How To Create A Giveaway With SweepWidget
This comprehensive guide will walk you through creating, customizing, publishing, and managing your SweepWidget giveaway from start to finish.
Table of Contents
- Getting Started
- Three Ways to Create a Giveaway
- Basic Info
- Entry Methods
- Login Fields
- Design
- Leaderboard & Instant Coupons
- Security Settings
- Publishing Your Giveaway
- Managing Entries
- Picking Winners
- Analytics & Reporting
Getting Started
Create an Account
If you don’t already have an account, create a free account to get started. If you already have an account, login here.
Navigate to Create a Giveaway
From your Dashboard, click + New Sweepstakes in the left sidebar to begin creating your giveaway.
Three Ways to Create a Giveaway
SweepWidget offers three methods to create your giveaway:
1. Create Manually
Build your giveaway from scratch with complete control over every setting. This is the default method when you click “+ New Sweepstakes”.
Best for: Users who want full customization or have specific requirements.
2. Use a Starter Template
Choose from pre-built templates designed for common giveaway types. Templates come with entry methods, design settings, and configurations already set up.
To use a template:
- Click Starter Templates in the left sidebar
- Browse available templates (Instagram Giveaway, YouTube Giveaway, Refer-a-Friend, etc.)
- Click on a template to preview it
- Click Use This Template to create a giveaway based on it
- Customize the pre-filled settings as needed
Best for: Users who want a quick start with proven giveaway formats.
3. Create with AI
Let AI generate a complete giveaway based on your description. Simply describe what you want, and SweepWidget’s AI will create the title, description, entry methods, and design.
To create with AI:
- Click Create with AI in the left sidebar
- Describe your giveaway (e.g., “A holiday giveaway for my Instagram followers with a $500 Amazon gift card prize”)
- Click Generate
- Review the AI-generated giveaway
- Edit any settings you want to change
- Save and publish
Best for: Users who want to quickly create a giveaway with minimal effort.
4. Duplicate a Previous Giveaway
You can also duplicate any existing giveaway to use as a starting point. On the Create a Sweepstakes page, click Duplicate Previous Giveaway and select the giveaway you want to copy. See How to Duplicate a Giveaway for details.
Basic Info
The Basic Info tab contains the essential settings for your giveaway.
Required Fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | The name of your giveaway displayed to participants |
| Start Date/Time | When the giveaway begins accepting entries |
| End Date/Time | When the giveaway stops accepting entries |
Optional Fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Description | Detailed information about your giveaway. You can use the Generate Description With AI button to auto-generate this. |
| Timezone | The timezone for start/end dates |
| Number of Winners | How many winners will be selected |
| Prizes | Add specific prizes with names, values, and quantities. See Adding Multiple Prizes |
| Rules | Official rules and terms. See How to Add Rules |
| Country Restrictions | Limit entries to specific countries. See Geo-Targeting |
| Language | Set the widget language. See Multi-Language Support |
Entry Methods
Entry methods are the actions participants complete to earn entries into your giveaway. SweepWidget offers 90+ entry methods across multiple platforms.
Adding Entry Methods
- Click on the Entry Methods tab
- Browse the available platforms (Instagram, Twitter/X, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, etc.)
- Click on a platform to see available entry types
- Click on an entry type to add it
- Configure the entry method settings (URL, entries worth, etc.)
Popular Entry Method Categories
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Social Media | Follow on Instagram, Like on Facebook, Subscribe on YouTube, Follow on TikTok, Follow on Twitter/X |
| Engagement | Comment on post, Share post, Tag friends, Retweet |
| Email/Newsletter | Subscribe to newsletter, Join mailing list |
| Referral | Refer-a-friend (viral sharing) |
| Website | Visit a page, Visit blog post, Download app |
| E-commerce | Shopify purchase, WooCommerce purchase |
| Custom | Answer a question, Upload a file, Secret code, Bonus entry |
| Streaming | Twitch follow, Discord join, Kick follow |
Entry Method Settings
Each entry method can be configured with:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Entries Worth | How many entries participants earn for completing this action |
| Daily Entry | Allow participants to complete this action once per day |
| Mandatory | Require this entry method before others can be completed |
| Unlock After X Entries | Only show this entry method after participants earn a certain number of entries |
| Custom Icon | Change the icon displayed for this entry method |
| Custom Icon Color | Change the color of the entry method icon |
See Advanced Entry Method Options for more configuration options.
Login Fields
The Login Fields tab controls what information you collect from participants when they enter.
Default Required Fields
Every giveaway requires:
- Full Name
- Email Address
These cannot be removed.
Social Login Options
Allow participants to log in using their social accounts:
- Discord
- Telegram
- Twitter/X
- Steam
- Twitch
- Tumblr
Require Social Login
You can also require a social login before participants can enter. Users will be required to first login through their social media profile via oAuth (this adds an extra level of verification). Note: if you have additional custom login fields, it will hide those fields by default, then show them after the user has completed the social login. From there, they can complete all login fields and enter the giveaway. If there are no custom login fields, it will just automatically enter them into the giveaway upon successfully logging in through their social account.
