to retrieve entrants or draw a verifiable winner — that's the platform's restriction, not a limitation of the tool you use. Where likes aren't available, capture the entry with a form instead.
Can I make people follow my account to enter?
You can ask, but no platform exposes your own follower or subscriber list to third-party tools, so a follow can't be collected automatically — it's a privacy boundary, not a tool limitation. The one workaround is manual: if you've already captured someone's username through another action (like a comment), you can check it against your followers by hand. YouTube is the exception — even the partial subscriber list it returns excludes anyone who keeps subscriptions private. The safe pattern is to capture the real entry through a form, and give a bonus entry for commenting on your post — a collectable, verifiable action — rather than gating entry on a follow you can't check.
Which social actions actually work as a giveaway entry?
Comments are the most reliable social entry: comments on a Facebook Page post, an Instagram Business/Creator post, or a YouTube video can be pulled through each platform's API, so commenters are verifiable entries. Beyond that, the most dependable mechanic on any platform is a simple entry form — it works everywhere, it's fully verifiable, and you keep the lead.
Why is 'share to enter' against the rules?
Two reasons. First, no platform reliably tells you who shared your post, so shares aren't verifiable. Second, Facebook's Pages rules specifically prohibit requiring people to share to their own timeline to enter. If you want the word-of-mouth effect, use a Refer-a-Friend mechanic where you issue a tracked link and can actually measure referrals.
Is requiring a purchase to enter legal?
It depends on how you pick the winner. If the winner is chosen at random (a sweepstakes), requiring a purchase generally makes it an illegal lottery unless you offer a free alternate method of entry. If the winner is chosen on skill (a judged contest), a purchase can be allowed. It's a legal question, not a technical one — our free Rules Generator builds the correct structure.
Does this tool give me a guarantee that my campaign is allowed?
No. It reflects what each platform's API and promotion policies generally allow, based on how these platforms have worked for years. Platform rules and APIs change, and your specific situation may differ. Treat it as expert guidance to plan around — not a legal or compliance guarantee.
Part of the ShortStack Free Tools Hub — also try the Rules Generator and Animated Winner Reveal.