Create Your Own Entry Method
for Any Giveaway Action
SweepWidget has 110+ built-in entry methods. But sometimes you need something specific. Write a product review on Amazon. Complete an onboarding tutorial. Attend a webinar. Submit a testimonial. With Create Your Own Entry, you define the action, write the instructions, and verify completions yourself. It is the escape hatch for anything the built-in methods do not cover.
The Create Your Own Entry Method
One entry method, infinite possibilities. You write the action, set the point value, and decide how participants prove they completed it. SweepWidget handles the rest: entry tracking, point tallying, winner selection, and fraud prevention.
Define any entry action with your own instructions. Optionally include a URL for participants to visit and require text or proof submissions you review manually. Supports daily re-entry, so participants can complete your custom action once per day for bonus points throughout the contest.
How It Works
Setting up a custom entry takes less than a minute inside the giveaway builder. Here is what you control.
Your Instructions
Write exactly what participants need to do. Be as specific as you want: "Leave a 5-star review on our G2 page," "Share a photo of your setup on Twitter with #MySetup," or "Complete Module 1 of our free course." The instructions appear directly in the widget, so participants see exactly what is required.
Optional URL
Add a link that participants should visit to complete the action. This could be your product review page, a survey form, a course landing page, or any external destination. The URL opens in a new tab when participants click through. If no URL is needed, skip it entirely.
Optional Proof Submission
Require participants to submit text or proof before they earn points. This could be a screenshot, a review URL, a confirmation code, or a written response. You review submissions in the SweepWidget dashboard and approve or reject each one. This adds a layer of accountability that self-reported entries do not have.
Manual Verification
You verify completions yourself. Since custom entries cover actions that no API can automatically track, manual verification gives you full control over quality. Review each submission, confirm it meets your criteria, and approve it. Combined with daily re-entry, this lets you run ongoing tasks where participants prove their work each day.
Need something more automated? Visit a Page tracks page visits automatically, Upload a File handles photo and document submissions with built-in gallery support, and Custom Form Fields collect structured data like dropdowns, checkboxes, and text inputs. Create Your Own Entry is best when you need total flexibility over the action itself.
Full setup docs for Create Your Own Entry
What Can You Use It For?
Any action that your audience can complete and you can verify. Here are real examples that SweepWidget users set up with Create Your Own Entry.
SaaS companies collecting product reviews. Participants submit a screenshot or URL of their review as proof.
E-commerce brands driving Amazon review counts. Participants paste the link to their published review.
SaaS products incentivizing activation. Participants submit a screenshot of their completed dashboard or a confirmation code from the final step.
Event organizers driving registrations and attendance. Participants enter an attendance code shared during the live event.
Brands collecting social proof. Participants record a short testimonial and paste the link (or use Upload a File for direct uploads).
SaaS companies driving trial signups. Participants submit their account email or a screenshot of their trial dashboard as proof.
The pattern is the same every time: you describe the action, optionally add a destination URL, optionally require proof, and set a point value. Participants see clear instructions, complete the task, and earn entries. You review submissions on your own timeline.
Custom Entries + Built-In Methods: Filling the Gaps
Create Your Own Entry is most powerful when paired with SweepWidget's built-in platform methods. Use the automated methods for standard social actions, and add a custom entry for the one thing no integration can track. Here are three campaign designs that show how custom entries fill gaps in multi-platform giveaways.
Product Review Collection Campaign
Getting product reviews is one of the hardest organic marketing challenges. No giveaway platform has an API to verify Amazon or Google reviews. But you can require participants to submit a review as a custom entry, then manually confirm each one. Pair it with social follows for cross-channel growth.
Recommended setup:
- Create Your Own Entry (10 points) - "Write a review on Amazon/G2/Trustpilot" with proof submission required
- Instagram Follow (3 points) - grow your social proof alongside reviews
- Email Signup (2 points) - capture contacts for follow-up review requests
- Refer a Friend (3 points per referral) - reviewers recruit other customers to review
Best for: E-commerce brands, SaaS companies, app developers, service businesses. Anyone who needs more reviews on third-party platforms where no automated verification exists.
