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Contest & Sweepstakes Rules Generator

Answer a few questions and get a solid starting-point rules document in under 5 minutes. Built for simple promotions with prizes of $500 or less. This is a template, not legal advice — always have a licensed attorney review your rules before you publish.

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Step of

What type of promotion are you running?

This is the most important choice — it changes the entire legal structure of your rules. Not sure? Most giveaways are sweepstakes.

How do people enter?

Your answer here decides what legal language your rules need. We'll only ask what's relevant.

These are the only social actions a platform's API actually lets you collect. Likes on a Page, follows, and shares can't be retrieved, so they'd be impossible to administer fairly — we leave them out on purpose.

What are entrants creating?

Free Alternate Method of Entry — Required

Because your sweepstakes involves a purchase, U.S. law requires you to offer a way to enter for free. Without it, your promotion is an illegal lottery. Choose how the free entry works:

Your entry is already free, so no alternate method of entry is needed. This is the simplest, lowest-risk way to run a sweepstakes.

Sponsor Information

The legal name and address of the company or person running the promotion. This appears in the rules and is where winner-list requests are sent.

Required — your mail-in alternate entry needs a physical address.

Used for the winners-list mailing address in your rules.

Double-check this: ZIP code doesn't look like it's in . Make sure the state and ZIP match so winner-list and mail-in entries reach you.
Your address looks incomplete. The winners-list address in your rules — and any mail-in entries — need a full street, city, state, and ZIP.

That email doesn't look quite right — double-check for a typo.

Where entrants direct questions, and where email entries arrive if you chose that option. Use a monitored inbox.

Promotion Details

Name and dates. The exact start and end times are legally binding, so set them deliberately.

Heads up: your start date is in the past. If this promotion is already running, you can ignore this — otherwise double-check the date.
This promotion runs for a single day. If you meant a longer window, adjust the end date.
That's a long run. This promotion lasts more than a year. Long-running promotions can raise extra legal questions — keep it shorter unless you mean it.

Where the entry form lives.

Eligibility

Who can enter. Tighter eligibility means less fraud risk and simpler prize fulfillment.

Including Canada adds a requirement: Canadian law requires winners to correctly answer an unaided, timed math skill-testing question (e.g., "(5 × 4) + 18 − 6 = ?") before receiving a prize — otherwise the promotion is treated as an illegal lottery there. Your rules will include this clause automatically, and you'll need to actually administer the question to any Canadian winner. Quebec is excluded because it has its own registration, fee, and French-language requirements.
COPPA notice: collecting info from anyone under 13 requires verifiable parental consent under federal law. 18+ is strongly recommended unless you have legal guidance in place. Rules will include parental-consent language for minors.

Who is not allowed to enter?

Prize

This tool is built for total prize value of $500 or less. At $600+ you must issue an IRS 1099 and some states require registration and bonding — territory worth a real attorney.

TikTok prize rules: TikTok's giveaway policy prohibits cash and gift-card prizes and caps prize value at $500. Award a physical product or experience instead, and disclose the prize and eligibility on the video itself.
Prize

Be specific: "$250 Visa prepaid card" beats "gift card" beats "prize."

$
Total Approximate Retail Value $

Over the $500 guardrail. Above $600, IRS 1099-MISC reporting kicks in, and states like New York and Florida require registration and bonding for higher-value sweepstakes. This tool is built for simple promotions of $500 or less — beyond that you really should involve an attorney, or split this into smaller promotions.

Some prizes look unfinished:

Winner Selection & Notification

How the winner is determined and contacted.

Random drawing. Sweepstakes winners must be chosen by chance from all eligible entries — judging or voting isn't permitted. Odds depend on how many entries you receive.
%
Total: %

Public voting invites manipulation. Rules will include Sponsor's right to void suspicious votes — but a judge panel is cleaner and less disputable.

Leave blank to use a date "on or about" the end date.

Heads up: your date should fall after the entry period ends (after ). Picking a winner on or before the end date means entries are still open when you choose, so later entrants couldn't win. Move it to a date after the end date. You can still continue.

Usually where the Sponsor is based.

Review & Generate

Confirm your details before generating the document.

