How a winner is chosen
The tool fetches the newest 2,000 top-level comments through the official YouTube Data API. It removes anything that fails your rules, then draws from what remains using PHP’s cryptographically secure random generator. Every eligible entry has the same chance, and neither the order of the comments nor their like counts affect the result.
The list of comments is stored for 10 minutes, so pressing Draw again during that time picks from the same set. Late comments appear once it refreshes.
Order in which the rules apply
- The channel owner’s own comments can be left out.
- Names in the leave-out box are removed, ignoring capitals and the @ sign.
- A required keyword keeps only the comments containing it.
- With one entry per person, someone who commented ten times counts as a single entry.
The result shows how many of the total comments were eligible, so if a keyword has filtered out almost everyone you will see it straight away. Up to 10 winners can be drawn at once.
Who cannot be picked
Replies are not entered, so tell people to post a new comment and not to reply to someone else’s. Comments held for review or hidden by YouTube’s spam filter are not available to outside tools. Check your Studio inbox before the deadline and approve any genuine entries. If comments are switched off on the video, there is nothing to draw from.
On a video with more than 2,000 comments, the oldest fall outside the window. For a very popular giveaway, say so in your rules or ask entrants to use a keyword and draw soon after closing.
Running a giveaway people trust
Write your rules before you announce the prize: the closing date, who may enter, how many winners there will be and how they will be contacted. YouTube’s contest policies make the creator responsible for the rules and for following local law, and some countries restrict prize draws or require registration.
Screen-record the draw or use Copy results, which includes the time and the number of eligible entries, and share it with your audience. Scammers often impersonate creators in replies and ask "winners" to pay a fee, so warn viewers that you will never ask for money and will only contact them from your own channel.