Webinar & Event Attendance Drive
Want to incentivize live event attendance, not just registration? Create a custom entry that requires attendees to submit a code you reveal during the live session. Only people who actually show up can earn the points. Layer on social follows and email capture to turn event attendees into long-term contacts.
Recommended setup:
- Create Your Own Entry (10 points, daily) - "Enter the attendance code from today's session"
- YouTube Subscribe (3 points) - convert attendees into channel subscribers for recorded sessions
- Email Signup (2 points) - future event invitations and follow-up content
- Facebook Visit Page (2 points) - build community around your event series
Best for: Course creators, B2B companies running webinar series, conference organizers, community managers hosting live AMAs. The daily re-entry option makes this perfect for multi-session events where you want to reward attendance at every session.
Product Onboarding & Activation
Turn your onboarding flow into a gamified contest. Add multiple custom entries for each onboarding step: "Create your first project," "Invite a teammate," "Complete the setup wizard." Participants earn more points for each milestone they hit, and you drive product adoption while building a social following simultaneously.
Recommended setup:
- Create Your Own Entry #1 (3 points) - "Create your account" with screenshot proof
- Create Your Own Entry #2 (5 points) - "Complete the setup wizard" with screenshot proof
- Create Your Own Entry #3 (10 points) - "Invite a teammate" with email confirmation
- X Follow + Repost (2 points each) - amplify your product launch
- Refer a Friend (5 points per referral) - users recruit other potential users
Best for: SaaS products launching a new feature, mobile apps driving first-week activation, platforms that need users to complete a multi-step setup. You can add up to 40 actions per contest on Pro (more on higher plans), so multi-step onboarding flows fit naturally.
Across SweepWidget, giveaways with 5+ entry methods average 787 entrants compared to 163 for single-method contests. See the full data breakdown. Adding a custom entry alongside automated social methods is one of the easiest ways to push past that 5-method mark while driving a specific business outcome that social follows alone cannot deliver.
5 Tips for Effective Custom Entry Methods
Custom entries give you total control, but that flexibility means you need to be deliberate about how you set them up. These five tips come from how successful giveaway organizers use the Create Your Own Entry method inside SweepWidget.
Write instructions like a task, not a suggestion
Vague instructions like "check out our product" lead to low-quality completions and disputes about what counts. Be specific: "Go to [URL], create a free account, and submit a screenshot of your dashboard." Participants should know exactly what "done" looks like before they start. The clearer your instructions, the fewer submissions you need to reject.
Require proof for high-value actions
If your custom entry is worth 10+ points or is the primary purpose of your giveaway, enable proof submission. A screenshot, a URL, or a confirmation code adds accountability. For low-value bonus actions (1-2 points), self-reported completions are fine since the payoff for faking is too small to bother. Save manual review effort for the actions that matter most.
Use daily re-entry for ongoing actions
Daily re-entry is what makes Create Your Own Entry powerful for recurring tasks. "Share a photo of your workout today," "Use our product and log your results," or "Attend today's live session." Participants earn points every day they complete the action, which keeps them engaged throughout the contest instead of entering once and forgetting. This is especially effective for giveaways that run 8-14 days.
Set point values that match effort
A custom entry that takes 10 minutes (writing a review, completing a tutorial) should be worth significantly more than a one-click social follow. If your Instagram Follow is 2 points, set your "Write a review" custom entry at 10-15 points. This tells participants exactly how much you value the action and incentivizes the completions you care about most. Combine with a leaderboard to make the point competition visible.
Combine multiple custom entries in one giveaway
You are not limited to one custom entry per contest. Add several with different actions and point values to create a full task-based campaign. "Sign up for our newsletter" (2 points), "Complete the free trial" (5 points), "Leave a review" (10 points), "Refer a colleague" (15 points). Each custom entry becomes a step in your funnel. On the Pro plan you can have up to 40 total actions, and higher plans support even more.
