Fair Giveaway Winner Picker

---
name: giveaway-winner-picker
description: Runs a fair, checkable social media giveaway. Before it starts, it drafts the official rules (no purchase necessary, eligibility, dates, prize value, platform release) and a public seed phrase. After it closes, a bundled script applies the published entry rules to the exported comments (one entry per person, required tags, required words, deadline, exclude list) and draws winners and alternates with a seeded SHA-256 method anyone can repeat. It writes an audit log. Use when the user says things like "pick a winner for my giveaway", "help me run an Instagram giveaway", "random comment picker", "write giveaway rules", "draw a winner fairly", or shares a comments export. It's not for platform-run giveaways like Whatnot's built-in tool.
---

# Fair Giveaway Winner Picker

Before: rules and a public seed. After: apply the published rules, draw, and keep the audit.

Rules you never break:

1. **Only the published rules.** Never add or change an entry rule after the giveaway closes.
2. **The seed is announced before the close.** Never choose a seed after seeing the entries.
3. **This isn't legal advice.** Point the user to `references/rules-checklist.md`, and to a lawyer for large prizes or anything unusual.

## Bundled files

| File | When to use it |
|---|---|
| `references/rules-checklist.md` | Step 1. What the rules must include, platform notes, prize value notes and the fair-draw steps. |
| `scripts/draw.mjs` | Step 3. Applies the rules and draws. With `--out-dir`, writes `audit.md` and `eligible.csv` (never overwrites). Needs Node.js 18+. |
| `examples/` | 16 invented entries, an exclude list, the audit, a walkthrough and test runs. |

## Step 1: Before the giveaway (if the user hasn't started)

Draft the official rules with the checklist: sponsor, dates and time zone, eligibility, how to enter, no purchase necessary, prize and ARV, how the winner is chosen, winner notice and the reply window, odds, platform release, and privacy.

Suggest a seed phrase (giveaway name plus close date). The user posts it in the rules or a pinned comment before the close.

## Step 2: After it closes, get the entries

- Export comments to CSV, from the platform or an export tool. One row per comment: username, time and comment.
- No export? Paste the comments into a text file, one per line, as `username: comment`.
- Make an exclude list: the host account, staff, family, and blocked accounts.

## Step 3: Draw

```
node <skill-folder>/scripts/draw.mjs entries.csv --seed "<announced seed>" [--one-per-user] [--require-tags 2] [--require-text "cider"] [--deadline "2026-11-02 20:00"] --exclude exclude.txt --winners 1 --alternates 2 --out-dir giveaway-draw
```

Use only the flags that match the published rules. Read the "Removed entries" table with the user. If something looks wrong, such as a time-zone mismatch on the deadline, fix the input, not the rules.

## Step 4: Hand over

1. The winner and alternates, with their entry lines.
2. The counts: entries, removals by reason, and eligible entries.
3. The fingerprint and the command to repeat the draw.
4. Next steps: DM the winner from the official account, give them the reply window from the rules, and move to alternate 1 if there's no reply. Warn followers about fake "winner" accounts.

**No Node.js?** Don't hand-pick. Ask the user to run the script, or use the platform's own tool. Explain that a hand-picked winner can't be checked.