Terms and Conditions Template

Your giveaway goes live on Friday and the only thing left is the small print. Here's a template you can copy, fill in and publish today.

Your terms and conditions do three jobs. They tell entrants exactly how to win, they protect you when something goes wrong (a winner who never replies, a prize that sells out, someone entering 400 times), and they cover what the platform you run it on asks for.

If you run your giveaway on Gleam, you can skip most of this. Gleam generates Terms & Conditions for every Competition from your dates, locations and prize, and keeps them up to date as you edit. Use the template below when you're running a giveaway somewhere else, or when you want to know what's in the small print. It's a starting point, not legal advice, so have a lawyer check anything with a valuable prize.

The same terms work on every platform. What changes is the release line, because Facebook, Instagram and YouTube each ask for their own.

Here's what each one says (checked October 2026):

• Facebook: Its Pages terms (section III.E) ask for a complete release of Facebook by every entrant, and an acknowledgement that the promotion isn't sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. More in our Facebook giveaway rules
• Instagram: Its Promotion Guidelines ask for the same two things, naming Instagram. More in our Instagram giveaway rules
• YouTube: Its contest policies ask you to make clear YouTube isn't a sponsor, have entrants release YouTube from liability, link to the Community Guidelines and include a privacy notice
• LinkedIn: Its Professional Community Policies (checked October 2026) say "You may not use LinkedIn to hold lotteries, contests, sweepstakes, or giveaways." Host it somewhere else and share the link
• Anywhere else: A line saying the platform doesn't sponsor or run your giveaway is the safe default. Check the platform's own rules before you launch

Clause 16 of the template has all of these. Keep the names of the platforms you're actually using, and delete the rest.

Whether you use our template or write your own, check it answers these.

• Who's running it (the sponsor's name and address)
• Start and end dates, with times and a time zone
• Who can enter: age, countries, and who's excluded (staff and their families)

• The exact steps, and where to enter
• How many entries each person can get
• What happens to late, incomplete or duplicate entries
• Any format rules for photos, videos or captions

• What it is, how many there are and what they're worth
• How and when it's delivered
• Whether it can be swapped, transferred or taken as cash

• How winners are picked: random draw, judging panel or public vote
• For a judged contest, who judges and on what criteria
• How and when you'll announce and contact winners
• How long winners have to claim, and what happens if they don't

• How you'll collect, store and use entrants' details
• Whether you can use their entries (photos, videos, captions) in your marketing

• The platform release lines above
• Your right to disqualify cheats and change or cancel the giveaway if something goes wrong
• Which country's law applies
• Where to send questions or complaints

The template is written for a giveaway where the winner is picked at random. Running a skill contest instead, like a photo or caption competition? Use the judging version of clause 8, and pick "the judging described above" in clause 9. Everything else works for both.

Fill in everything in bold brackets, then cut what doesn't apply:

• No entrant content? Delete clause 10 if entrants don't submit photos, videos or captions.
• Not running it in the US? The "No purchase necessary" line is optional, but keep entry free anyway.
• Under-18s can enter? Add to clause 2: "Entrants under 18 need permission from a parent or guardian, who may be asked to accept the prize for them."
• Only on your own site? Clause 16 only needs the line saying no platform is involved.

Here's how the key blanks look filled in for a small Australian shop:

Sponsor: Local Supply Pty Ltd, 12 Smith St, Melbourne VIC 3000. Eligibility: residents of Australia aged 18 and over. Entry Period: 1 December 2026 12:00AM AEDT to 14 December 2026 11:59PM AEDT. Prize: one $200 Local Supply gift card. Winner selection: random draw on 15 December, notified by email within 7 days. Governing law: Victoria, Australia.

[Required for US sweepstakes, and useful anywhere:] NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE THE CHANCES OF WINNING.

