Good giveaway rules do two jobs: they tell entrants exactly what to do, and they protect you when someone argues about the result. You don't need a lawyer for a $50 gift card, but you do need to cover a handful of points, and Instagram requires one specific sentence. Here's a template you can copy, then a breakdown of every line so you can adapt it.

Key takeaways

Instagram's Promotion Guidelines require you to release Instagram from responsibility and to state that the promotion isn't sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Instagram.
Your rules should cover: who can enter, how to enter, start and end times (with time zone), how the winner is chosen, the prize, how the winner is contacted and how long they have to respond, and where the giveaway is void.
Only promise entry rules you can verify from public comments. "Follow, like, and share to your story" sounds nice but likes and story shares can't be checked by any public tool.
Keep the short version in your caption and link or point to the full version (in comments, a highlight, or a page on your site).
This is practical guidance, not legal advice. Big prizes, regulated products, or multi-country entries deserve a real attorney.

Full rules template (copy and paste)

Replace everything in [brackets]. Delete lines that don't apply.

[GIVEAWAY NAME] – OFFICIAL RULES

No purchase necessary. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning.

Sponsor. This giveaway is sponsored by [Your Business Name], [City, State/Country]. Contact: [email].

Eligibility. Open to residents of [the United States / list countries] who are [18] years of age or older at the time of entry and who have a public Instagram account. Employees of [Your Business Name] and their immediate family or household members are not eligible. Void where prohibited by law.

Entry period. Begins [Month Day, Year] at [time] [time zone] and ends [Month Day, Year] at [time] [time zone]. Comments posted after the end time will not be counted.

How to enter. Comment on the giveaway post at [post link] and tag [2] friends (each tag must be a different account). [Optional: Include the word "[keyword]" in your comment.] One entry per person regardless of the number of comments. Entrants must follow @[yourhandle] at the time of the drawing. Reply comments [do / do not] count. Accounts that appear to be spam, bots, or giveaway-only accounts may be disqualified.

Winner selection. [Number] winner(s) will be selected at random from all eligible entries on or about [date] using a verifiable random draw. The draw seed and entrant hash will be published at the proof link shared with the announcement so anyone can confirm the result. [Number] alternate(s) will be drawn at the same time.

Prize. [Description of prize], approximate retail value [$X]. No cash substitution or transfer except at Sponsor's discretion. Sponsor may substitute a prize of equal or greater value if the stated prize becomes unavailable. Winner is responsible for any applicable taxes.

Winner notification. The winner will be announced by [a comment on the giveaway post / a Story / a new post] and contacted by Instagram direct message from @[yourhandle] only. The winner must respond within [48 hours] to claim the prize. If the winner does not respond, is ineligible, or declines, the prize will be offered to the next alternate. We will never DM you asking for payment, card details, or a "shipping fee." Any account claiming to be us and asking for money is a scam.

Publicity. By entering, you agree that Sponsor may share your Instagram username in the winner announcement.

General. Sponsor's decisions are final. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any entrant who tampers with the entry process or violates these rules. This giveaway is governed by the laws of [State/Country].

Instagram release. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram. By entering, you release Instagram from any and all liability related to this promotion. You are providing your information to [Your Business Name] and not to Instagram.

Caption-length version

Instagram captions have limited space and even less attention. Put the essentials in the caption and point to the full rules.

🎉 GIVEAWAY: Win [prize]! To enter: 1) Follow @[yourhandle] 2) Comment below and tag 2 friends. One entry per person. Ends [date, time, time zone]. Open to [country], 18+. Winner picked at random with a public proof link and announced [date]. We'll only ever DM from @[yourhandle] and will never ask for payment. Full rules in the first comment. Not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with, Instagram.

Want it generated from your actual settings? The rules generator writes both versions from the number of winners, tags, keyword, and dates you choose, so the caption and the picker rules can't drift apart.

What each section is for

No purchase necessary

In the U.S. and many other places, a giveaway that requires payment to enter and awards a prize by chance is a lottery, which private businesses generally can't run. Free entry (a comment) keeps you in sweepstakes territory. If entry ever depends on buying something, talk to a lawyer first. More background in Instagram's promotion guidelines, explained.

Eligibility

Say who can enter: countries or states, minimum age, and who's excluded (your employees, your family, your other accounts). Requiring a public account isn't snobbery; a picker can't read entries from private accounts, and you can't check whether a private winner follows you.

Entry period

Include a time and a time zone. When you draw, set the picker's date window to match so late comments are excluded automatically instead of by judgment call.

How to enter

This is the part that must line up with your picker settings. If your rule says "tag 2 friends," the picker's minimum-mentions setting is 2 and it counts different accounts only. If you say "one entry per person," the picker dedupes. If you say "every comment counts," it doesn't. Avoid promising checks on likes, saves, or story shares: none of those are visible to a public tool, so you'd be promising to enforce something you can't. Follow requirements are fine; they're checked on the drawn winners rather than on every entrant.

Winner selection

"Selected at random" is the standard phrase. Adding "with a published proof link" gives your audience something they can actually check, and it takes the sting out of "was it rigged?" comments. Pickfetti's proof page at pickfetti.com/d/{code} publishes the seed and entrant hash for exactly this reason. Drawing alternates in the same draw is worth stating so nobody accuses you of a shady redraw later.

Prize

Describe it, give an approximate value, and reserve the right to substitute. If the prize has restrictions (a local service, a size range, shipping only within one country), say so here.

Winner notification and response window

Say how you'll announce, how you'll contact, and how long the winner has. Forty-eight to seventy-two hours is common. The "we will never ask for payment" line matters more every year: scam accounts impersonate hosts within minutes of a giveaway going up and DM entrants for "shipping fees." Naming your one official handle helps your audience spot the fakes.

Instagram release

This is the sentence Instagram asks for. Include it verbatim: "This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram." Pair it with the release of Instagram from liability and the note that entrants are giving information to you, not Instagram.

Where to put the full rules

First comment on the giveaway post (pin it). Simple, and stays with the post.
A page on your website, linked from your bio during the giveaway. Best for anything with real value or multiple winners.
A highlight if you're running the promo from Stories, though the entry itself still needs to be a comment on a post if you want a picker to read it.

Common mistakes this template avoids

No end time, so "late" entries become an argument.
Rules that require actions nobody can verify (likes, story shares).
No alternates, so a silent winner forces a second draw.
Missing the Instagram disclaimer.
Not saying which account will DM the winner, leaving room for impersonators.

FAQ

Do I really need the Instagram disclaimer for a small giveaway?

Instagram's Promotion Guidelines apply to any promotion run on the platform, regardless of size. The sentence costs you nothing, so include it.

Can I require people to follow me?

Yes. Just know that following can only be checked on the drawn winners, not on every entrant. If a drawn winner clearly doesn't follow, Pickfetti skips them transparently and moves to the next; private accounts show as unknown and aren't rejected.

Can I say "like this post to enter"?

You can ask people to like it, but don't make it a condition of winning, because no public tool can verify likes. Make the comment the entry.

Where does the proof link come from?

Run your draw with Pickfetti and you'll get a public proof page URL to paste into the announcement.

Is this legal advice?

No. It's a practical template. For high-value prizes, alcohol, cannabis, gambling, financial products, or entries from many countries, get an attorney to review your rules.