Q: What can and cannot be automatically verified?

What we can automatically verify: Comments on posts/videos User tags in comments (@mentions) Specific keywords in comments Comment timestamps and authenticity What requires manual verification by creators: Instagram: Following status and post likes (API limitations) YouTube: Subscription status and video likes (API limitations) When you select winners, we provide all the information needed for manual verification. This includes direct links to user profiles and clear instructions for checking requirements.

Q: What platforms are supported?

Currently, we support: Instagram: Comments and post interactions from Instagram posts YouTube: Comments and video interactions from YouTube videos Facebook: Comments and post interactions from Facebook page posts

Question 1

What is Fair Giveaways?

Accepted Answer

Fair Giveaways is a transparent giveaway platform that uses cryptographic technology to ensure completely fair winner selection. Unlike traditional giveaways where you have to trust the creator, our system provides mathematical proof that winners were selected randomly and fairly.

Question 2

How do I get started?

Accepted Answer

Getting started is simple! You can create an account with Email/Password or connect your Instagram, YouTube, or Facebook account. Once registered, you can immediately start creating giveaways.

Question 3

Is Fair Giveaways free to use?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Fair Giveaways offers a generous free tier for both creators and participants. We also offer premium plans for advanced features and higher limits.

Question 4

What does "provably fair" mean?

Accepted Answer

"Provably fair" means you can mathematically verify that the giveaway results are truly random and haven't been manipulated. We use cryptographic commitments and open algorithms that anyone can inspect and verify independently.

Before any participants are collected, we generate a random seed and publish its hash. This creates an unbreakable commitment that cannot be changed later. When winners are selected, we reveal the original seed, allowing anyone to verify the fairness.

Question 5

How can I verify a giveaway is fair?

Accepted Answer

Every completed giveaway includes verification data. You can:

Check that the revealed seed matches the original hash commitment
Verify the seed was committed before participants were collected
Re-run our open-source selection algorithm with the same data
Confirm the results match exactly

We also provide an API endpoint for automated verification and detailed documentation for technical users.

Question 6

What prevents creators from cheating?

Accepted Answer

Our cryptographic commitment system makes cheating impossible. Here's why:

The random seed is committed (hashed) before any participants are known
The hash cannot be reverse-engineered to find a favorable seed
The selection algorithm is deterministic and public
All verification data is published for independent auditing

Even we, as the platform operators, cannot manipulate results once a giveaway has started.

Question 7

What are the NIST Randomness Beacon and Bitcoin block hash, and why are they used?

Accepted Answer

At the exact moment a giveaway is drawn, we fetch two independent, globally public sources of randomness and mix them into the winner selection algorithm:

NIST Randomness Beacon: A US federal service (run by the National Institute of Standards and Technology) that publishes a new tamper-evident, cryptographically signed random value every 60 seconds. It is impossible to predict in advance and entirely outside our control.
Bitcoin block hash: The hash of the most recently mined Bitcoin block at draw time. Bitcoin's proof-of-work network makes it computationally infeasible for any single party to control this value.

These two sources act as a second layer of protection on top of the committed seed. Even in a hypothetical scenario where someone knew or guessed our seed in advance, they would still be unable to predict the final winner selection without also knowing two globally unpredictable values that hadn't been published yet. This makes the draw tamper-proof by design.

Question 8

How can I independently verify a giveaway result using the verification tool?

Accepted Answer

We provide a fully open, browser-based Independent Verification Tool that runs entirely in your browser - no data is sent to our servers beyond fetching the giveaway's public verification data.

To verify any completed giveaway:

Open the verification tool and enter the giveaway ID (or paste the verification JSON directly)
Click "Fetch Verification Data" - the tool loads the committed seed hash, revealed seed, participant list, and any public entropy values
Click "Verify Giveaway" - the tool re-runs the full selection algorithm locally: it hashes the revealed seed, derives a random value for each participant using SHA-256, sorts them, and confirms the winners match exactly

If the verification passes, you have mathematical proof that the outcome was not manipulated. You can also click the NIST Beacon pulse and Bitcoin block hash links to verify those external entropy values directly on their respective public sources.

Question 9

What can and cannot be automatically verified?

Accepted Answer

What we can automatically verify:

Comments on posts/videos
User tags in comments (@mentions)
Specific keywords in comments
Comment timestamps and authenticity

What requires manual verification by creators:

Instagram: Following status and post likes (API limitations)
YouTube: Subscription status and video likes (API limitations)

When you select winners, we provide all the information needed for manual verification. This includes direct links to user profiles and clear instructions for checking requirements.

Question 10

What platforms are supported?

Accepted Answer

Currently, we support:

Instagram: Comments and post interactions from Instagram posts
YouTube: Comments and video interactions from YouTube videos
Facebook: Comments and post interactions from Facebook page posts

Question 11

Does the Instagram integration support personal or private accounts?

Accepted Answer

No. Under Meta's Platform policies and API restrictions, the Instagram Graph API only supports public Instagram Professional Accounts (either Creator or Business accounts) that are linked to a Facebook Page you manage. Personal accounts and private accounts are not supported by the Meta API.

