Instagram and Facebook Promotion Guidelines: What Businesses Should Know

Please read this first: this post is general guidance to help you understand the kinds of things platform promotion rules cover. It is not legal advice, and platform rules change. Before you run a giveaway, read the current Promotion Guidelines published by Instagram and Facebook yourself, and check the laws that apply where you and your entrants live.

Why platforms have promotion rules at all

Instagram and Facebook are both run by Meta, and Meta publishes rules for anyone running a promotion, such as a contest, sweepstakes or giveaway, on its platforms. The broad aim is to make sure promotions are run responsibly by the people running them, that users aren't misled about who is behind a giveaway, and that features like tagging and sharing aren't misused.

The guidelines sit on top of the platforms' general terms and community standards, not instead of them. A giveaway that breaks normal community rules doesn't become acceptable because it's a giveaway.

Themes you'll usually find in the guidelines

Read the current text for the details, but these are themes that have long featured in Meta's promotion rules.

You're responsible for running it lawfully

The business or person running the promotion is responsible for it, including its official rules, its terms and eligibility requirements, and complying with the rules and regulations that apply. The platform doesn't take that on for you.

Make clear the platform isn't behind it

Promotions are generally expected to include a release of the platform by each entrant and an acknowledgement that the promotion isn't sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram or Facebook. Many businesses include a short line in the caption or official rules along the lines of: "This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram/Facebook." Check the current guidelines for what's expected.

Don't ask people to tag inaccurately

Asking people to tag themselves in photos they don't appear in, for example, is the sort of thing promotion rules have prohibited. "Tag a friend in the comments" is a different thing from tagging people in content they're not in, but check the current wording for what's allowed.

Facebook personal timelines

Facebook's promotion rules have historically said that promotions can be run on Pages, in groups or in events, but that personal timelines and friend connections shouldn't be used to administer them. In practice, that has meant entry methods like "share this on your timeline to enter" or "tag friends on your timeline" are not allowed. Comment-to-enter on a Page post is a common and simple alternative.

Things the guidelines don't do for you

Platform rules are only one layer. They typically don't cover:

• Local laws on contests, sweepstakes, lotteries and prize promotions, which vary by country and region.
• Tax on prizes, for you or the winner.
• Advertising disclosure rules, for example when an influencer is paid or gifted products to promote a giveaway.
• Data protection rules about collecting and storing winners' personal details.

For those, check your local rules, and talk to a qualified professional if the stakes are high or you're unsure.

A practical setup that stays out of trouble

Here's a simple, low-risk structure many businesses use. Adapt it to the current guidelines and your local rules.

1. Run it from your business account or Page, not a personal profile.
2. Use comment-to-enter. It's easy to explain and easy to verify.
3. Write short official rules: how to enter, who's eligible (age, location), the closing date and time, how the winner is chosen, how they'll be contacted, how long they have to respond.
4. Add the platform acknowledgement in the caption or link to your full rules.
5. Don't require actions you can't verify or that the rules restrict, such as timeline shares on Facebook.
6. Pick the winner fairly and announce it where people entered.
7. Contact the winner from your official account and never ask them for payment or passwords.

Where RaffleSelect fits

RaffleSelect helps with the "pick the winner fairly" part. It loads the comments from your Instagram or Facebook post, applies the filters you choose, such as one entry per person or only comments with your hashtag, and picks at random from the eligible entries. You can also pick substitutes and save a winner certificate to show how the draw went.

It doesn't make a giveaway compliant on its own. Your rules, your prize, your eligibility and how you promote the giveaway are still your responsibility.

Keep a copy of what you published

One simple habit: save a copy of your giveaway caption, your rules and your result. If a question comes up later, from an entrant or from the platform, you'll be able to show exactly what you said and how you picked the winner.

A quick recap

• Read the platform's current Promotion Guidelines before every new type of giveaway.
• Include the acknowledgement that the platform isn't involved.
• Avoid misleading tagging and, on Facebook, using personal timelines to run the promotion.
• Check local laws separately. Platform rules aren't the whole picture.
• This post isn't legal advice. When in doubt, ask a professional.

Once your rules are in order, set up your draw on RaffleSelect and pick your winner from the comments when the giveaway closes.