---
title: "Run an Instagram Giveaway with DM Automation"
description: "Run an Instagram giveaway with DM automation. Use one keyword, put the rules in the caption, DM every entrant and pick the winner at random."
url: "https://creatorflow.so/learn/giveaway-campaign"
language: "en"
---

[Free Instagram DM automation course All lessons](https://creatorflow.so/learn)

Lesson 4 of 200 of 20 done

**Course contents Lesson 4 of 20**

[Module 2 · Campaigns](https://creatorflow.so/learn#module-2)

# Run an Instagram giveaway with DM automation

Lesson 4 of 207 min read

In this lesson you will

- Write a giveaway post with clear rules and its own keyword
- Send every entrant a DM with the rules and the draw date
- Pick the winner fairly, alone or with a brand partner

To run an Instagram giveaway with DM automation, give it its own keyword, such as GLOWWIN, and write the rules in the caption. CreatorFlow sends everyone who comments the keyword a DM with the rules link and the draw date. You check the entries and pick the winner yourself, at random.

## The campaign at a glance

A skincare creator gives away her morning set. A candle shop runs one with a florist.

| Part | Your giveaway |
| --- | --- |
| Goal | New followers and comments from people who like what you make or sell |
| Best for | Creators with a prize, shops, brands that work with a creator |
| Length | 3 to 7 days |
| Posts | 1 giveaway post, 2 or 3 Stories, 1 winner post |
| Keyword | One word only this giveaway uses, such as GLOWWIN |
| What the DM sends | The entry note, the draw date and the rules link |
| CreatorFlow features | Comment-to-DM, Follow Gate, Public Reply, Rewind |
| Plan | Free sends the DM. Follow Gate, Public Reply and Rewind need Pro or Growth |

**What CreatorFlow does**

It sends the DM to everyone who comments the keyword. It does not check entries or pick a winner. You do both.

## Day by day

Rules differ by country. Check them where you run the giveaway.

1. 1
   ### 7 days before: write the rules
   Write the prize, who can enter, the end time and how you pick and contact the winner. Put the full rules on one web page. Entry must be free.
2. 2
   ### Night before: build it
   Build the automation on **Next post or reel**, with your giveaway word. Add Follow Gate if a follow is in the rules. Post nothing else first.
3. 3
   ### Day 1: post in the morning
   Put the prize, the keyword and the end time in the first lines. Pin a comment with the keyword. Test from a second account, and leave it out of the draw.
4. 4
   ### Days 2 to 5: keep it visible
   Post Stories of the prize in use, with a countdown sticker.
5. 5
   ### Last day: close on time
   Post a Story with the end time. At that time, pause the automation or change the DM.
6. 6
   ### Draw day: pick at random
   Copy the usernames that commented the keyword. Remove anyone who breaks the rules. Paste the list into the [free giveaway picker](https://creatorflow.so/tools/instagram-giveaway-picker) and record your screen.
7. 7
   ### Draw day: tell the winner
   Message the winner yourself. Then post the winner and say how you contacted them.

## Giveaways with a brand or another creator

- One account hosts. It owns the rules page, the draw and the winner message
- Each account posts the giveaway and runs its own automation, with the same keyword and rules link
- Name every partner in the caption. When a brand gives the prize, start the caption with Ad
- Agree in writing who gets which contacts, and say it in the rules

## Instagram giveaway posts and captions to copy

Copy and change

Caption, first lines Giveaway. Win my full morning skincare set. Comment GLOWWIN by Friday 8 May at 20:00 CET to enter.

Rules summary Open to people 18 and over in Spain and Portugal. One entry per person. I pick one winner at random on 9 May and message them from this account only. Not sponsored by Instagram. Full rules in my bio.

Brand partner Ad. The prize comes from @studioflora. Comment PETALWIN to enter. Full rules in my bio.

Pinned comment Comment GLOWWIN to enter. The rules come to you by DM.

Public Reply (Pro and Growth) You are in. Check your DMs for the rules.

Winner post The winner is @\[name\], picked at random on a screen recording. I sent you a message from this account. I will never ask you to pay for the prize.