1. Sponsor: The Sponsor of [GIVEAWAY NAME] is [SPONSOR NAME], [SPONSOR ADDRESS].
2. Eligibility: [GIVEAWAY NAME] (the "Promotion") is only open to those who sign up at [GIVEAWAY PAGE URL, e.g. the page on your site where it's embedded or its Gleam landing page]. The Promotion is open to [residents of COUNTRIES aged 18 and over / entrants worldwide], and is void where prohibited by law. Employees, independent contractors, interns, officers, directors, and agents of the Sponsor, their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, suppliers and their immediate family members and/or those living in the same household of each are not eligible to participate in the Promotion. The Promotion is subject to all applicable laws and regulations of [COUNTRY, and STATE where relevant].
3. Agreement to Rules: By entering the Promotion, the entrant ("You") agrees to comply with and abide by these Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, and you represent and warrant that you meet the eligibility requirements. In addition, you agree to accept the Sponsor's decisions as final and binding as it relates to the content of this Promotion. Entrants should look solely to the Sponsor with any questions, comments or issues related to the Promotion.
4. Entry Period: The Promotion begins on [1 December 2026 at 12:00AM AEDT] and ends on [14 December 2026 at 11:59PM AEDT] (the "Entry Period"). Entries submitted before or after the Entry Period will not be eligible.
5. How to Enter: The Promotion must be entered by submitting an entry using the online form provided at [GIVEAWAY PAGE URL] and pass any verification requirements (such as email verification) set by the Sponsor. The entry must fulfil all requirements of the Promotion, as specified, to be eligible to win a prize. Entries that are incomplete or do not adhere to the rules or specifications of the Promotion may be disqualified at the sole discretion of the Sponsor. You must provide the information requested. You may not enter more times than indicated by using multiple email addresses, identities, or devices in an attempt to circumvent the rules. If you use fraudulent methods or otherwise attempt to circumvent the rules of the Promotion, your submission may be disqualified at the sole discretion of the Sponsor.
6. Prizes: The winner(s) of the Promotion (the "Winner") will receive the following prizes: [PRIZE], with an approximate retail value of [VALUE AND CURRENCY].
7. Prize Conditions: Actual or appraised value of prizes may differ at time of prize award. The specifics of the prize shall be solely determined by the Sponsor. The prize is non-transferable. The Winner may not swap the prize, assign it to someone else or ask for its cash equivalent. The Sponsor may substitute a prize of equal or greater value if the advertised prize becomes unavailable. Any and all prize related expenses, including without limitation any taxes, shall be the sole responsibility of the Winner. Acceptance of the prize constitutes permission for the Sponsor to use the Winner's name, likeness, and entry for purposes of advertising and trade without further compensation, unless prohibited by law.
8. Odds of Winning [random draw only]: The odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. [For a skill contest, replace this clause with:] Judging: Entries will be judged by [JUDGES] on [CRITERIA, e.g. creativity 50%, relevance 50%]. Chance plays no part in selecting the Winner.
9. Winner Selection and Notification: The Winner will be selected by [random draw / the judging described above] under the supervision of the Sponsor. The Winner will be notified within [7 days] of the winner selection. The Sponsor shall have no liability for a Winner's failure to receive notices due to spam, junk e-mail or other security settings or for a Winner's provision of incorrect or otherwise non-functioning contact information. If the Winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible, fails to claim the prize within [7 days] from the time award notification was sent, or fails to return any declaration the Sponsor reasonably asks for [e.g. proof of age or residency], the prize may be forfeited and an alternate Winner selected. Receipt of the prize offered in this Promotion by the Winner is conditioned upon compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. Any violation of these official rules by the Winner at the Sponsor's sole discretion will result in the Winner's disqualification as winner, and all privileges as winner will be immediately terminated.
10. Rights Granted by the Entrant [only if entrants submit content]: If your entry includes content (a photo, video or text), you confirm it's your own original work and that anyone shown in it agreed to be included. You give the Sponsor a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use your entry, with credit to you, to promote this Promotion and the Sponsor's brand for [12 months], on the Sponsor's website and social channels. Entries that infringe someone else's rights will be disqualified.
11. Changes and Cancellation: If a bug, fraud, tampering or anything else beyond the Sponsor's control affects the fairness or running of the Promotion, the Sponsor may change, suspend or cancel it and pick a Winner from the eligible entries received. The Sponsor may disqualify anyone who tampers with the entry process, breaks these rules or enters more times than allowed, including with extra accounts, devices, bots or scripts.
12. Limitation of Liability: To the extent the law allows, the Sponsor isn't responsible for any loss or damage connected with the Promotion or the prize, including technical faults, late or incorrect entries, or entries that never arrive. This doesn't affect any rights you have under consumer protection law.
13. Governing Law: This Promotion is governed by the laws of [JURISDICTION, e.g. New South Wales, Australia], and any dispute connected with it will be resolved by the courts of [JURISDICTION]. Nothing in these rules excludes, restricts or modifies any right or remedy you have under consumer protection law that can't lawfully be excluded.
14. Winners List: To request a copy of the winners list please contact the Sponsor. Requests must be sent within four (4) weeks of the end of the Entry Period.
15. Privacy: Information you provide when entering is collected by the Sponsor and used to run the Promotion and contact the Winner, as set out in the Sponsor's privacy policy at [PRIVACY POLICY URL].
16. Platforms: The Promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, [Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, TikTok] or any other platform used to promote it. You understand that you are providing your information to the Sponsor and not to any of these platforms. [If you run the Promotion on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube, add:] By entering, you give [Facebook / Instagram / YouTube] a complete release from any liability connected with the Promotion. [YouTube only, add:] Entries must follow the YouTube Community Guidelines at https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks/policies/community-guidelines/ and entries that don't will be disqualified.

Use this to decide what to keep. Most clauses stay in every giveaway, and three depend on how yours runs.

Every Gleam Competition comes with Terms & Conditions, built from the details in your setup. Click Modify to change the sponsor name and address, governing law country, privacy policy link, how winners are picked and how long they have to claim. On the Hobby Plan and above you can rewrite them completely or paste in your own.

Entrants open them from the link in the footer of your widget. Click Terms & Conditions in the example below to see how they look:

Giveaway rules vary by country and US state, and some places ask for registration or a permit when the prize is valuable. Our no purchase necessary guide covers the free entry rule.