Promotion

–

Entry

+ free alternate entry

Eligibility

Age +

Prizes

prize(s)

Total ARV: $

Total prize value exceeds $500. We'll generate the rules, but get an attorney's eyes on it — 1099 reporting and state registration may apply.

Quick check before you generate

  • ✓ !

Items marked with ! aren't blockers, but worth a second look — you can go back and fix them.

Before you generate — please read this

ShortStack is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or legal representation. This tool is a self-help resource that assembles a starting-point template from the answers you provide; it does not exercise legal judgment on your behalf and does not create an attorney-client relationship. You are the author of, and are solely responsible for, the content of your rules and every decision about your promotion.

The generated document is provided "AS IS," without warranty of any kind, express or implied. Laws governing contests and sweepstakes vary by state and country and change over time, and ShortStack makes no representations about the completeness, accuracy, or fitness of the output for any purpose. You are responsible for ensuring your promotion complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws — including lottery laws, tax reporting, platform terms of service, and FTC disclosure requirements — and ShortStack strongly recommends having a licensed attorney review your final rules before publishing.

Attorney Review Recommended

This document was generated by the ShortStack Rules Generator and is a starting-point template only, provided "AS IS." ShortStack is not a law firm, this is not legal advice, and ShortStack assumes no liability for its use. Promotion laws vary by state and change over time. Have a licensed attorney review these rules before publishing your promotion.

The copy and print buttons output only the rules above — the notice and this line are not included.

Short-form rules for your social post

Most platforms won't fit the full rules in a caption. Paste this abbreviated version in your post or bio, and link the full official rules.

Before your promotion goes live

  • Publish the full official rules at a stable, public URL (a page on your site or your ShortStack campaign) and keep them live through the end of the promotion.
  • Link or reference those full rules everywhere people can enter — your entry form, landing page, and every social post.
  • Use the short-form rules above in the social caption or bio, with a link to the full rules.
  • If your rules mention a Privacy Policy, make sure you actually have one published and linked.
  • Have a licensed attorney review everything before you launch.

How the rules generator works

Writing official rules from scratch means juggling lottery law, tax thresholds, platform policies, and a dozen liability clauses. This free tool walks you through it in plain language and assembles a complete, attorney-reviewable document tailored to your promotion.

1

Answer a few questions

Tell us your promotion type, sponsor, dates, how people enter, the prize, and how you'll pick a winner.

2

We assemble your rules

The tool adds the right legal language — eligibility, AMOE, platform releases, liability, disputes, and more — based on your answers.

3

Copy, print, or share

Export the full official rules and a short-form version for social captions. Have an attorney review, then publish.

Sweepstakes vs. contest: which are you running?

The distinction is legal, not cosmetic — it changes what your rules must say. Pick the wrong structure and an otherwise harmless giveaway can be treated as an illegal lottery.

Sweepstakes (most giveaways)

Winners are chosen at random. No skill is involved.

  • You cannot require a purchase to enter
  • Must say "no purchase necessary" and offer a free entry path
  • Winner is drawn; odds depend on number of entries
  • Best for list growth, follower campaigns, and simple prize drops

Contest

Winners are chosen on skill or merit, judged against criteria.

  • Entries are submissions — photo, video, caption, recipe, etc.
  • You define and publish the judging criteria
  • You take a license to use the submitted content
  • Best for user-generated content and engagement campaigns

Key legal concepts every promoter should know

These are the terms and rules the generator asks about. Understanding them before you fill in the form will save you from the most common mistakes.

Alternate Method of Entry (AMOE)

If your sweepstakes requires or implies a purchase — including "buy to unlock a bonus entry" — U.S. law requires you to offer a completely free way to enter. Without it, your promotion is legally a lottery, which is illegal to run without a license.

  • Common AMOE methods: mail-in postcard, email request, or a separate free entry form
  • The free path must be equally likely to win as the paid path
  • Your rules must spell out the free entry method clearly
  • Social-action sweepstakes (follow, comment) technically don't require AMOE, but adding one is low-risk best practice

The $600 IRS threshold & state registration

Prize value has direct legal consequences. This tool is designed for promotions with a total prize value of $500 or less. Here's why that line matters:

  • At $600 or more, the IRS requires you to file a 1099-MISC for the winner
  • New York and Florida require sweepstakes registration and bonding above certain prize thresholds
  • Beyond $500, the rules get more complex — consult an attorney or split the promotion into smaller prizes
  • Always state the Approximate Retail Value (ARV) in your official rules — it's legally required

Random drawing (sweepstakes) vs. judged selection (contest)

How you pick your winner is one of the most legally significant decisions you make. Mixing these up creates real liability.