## Giveaway DMs to copy

Copy and change

GLOWWIN You are in the giveaway. I pick one winner at random on Saturday 9 May and tell them by DM from this account. Tap Rules for the full rules. Good luck!

Follow Gate Thanks for entering. A follow is part of the rules, so please follow me first. Then tap the button.

GLOWWIN (closed) This giveaway has closed. The winner is on my profile. My next giveaway starts in June.

## Mistakes

- **A keyword people write anyway**
  WIN, ENTER and GIVEAWAY appear in normal comments. Use a word only this giveaway uses.
- **Too many steps to enter**
  Follow, tag, share and comment loses people. Ask for the keyword and, if you want, a follow.
- **Rules only behind a link**
  Put who can enter, the end time and how you pick the winner in the caption. Link the full rules.
- **A giveaway longer than a week**
  Instagram lets you answer a comment by DM for 7 days after it. A short giveaway also keeps the post busy.
- **A private pick**
  Use a random picker and record the screen. Never pick a favourite.
- **Forgetting the DM count**
  Every entry DM counts toward your month, and Free has 500. Instagram sends 200 DMs an hour. The rest wait.

## After the campaign

- **Check** the keyword comments on the post and Total Followers on Home. Compare them with a normal week
- **Expect** some new followers to leave after the winner post. Judge the count two weeks later
- **Thank** everyone who entered with a Story code that works for a few days
- **Keep** new followers with a [free guide behind a keyword](https://creatorflow.so/learn/follow-gate) on your next post

In CreatorFlow

## Set it up in CreatorFlow

One comment automation runs the whole giveaway.

![CreatorFlow builder with a post selected and the keyword LINK typed](https://creatorflow.so/images/how-it-works/choose-keyword.webp)

1. 1
   ### Pick the post
   Before you post, choose **Next post or reel** in Step 1. If the post is live, pick it in **My Content**.
2. 2
   ### Type the giveaway word
   Use a word only this giveaway uses. On Pro and Growth, turn on the public reply in Step 2.
3. 3
   ### Add Follow Gate if the rules ask for a follow
   In Step 3, choose **a DM asking to follow you before they get the link**. It is on Pro and Growth. [The follower funnel lesson](https://creatorflow.so/learn/follow-gate) shows the trade-off.
4. 4
   ### Write the DM and the rules button
   Write the entry note and the draw date. Press **+ Add Link**, add the rules page and name the button Rules.
5. 5
   ### Start, test and pause on time
   Press **Start Automation**. After you post, comment from a second account. At the end time, press Pause on the Automations page.

Practice

## Your task

1. 1
   Write the rules page and the caption summary.
2. 2
   Build the automation with your giveaway word and test it from a second account.
3. 3
   Post the giveaway and pin the keyword comment.

You are done when your test account gets the entry DM and the Rules button opens the rules.

[Open CreatorFlow](https://creatorflow.so/login)

## Key points

- Use one keyword only the giveaway uses, and keep it to 3 to 7 days.
- Put the main rules in the caption and the full rules on a page.
- CreatorFlow sends the DM. You check the entries and pick the winner at random.

## Questions

**Does CreatorFlow pick the giveaway winner?**

No. It sends the DM to everyone who comments the keyword. On Pro and Growth, you can export Contacts as CSV. The Source column shows which automation each person came from.

**Can a follow be part of the giveaway rules?**

Yes. Follow Gate, on Pro and Growth, asks people to follow before they get the rules DM. They tap a button to confirm. CreatorFlow does not check the follow, so check the winner yourself.

**I posted before I built the automation. What now?**

Build it now. On Pro and Growth, Rewind sends the DM to people who commented before the automation started.

Go deeper: [Instagram giveaway automation guide](https://creatorflow.so/blog/instagram-giveaway-automation-complete-guide/), [Giveaways with brand partners](https://creatorflow.so/blog/brand-collab-giveaway-instagram-dm-automation/), [Giveaway rules in the UK and the EU](https://creatorflow.so/blog/instagram-giveaway-rules-uk-eu/), [Grow Instagram followers with Follow Gate](https://creatorflow.so/learn/follow-gate).

Last updated November 4, 2026