Additional Fields
| Field Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Phone Number | Collect participant phone numbers |
| Date of Birth | Collect birthdays (can require minimum age) |
| Country | Collect participant country |
| Text Field | Custom single-line text input |
| Textarea | Custom multi-line text input |
| Select Dropdown | Custom dropdown with your options |
| Radio Buttons | Custom single-choice options |
| Checkbox | Custom checkbox (great for opt-ins) |
| Checkboxes (Multi-Choice) | Custom multi-select checkboxes (select multiple options) |
| Secret Code | Require a code to enter |
See How to Setup User Login Fields for detailed configuration.
Design
The Design tab allows you to customize the look and feel of your giveaway widget.
Visual Customization
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Photo/Video | Add a featured image or YouTube video |
| Background | Set a background image or color |
| Custom Logo | Add your brand logo |
| + Add Custom Styling | Access advanced style options |
Advanced Style Options
Click + Add Custom Styling To Form to access:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Font Family | Choose from 900+ Google Fonts |
| Font Colors | Customize body and title text colors |
| Font Sizes | Adjust body and title font sizes |
| Background Colors | Set widget background color |
| Max Width | Set maximum widget width |
| Custom CSS | Add your own CSS for complete control |
See Custom Widget Style Editor and Custom CSS for more details.
Leaderboard & Instant Coupons
Add gamification elements to increase engagement and virality.
Leaderboard
Display a leaderboard showing top participants ranked by entries. This encourages competition and motivates participants to complete more entry methods.
Leaderboard options:
- Show/hide leaderboard
- Number of participants to display
- Show entry counts or just rankings
Unlock Rewards / Instant Coupons
Reward participants with instant prizes when they reach entry milestones:
- Bonus entries – Award additional entries into the main drawing
- Coupon codes – Distribute discount codes automatically
- Downloadable content – Unlock files or links
Example: “Earn 5 entries to unlock a 10% discount code”
See Unlock Rewards and Instant Coupons for setup guides.
Security Settings
Protect your giveaway from fraud and abuse with security settings.
Available Security Options
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Block Duplicate IPs | Prevent multiple entries from the same IP address |
| Email Verification | Require participants to verify their email |
| reCAPTCHA | Add Google reCAPTCHA to prevent bots |
| Block Disposable Emails | Reject temporary/throwaway email addresses |
| Block VPNs | Prevent entries from VPN users |
| Age Restriction | Require minimum age to enter |
See Contest Security & Fraud Prevention for detailed information.
Publishing Your Giveaway
After configuring your giveaway, click Save & Publish to make it live. You’ll be taken to the “Your Giveaway is Ready!” page with sharing and embedding options.
Sharing Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Hosted Landing Page | Use SweepWidget’s free hosted page – just share the link |
| Embed on Website | Copy the embed code and paste it into your website HTML |
| WordPress Plugin | Use the SweepWidget WordPress plugin for easy embedding |
| Popup Mode | Display the giveaway as a popup/modal on your site |
| QR Code | Generate a QR code for print materials or in-person events |
| Custom URL | Create a custom URL for your hosted landing page |
See How to Embed Your Giveaway for detailed instructions.
Managing Entries
After your giveaway is live, you can manage entries from the Dashboard.
Accessing Entry Management
- Go to your Dashboard
- Find your giveaway
- Click Manage Entries
Entry Management Actions
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Pick A Winner | Randomly select winners |
| View Winners | See selected winners and contact them |
| Disqualify Users | Remove users from eligibility |
| Disqualify Entries | Remove specific entries |
| Delete Entries | Permanently delete entries |
| Manually Add Entries | Add entries via CSV upload |
| Download CSV | Export all entry data |
| Search | Find specific participants by name or email |
| Filter by Entry Type | View entries for specific entry methods |
| Allow/Block Lists | Whitelist or blacklist emails and IPs |
See Disqualify/Delete Entries and Export User Data for more details.
Picking Winners
When your giveaway ends, you can select winners randomly or manually.
Random Selection
- Go to Manage Entries
- Click Pick A Winner
- Choose Randomize the Selection
- Set number of winners and minimum/maximum entry requirements
- Click Draw Winners
Manual Selection
- Go to Manage Entries
- Click Pick A Winner
- Choose Choose Yourself
- Browse entries and click on a user
- Click Choose [Name] As Winner
After Selecting Winners
- Contact winners – Send emails directly from SweepWidget
- Display winners – Show winner names on the widget
- Disqualify if needed – Remove winners who don’t respond
- Draw replacements – Select new winners if needed
See How to Pick Winners and How to Contact Winners for detailed guides.
Analytics & Reporting
Track your giveaway performance with built-in analytics.
Accessing Analytics
- Go to your Dashboard
- Find your giveaway
- Click Analytics or Stats
Available Metrics
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Total Users | Number of unique participants |
| Total Actions | Total entry method completions |
| Total Entries | Sum of all entries earned |
| Page Views | Number of times the giveaway was viewed |
| Entry Method Breakdown | Which entry methods are most popular |
| Geographic Data | Where participants are located |
| Timeline | Entry trends over time |
Quick Reference: Giveaway Builder Tabs
| Tab | Purpose | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Info | Title, dates, description, prizes, rules | Yes (title, dates) |
| Entry Methods | Ways users can earn entries | No (but recommended) |
| Login Fields | Information collected from participants | No (name/email always required) |
| Design | Visual customization | No |
| Leaderboard & Coupons | Gamification features | No |
| Security Settings | Fraud prevention | No |