A giveaway has a lot of small moving parts, and the ones people forget (a claim window, a scam warning, drawing alternates) are exactly the ones that cause problems later. This is a complete, do-this-in-order checklist for before, during, and after your Instagram giveaway. Skim it while you plan, and run through it again before you hit post. Nothing here is busywork; each item prevents a specific headache.

Key takeaways

Most giveaway problems are prevented before you post: the right prize, verifiable rules, a clear close time, and a plan for picking the winner.
Only require entry actions you can verify from public comments. Check follows on the winners; skip likes and story-shares entirely.
Draw alternates in the same draw and publish a proof page, so a no-show or a "rigged?" accusation never derails you.
The after phase matters as much as the before: announce with proof, warn about impersonators, and keep showing up for new followers.
Pickfetti handles the pick-and-prove steps in about a minute, free for posts up to 500 comments.

Before you post

Strategy

Pick one clear goal (followers, engagement, feedback, local reach). Design the entry rule around it.
Choose a prize your ideal audience actually wants, ideally your own product or service, to filter out freebie-hunters.
Decide the entry rule: comment, plus a tag or two, plus maybe a keyword. Keep it low-friction and verifiable. Need inspiration? See giveaway ideas.

Rules and compliance

Write clear rules: eligibility (countries, age), how to enter, the prize, how the winner is chosen, and a claim window.
Include the standard disclaimer that the promotion isn't sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Instagram, and don't ask for inaccurate tagging. See Instagram's promotion guidelines.
Set an exact close date, time, and time zone, not just "Friday." Grab wording from the rules template or the rules generator.
Keep entry free so a random-winner giveaway stays a lawful sweepstakes, not a lottery. See giveaway vs contest vs sweepstakes.

Anti-scam and logistics

Add a line: "We'll only contact the winner from this account and will never ask for payment or a password." See giveaway scams to avoid.
Plan how you'll pick the winner (a tool that publishes proof) and how you'll ship the prize.
Decide the length: 3 to 7 days for most giveaways. See how long to run one.

While it's running

Pin a comment with the rules and the exact close time so latecomers see them.
Reply to entrants to boost engagement; genuine comment activity helps the post reach more people.
Re-share the giveaway to your story with a link sticker, and remind people as the deadline nears ("last 24 hours!").
Pin the post to the top of your profile for the duration.
Watch for copycat/impersonator accounts as the post gains traction; report and block them early.
Don't change the rules mid-giveaway. If you must clarify, do it in a pinned comment and apply it to everyone.
Want more entries in the window you've got? See how to get more entries.

Picking the winner (at close)

Copy the post or reel link and paste it into Pickfetti. It reads the public comments with no Instagram login.
Set the picker's rules to exactly match your caption: minimum tagged friends (counted as different accounts), any required keyword, one entry per person, exclude your own and team accounts, and a date window matching your close time.
Turn on follow verification if you required following; it checks the drawn winners only.
Draw your winner plus one to three alternates in the same draw.
Grab the public proof page link, the winner card image, and the CSV. Confirm the proof page shows the seed and entrant hash. Background in what makes a draw provably fair.

After the draw

Announce the winner in a post or story and paste the proof link. See how to announce a winner.
Contact the winner through multiple channels (comment reply, DM). Restate that you'll never ask for payment or a password.
Give the winner the stated claim window (e.g. 48 hours). If they don't respond, move to alternate #1 publicly with the same proof link. See what to do when a winner isn't responding.
Verify the winner's account is real, and that they met any follow rule, before you ship.
Thank everyone who entered and tease what's next, so new followers have a reason to stay.
Ship the prize and, if you like, share a follow-up when the winner receives it. Real proof of a real prize builds trust for next time.
Review what worked: entry count, new followers retained a week later, and whether the prize attracted the right people. Feed that into the next one.

The 60-second version

Right prize, clear verifiable rules with an exact close time and claim window, a scam-warning line, run it 3 to 7 days, then paste the post into the picker, mirror your caption's rules, draw winners plus alternates, and announce with the proof link. That single sequence covers the parts people forget. If you're still weighing whether to run one at all, read are Instagram giveaways worth it.

FAQ

What should I do before posting a giveaway?

Choose a relevant prize, write clear verifiable rules with an exact close time and a claim window, add a scam-warning line, and decide how you'll pick the winner with proof.

What's the most-forgotten giveaway step?

Drawing alternates and stating a claim window. Both prevent the mess of a no-show winner forcing a suspicious second draw.

What do I do the moment the giveaway closes?

Paste the post link into a picker, set rules matching your caption plus a date window, draw winners and alternates, and grab the proof link for your announcement.

How do I make the draw look fair?

Use a tool that publishes a proof page with the seed and entrant hash, and post that link with your announcement so anyone can verify the result.

What comes after announcing the winner?

Contact them through multiple channels, honor the claim window, verify their account, ship the prize, thank all entrants, and keep posting so new followers stay.