What a Duplicate Filter Does and Why Fair Giveaways Need One
Picture two followers. One leaves a single comment on your giveaway post. The other comments twenty-five times over three days. If you draw a random comment, the second person is twenty-five times more likely to win. Is that fair?
It depends on your rules, but for most giveaways the answer is no. That's what the duplicate filter is for.
What the duplicate filter actually does
When you load your post's comments into RaffleSelect, each comment is a potential entry. The duplicate filter groups comments by the account that wrote them and keeps one entry per person. Someone who commented once and someone who commented twenty-five times end up with the same single entry.
After filtering, every eligible entry has an equal chance of being picked. The filter doesn't judge which comment is "best"; it just makes sure each person counts once.
The duplicate filter is available on every plan, including Free.
Why repeat comments happen
Not every repeat commenter is trying to game the system. People comment more than once for all sorts of reasons:
- They tagged one friend, then remembered another.
- They replied to your reply, or to other people.
- They didn't see their first comment appear and tried again.
- They genuinely believed more comments meant more chances.
And yes, some people do flood the comments on purpose. The filter treats all of these the same way, which is exactly what you want. You don't have to guess at anyone's intentions.
When you should use it
Turn on the duplicate filter whenever your rules say, or imply, one entry per person. That covers most giveaways, including:
- "Comment below to enter."
- "Tell us your favorite flavor."
- "Tag a friend who would love this."
Even if you didn't spell out "one entry per person," followers usually assume it. Using the filter matches what most people expect.
When you might leave it off
Some giveaways deliberately reward multiple comments. A common example is "tag a friend, and each comment with a different tag is an extra entry." If that's your rule and you announced it up front, leaving the duplicate filter off keeps your promise.
Just be aware of the trade-off. Unlimited entries reward people with the most time on their hands, and the comment section can turn into a wall of tags. If you want to reward effort, a cap is often cleaner: "Up to three entries per person, one per comment with a different friend tagged." You'd then need to check entries against that cap yourself, so think about whether the extra admin is worth it.
What about rewarding loyal followers?
If the goal is to give certain people better odds, such as customers who bought something or members of your community, repeat comments are a messy way to do it. Bonus entries are a cleaner tool: you name specific accounts and they get extra chances in the draw. Bonus entries are on the Silver plan and above. You can keep the duplicate filter on for everyone and still give named supporters an extra chance, as long as you've said so in your rules.
Duplicate filter vs. other filters
| Filter | Question it answers |
|---|---|
| Duplicate filter | Does this person already have an entry? |
| Hashtag filter | Did this comment include the required hashtag? |
| Block list | Is this account excluded from the draw? |
| Bonus entries | Should this account get extra chances? |
They work together. A typical setup for a hashtag giveaway is: hashtag filter on, duplicate filter on, your own account on the block list.
How to explain it to your followers
A single line in your caption saves a lot of questions:
"One entry per person. Commenting more than once won't increase your chances, but feel free to chat with us below!"
That sentence does two jobs. It sets expectations, and it gives people permission to keep commenting without feeling like they're cheating. Conversations in the comments are good for your post; you just don't want them to tilt the draw.
When you announce the winner, you can mention the filter too: "Picked at random from all eligible entries, one per person." It's a small detail that signals you took fairness seriously.
The short version
- Without a duplicate filter, people who comment more have better odds.
- With it, each person counts once and every eligible entry has an equal chance.
- Use it whenever your rules say or imply one entry per person.
- Use bonus entries, not repeat comments, if you want to reward specific people.
The duplicate filter is included on the Free plan. Start a giveaway and switch it on when you load your comments.