Create Your Own Entry vs. Other Flexible Methods
SweepWidget has several entry methods designed for custom or flexible use cases. Here is when to use each one.
| Method | Best When | Verification | Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Create Your Own Entry | You need a totally custom action with your own instructions | Manual (you review) | Pro |
| Bonus Entries | Quick, low-stakes extra chances (self-reported is fine) | Self-reported | Free |
| Visit a Page | You want to drive traffic to a specific URL (auto-tracked) | Automatic (page visit tracked) | Free |
| Upload a File | You need photo, video, or document submissions | File uploaded (gallery optional) | Pro |
| Custom Form Fields | You need structured data (dropdowns, checkboxes, text fields) | Form submitted | Pro |
| Secret Code | You want to gate entry behind a code you distribute | Code match (automatic) | Pro |
Use Create Your Own Entry when none of the above options fit your exact requirement. It is the fallback for any action you can describe in words but that no API or form field can capture automatically. And since it supports daily re-entry, you can turn one-time tasks into recurring engagement loops.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Create Your Own Entry method in SweepWidget?
Create Your Own Entry lets you define any custom action as a giveaway entry method. You write your own instructions, optionally add a URL, and optionally require proof submissions. Participants complete the action you described and earn entry points. You verify completions manually through the SweepWidget dashboard. It is available on the Pro plan and supports daily re-entry.
Can participants submit proof for custom entries?
Yes. When setting up the entry method, you can enable a text submission field where participants paste a URL, screenshot link, confirmation code, or written response. You review each submission in your dashboard and approve or reject it. Proof submission is optional. For self-reported actions where trust is sufficient, you can skip it.
How many custom entries can I add to one giveaway?
Each custom entry counts as one action toward your plan's action limit. On the Pro plan, you can have up to 40 total actions per contest, which includes custom entries alongside any other entry methods (social follows, email signup, referrals, etc.). Business plans support 60 actions, Premium supports 80, and Enterprise supports 125.
Does Create Your Own Entry support daily re-entry?
Yes. You can enable daily re-entry so participants can complete your custom action once per day throughout the giveaway. This is useful for recurring tasks like "log your workout," "share a daily photo," or "attend today's live session." Daily entries keep participants engaged over the full duration of your contest instead of entering once on day one.
What plan do I need for custom entry methods?
Create Your Own Entry requires a Pro plan or higher. The Pro plan includes access to all 110+ entry methods, refer-a-friend viral sharing, up to 40 actions per contest, and 5 repeatable (daily) actions. You can start with a free account to explore the builder and upgrade when you are ready to launch.
What is the difference between Create Your Own Entry and Bonus Entries?
Bonus Entries are self-reported and available on the Free plan. Participants mark the action as done without submitting proof. Create Your Own Entry is on the Pro plan and supports optional proof submissions with manual verification. Use Bonus Entries for low-stakes extra chances. Use Create Your Own Entry when you need accountability and want to review completions yourself.
Can I combine custom entries with social media entry methods?
Yes, and this is the recommended approach. Add your custom entry alongside SweepWidget's built-in methods for Instagram, YouTube, X, TikTok, and 30+ other platforms. The automated methods handle social verification while your custom entry handles the action no API can track. This multi-method approach lets you grow socials and drive a specific business outcome from a single giveaway.
How do I verify custom entry submissions?
All submissions appear in your SweepWidget dashboard under the giveaway's entries section. You can review each participant's submitted proof (text, URL, or confirmation code), then approve or reject the entry. Approved entries award points immediately. You can also export all entries to CSV for bulk review. There is no deadline for verification, so you can review at your own pace.
Build a Giveaway With Your Own Rules
Define any entry action, require proof, enable daily re-entry, and combine with 110+ built-in methods. Your giveaway, your rules.
Create A Custom Entry Giveaway