  • Sweepstakes winners must be chosen by chance from all eligible entries — you cannot judge, vote, or curate the winner
  • Contest winners are chosen on skill or merit, judged against stated criteria you publish in advance
  • If you use a "community vote" to determine the winner, that's a contest — and it needs judging criteria in the rules
  • The odds of winning in a sweepstakes depend solely on the number of eligible entries received

Platform releases & social media rules

Every major social platform requires that promotions running on their platform include a release of that platform from any liability, and must comply with their promotion guidelines.

  • Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X all have specific promotion policies
  • Your rules must include a platform release clause — the generator adds this automatically
  • You cannot require a purchase to enter a sweepstakes on most platforms
  • Tagging, following, and liking rules vary — see the Campaign Idea Checker for a full breakdown

What every set of official rules should include

These are the sections that make a promotion legally defensible. The generator produces all of them automatically, adjusting the language to your specific setup.

✓ Eligibility (age, location, who's excluded)
✓ Sponsor identity and contact
✓ Exact promotion start and end dates
✓ How to enter (and free alternate entry)
✓ Prize description and approximate retail value
✓ Winner selection, notification, and verification
✓ Rights in submitted content (for contests)
✓ Release and limitation of liability
✓ Disputes, governing law, and class-action waiver
✓ Privacy, publicity, and the winners list

Frequently asked questions

Is this contest and sweepstakes rules generator really free? ▾
Yes. It's completely free with no signup, no account, and no credit card. You answer a few questions and get a full set of official rules you can copy, print, or save as a PDF. Everything runs in your browser — nothing you enter is sent to a server.
What's the difference between a sweepstakes and a contest? ▾
A sweepstakes picks a winner at random — no skill involved — and by law you cannot require a purchase to enter. A contest picks a winner based on skill or merit (best photo, video, caption, etc.) judged against stated criteria. Most 'giveaways' are legally sweepstakes. The generator builds the correct structure for whichever you choose.
Do I really need official rules for a giveaway? ▾
Yes. Official rules are what make a promotion legally defensible: they define eligibility, entry, prizes, winner selection, and the disclaimers that limit your liability. Most social platforms also require you to have rules, and running a prize promotion without them exposes you to disputes, chargebacks, and regulatory risk.
What does "no purchase necessary" mean, and when do I need it? ▾
A sweepstakes is an illegal lottery if it combines a prize, chance, and 'consideration' (typically a purchase). Removing the purchase requirement — 'no purchase necessary' — is what keeps a sweepstakes legal. If any entry path involves a purchase, you must also offer a free alternate method of entry so no one has to pay to play.
What is an alternate method of entry (AMOE)? ▾
An AMOE is a free way to enter a sweepstakes that doesn't require a purchase — usually a mail-in card or a free online/email entry. It's legally required whenever a purchase is otherwise involved, and it must give entrants the same chance of winning as the paid path. The generator adds AMOE language automatically when it applies.
Can I run a giveaway on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or YouTube? ▾
Yes, but each platform has its own promotion policy. Your rules must state the promotion isn't sponsored or endorsed by the platform and release the platform from liability. Facebook also prohibits requiring people to share or tag others to enter. The generator only offers entry mechanics each platform actually allows and that you can realistically collect.
Do I have to register my sweepstakes or pay taxes on the prize? ▾
It depends on prize value. Prizes of $600 or more in a year trigger IRS 1099 reporting, and some states (like New York and Florida) require registration and bonding for higher-value sweepstakes. This tool is built for simple promotions with total prize value of $500 or less, which keeps you under those thresholds. The winner is responsible for taxes on their prize.
Is the output legal advice? ▾
No. ShortStack is not a law firm and this tool does not provide legal advice. It generates a starting-point template based on common promotion law. Because laws vary by state and change over time, you should have a licensed attorney review your rules before publishing.

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