Question 12

How do I set up a giveaway?

Accepted Answer

Setting up a giveaway is straightforward:

Connect your Instagram, YouTube, or Facebook account
Choose the post or video for your giveaway
Configure entry requirements (comments, tags, etc.)
Set the number of winners and end date
Review and launch your giveaway

Our system automatically generates the cryptographic commitment and starts collecting participants according to your rules.

Question 13

Can I test the giveaway process first?

Accepted Answer

You can create a giveaway with a short duration to test the process. We recommend:

Setting up a test post or video with simple requirements
Using a short timeframe to see results quickly
Testing the verification process with real comments
Reviewing how the fair selection algorithm works

This helps you understand the flow before running a larger giveaway.

Question 14

Do I need to manually verify winners?

Accepted Answer

For some requirements, yes. Due to social media API limitations, you'll need to manually verify:

Instagram: Following status and post likes
YouTube: Subscription status and video likes

However, we make this easy by providing:

Direct links to winner profiles
Clear verification instructions
Step-by-step verification guides
Tools to quickly check requirements

Comments and user mentions are automatically verified, so manual work is kept to a minimum.

Question 15

Can I customize the visual reveal of the draw results?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We support multiple interactive draw animations—including a 3D analog Slot Machine, a glowing Neon Wheel of Fortune, and a futuristic Cyber Matrix scanning effect. You can fully customize the style using 10 curated color theme gradients and toggle between Light and Dark display modes to match your brand's aesthetic. You can also test and preview your settings live using the built-in simulator before publishing.

Question 16

How do I enter a giveaway?

Accepted Answer

Entering giveaways works through normal social media interactions:

Instagram: Comment on the post or tag friends as specified by the creator
YouTube: Comment on the video as specified by the creator
Facebook: Comment on the post or tag friends as specified by the creator
Custom: Usage of manual entry or bulk import by the creator (e.g. from an email list)

Your interactions on the social media platform automatically enter you into the giveaway when you meet the requirements.

Question 17

How will I know if I won?

Accepted Answer

Winners are announced through multiple channels:

Published on our platform with verification data
Announced by the creator on their social media
Direct contact through the platform where you entered

You can also check the giveaway page directly to see results and verify the fairness of the selection process.

Question 18

Can I enter the same giveaway multiple times?

Accepted Answer

This depends on the specific giveaway rules set by the creator. Some giveaways allow:

Multiple entries through different actions (comment + follow + tag)
Daily entries for ongoing giveaways
Bonus entries for additional engagement

Always check the specific rules for each giveaway. Our system automatically tracks entries according to the creator's configuration and prevents invalid multiple entries.

Question 19

Do I need a subscription to use premium features?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily! While subscriptions give you ongoing access to premium features across all your giveaways, you can also upgrade individual giveaways with a one-time payment. This is ideal if you only run giveaways occasionally or want to try premium features before committing to a plan.

Question 20

How does the per-giveaway upgrade work?

Accepted Answer

When you create a new giveaway, you'll see the option to upgrade that specific giveaway with premium features. Simply select the upgrade during the creation process, complete a one-time payment, and the premium features will be applied to that giveaway. No recurring charges or subscription required.

Question 21

What premium features can I unlock per giveaway?

Accepted Answer

Per-giveaway upgrades give you the same premium features as subscription plans - for that specific giveaway. This can include:

Higher participant limits
Advanced entry requirements
Priority comment fetching
Winner email notifications
And more depending on the upgrade tier

Check the upgrade options during giveaway creation to see what's available.

Question 22

What happens to per-giveaway features after the giveaway ends?

Accepted Answer

Per-giveaway upgrades are tied to that specific giveaway for its entire lifecycle - from creation through winner selection and beyond. You'll always be able to access the giveaway's results, verification data, and any other premium features you unlocked. The upgrade simply doesn't carry over to future giveaways, unlike a subscription which covers all giveaways during your billing period.

Question 23

Is my data safe?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we take data security seriously:

We only collect minimal data necessary to operate the service
OAuth tokens are stored securely and can be revoked at any time
We don't access or store your personal posts or private information
All data transmission is encrypted using industry-standard protocols

We follow privacy-by-design principles and comply with applicable data protection regulations.

Question 24

What happens if there's a technical issue?

Accepted Answer

If technical issues occur during a giveaway:

Active giveaways are automatically paused to prevent unfair advantages
All participant data is safely preserved
Giveaways resume once issues are resolved
If data cannot be recovered, giveaways are restarted with full transparency

We maintain detailed logs and backups to ensure fairness is preserved even during technical difficulties.

Question 25

Can I integrate Fair Giveaways with my own system?

Accepted Answer

We provide verification endpoints that allow you to independently verify giveaway results. Our verification API lets you check the fairness of any completed giveaway.

For additional integration options, please contact us through our support channels.

Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

Provably Fair Technology

Creating Giveaways

Participating in Giveaways

Pricing & Plans

Technical Questions

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