Giveaway rules on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and more
The short answer
The common line is prizes for engagement: Instagram, Facebook and Threads remove posts that offer prizes for likes, follows, shares or comments, and YouTube removes offers of rewards for likes, comments, views or subscribers.
- LinkedIn goes further and doesn't allow giveaways, contests or sweepstakes at all.
- A Pinterest contest can't make people save a specific Pin or allow more than one entry per person.
- On X, a giveaway can't make X's payment or subscription features the required way to enter.
- TikTok keeps like-for-like promises and false incentives for gifts or follows off the For You feed.
- TikTok
- YouTube
- X
- Threads
At a glance
| Platform | What can happen | Its strictest rule |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok | Shown to fewer people | Like-for-like, follow-back or gift pressure |
| YouTube | Taken down | Sub-for-sub or rewards for likes and views |
| Taken down | Giveaways for likes or like-gated content | |
| Taken down | Giveaways for likes or like-gated content | |
| X | Demonetized | Giveaway that requires paying or subscribing to enter |
| Threads | Taken down | Giveaways for likes or like-gated content |
| Taken down | Contest that requires saving a specific Pin | |
| Taken down | Giveaway, sweepstakes or contest |
The rules, side by side
Each row is a platform's own rule: what it means, what the platform says, how to fix it, and where to read it in full.
| Platform | The rule, in plain words | In their words | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | Like-for-like, follow-back or gift pressureNot recommendedTricking people into engaging: 'like-for-like' or follow-for-follow promises, false incentives for gifts or follows, or misleading claims meant to boost views.Fix: Remove the like/follow/gift bargain and any fake prize claims. | “Content that tries to manipulate people into giving gifts or inflating likes or follows isn’t eligible for the FYF.” | |
| YouTube | Sub-for-sub or rewards for likes and viewsRemovalOffering rewards for likes, comments, views or subscribers, 'sub4sub' schemes, promoting purchased views, or videos that exist only to farm engagement.Fix: Remove reward-for-engagement mechanics; keep a plain call to action. | “Offering to subscribe to another creator’s channel only if they subscribe to your channel (“sub4sub”)” | |
| InstagramFacebookThreads | Giveaways for likes or like-gated contentRemovalOffering cash, gift cards or prizes in exchange for likes, follows, shares or comments; requiring people to like, share, follow or otherwise publicly engage to unlock promised content; buying or selling engagement.Fix: Make the reward or content available without requiring public engagement, or run giveaways without engagement requirements. | “Requiring users to engage (in the form of likes, shares, follows, or any other public-facing form of engagement) to gain access to specific, exclusive content.” | |
| X | Giveaway that requires paying or subscribing to enterDemonetizationA contest, sweepstakes or promotion where X payment or monetization features (subscriptions, tips) are the required way to enter; or offering money or engagement for physical goods, sexual services or harmful acts.Fix: Give every giveaway a free way to enter. | “You must not use X features that enable payments or the monetization of content as a required entry method for a contest, sweepstake, or other promotion.” | |
| Contest that requires saving a specific PinRemovalA contest or giveaway that requires entrants to save a specific Pin, allows multiple entries per person, or implies Pinterest sponsors it.Fix: Let people choose Pins to save based on their taste, allow one entry each, and don't imply Pinterest is involved. | “Don't require people to save a specific image.” | ||
| Giveaway, sweepstakes or contestRemovalRunning a sweepstakes, giveaway, lottery or contest on LinkedIn ('comment to win', 'tag 3 friends to enter').Fix: Run the giveaway elsewhere (e.g. your website) and don't use LinkedIn engagement as entries. | “You may not use LinkedIn to hold lotteries, contests, sweepstakes, or giveaways.” |
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