This guide covers common issues and frequently asked questions for both contest participants and hosts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For purchase-based entries to work:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No, users must interact with the SweepWidget widget directly to have their entries registered. Simply liking\/sharing your social media posts without visiting the widget will not count. Direct users to your giveaway landing page or embedded widget to ensure entries are tracked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Entry counts may appear delayed due to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The leaderboard ranks participants by total entries. Users earn bonus entries through:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes! You can configure entry methods to allow daily, weekly, or custom recurring entries. When setting up an entry method, look for the “Allow multiple entries” or frequency options. This is great for increasing engagement over longer-running giveaways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After creating your giveaway, find your link in the giveaway editor. Look for the Installation<\/strong> or Embed<\/strong> section to find:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes! The SweepWidget embed code works on any website that allows custom HTML, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alternatively, use the hosted landing page link (sweepwidget.com\/c\/XXXXX) which works everywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes! When creating a new giveaway, select Starter Templates<\/strong> from the dashboard. Browse available templates (leaderboard, viral, simple entry, etc.) and customize colors, text, and entry methods to match your brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes! To copy a giveaway:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is great for running recurring promotions or A\/B testing different configurations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When creating a giveaway, you select your time zone in the Basic Info<\/strong> section. All start and end times are based on this time zone. The widget automatically displays the correct countdown for users regardless of their location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, you can set entry methods as Mandatory<\/strong> in the entry method settings. Users must complete all mandatory actions before their entry is confirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes! In your giveaway settings, you can enable age verification. Users will need to confirm they meet the minimum age requirement (e.g., 18+ or 21+) before entering. This is configured in the pre-entry settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes! SweepWidget includes an Official Rules Generator<\/strong> that helps you create legally compliant sweepstakes rules. Find it in your giveaway editor under the rules\/terms section. You can customize the generated rules or add your own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Note: While the generator provides a helpful starting point, consult with a legal professional for compliance in your jurisdiction.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n SweepWidget integrates with 35+ email providers including Mailchimp, Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit, AWeber, HubSpot, and many more. See our CRM Integration Setup Guide<\/a> for the full list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For providers not directly supported, use our Zapier integration<\/a> to connect to 5000+ apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes! Connect SweepWidget to Zapier (Business plan required) and create Zaps to send new entries to your CRM, add subscribers to email lists, push custom field data to Google Sheets, or trigger SMS notifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n WhatsApp is available for sharing (Refer-A-Friend), but not as a direct entry method. You can use a “Visit Link” entry method and direct users to your WhatsApp channel join link as a workaround.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This can occur due to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes! Annual plans offer savings compared to monthly billing. Go to your billing settings, select “Switch to Annual,” and you’ll be credited for unused time on your current plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SweepWidget does not offer a traditional free trial for paid plans. Instead, we operate on a freemium model<\/strong> where you can use our Free plan indefinitely with access to many core features. This allows you to fully test SweepWidget before committing to a paid plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you upgrade to a paid plan and are unsatisfied, we offer a 7-day money back guarantee<\/strong> within your first billing cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes! We offer a recurring 25% for non-profit organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Contact our support team with details about your organization to learn about available discounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We have a 7-day money back guarantee<\/strong> if you’re unsatisfied with SweepWidget within the first billing cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Important conditions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Refund limitations:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The photo contest feature is available on the Pro plan and above<\/strong>, so there is no separate free trial for this specific feature. However, the same 7-day money back guarantee<\/strong> applies if you upgrade to Pro (or higher) and are unsatisfied with the photo contest functionality or any other features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can change your email address from your account settings page. Log in and navigate to your profile settings to update your email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See How to Randomly Pick a Winner<\/a> for detailed instructions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes! SweepWidget has a Live Draw<\/strong> feature that lets you reveal winners in real-time, perfect for streaming or live events. Find this option in the Winners section of your giveaway. You can display a spinning wheel or animated reveal for added excitement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This occurs when all prize codes\/slots have been assigned. Check your prize settings for available quantity, add more prize codes if needed, or select a different prize for additional winners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes! When selecting winners, set the number of winners to pick, choose “Random” selection, and SweepWidget will select the specified number of unique winners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes! In your giveaway’s Security Settings<\/strong>, you can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This uses IP-based geolocation to determine user location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sudden entry spikes may indicate bot\/spam attacks, viral sharing (legitimate), or entry fraud. To investigate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When exporting entries, review the data for suspicious patterns. You can filter by verification status and manually review entries that appear fraudulent. Use the disqualify feature<\/a> to remove fraudulent entries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enable these security features in your giveaway’s Security Settings<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes! In your giveaway’s Manage Entries<\/strong> section, find the Allow emails \/ IP’s<\/strong> area and add the user’s email address. Whitelisted users bypass fraud detection. See How to Unban a User<\/a> for details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your participants are reporting that their entries are being flagged as spam or rejected, here are several steps you can take to resolve this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n SweepWidget offers four security levels: Weak<\/strong>, Standard<\/strong>, Strong<\/strong>, and Strict<\/strong>. Higher security levels are more aggressive at blocking suspicious entries, which can sometimes catch legitimate users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To adjust:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
How do I embed the giveaway widget on my website?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Can I embed on Wix, Squarespace, or other website builders?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Can I use a pre-made template for my giveaway?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Can I duplicate an existing giveaway?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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How do time zones work for start\/end times?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How do I add custom fields to collect additional information?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Can I require users to complete specific actions before entering?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Can I require a minimum age to enter?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Does SweepWidget help create official rules\/terms?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Integrations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Do you integrate with my email provider?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How do I connect SweepWidget to my Shopify store?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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How do I integrate with WooCommerce?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Can I push collected data to other apps via Zapier?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Do you support WhatsApp channel joins as an entry method?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Billing & Subscriptions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
I just purchased a plan but it still shows I’m on the free plan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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How do I upgrade or downgrade my plan?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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How do I cancel my subscription?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Can I switch from monthly to annual billing?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Does SweepWidget offer a free trial?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Do you offer non-profit discounts?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What is SweepWidget’s refund policy?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Does the photo contest tool have a free trial?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Account & Login Issues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
I’m not receiving the password reset email<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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How do I change the email address on my account?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Winners & Selection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How do I pick a winner?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Can I do a live winner draw\/reveal?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
I’m getting “maximum number of codes used” error<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Can I pick multiple winners at once?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How do I contact\/notify the winners?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Spam & Security<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Can I limit entries to specific countries?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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My giveaway got a huge spike in entries overnight<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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How do I filter out spam entries from my export?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How do I prevent bot entries?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Can I whitelist specific users who are being blocked?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
My Legitimate Users Are Getting Marked as Spam (For Hosts)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
1. Lower Your Security Level<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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