by Koen Knol on .
Running a giveaway on a Facebook Page is easy. Picking a winner in a way that is clear, fair, and easy to explain is usually the harder part. This guide shows how to use the Facebook Comment Picker step by step, so you can load the right comments, apply your giveaway rules, start the draw, and share the result afterwards.
Besides the main steps, you will also see where users usually make mistakes, what each important filter is for, and which giveaway rules still need a manual check before you confirm the winner.
Quick step summary
Want the short version first? This is the basic flow:
- Open the Facebook Comment Picker.
- Log in with Facebook and approve the requested permissions.
- Select the correct Facebook Page and the giveaway post, video, or Reel.
- Choose the giveaway filters and raffle settings that match your rules.
- Click Get Facebook comments to load the entries.
- Click Start to pick a winner.
- Save the result and share it, or pick a new winner if needed.
Prefer a visual walkthrough? Watch the video tutorial below to see the full process in action.
What is Facebook Comment Picker?
Facebook Comment Picker is a giveaway tool that lets you select a winner from comments on a Facebook post made by your Facebook Page. Instead of manually scrolling through comments or copying names into another tool, you can load the comments directly, apply filters that match your giveaway rules, and start the draw from the eligible entries.
The tool supports organic comments from Facebook Page posts, videos, and Reels. It is made for Facebook business pages only. Personal profiles, digital creator profiles, and Facebook groups are not supported.
That is not just a tool limitation. It is because Meta only provides the needed access for supported Page content. So if your giveaway was posted from a personal profile or in a group, this tool is not the right fit.
Why use a comment picker instead of picking manually?
Manual winner selection gets messy fast. A Facebook giveaway may look simple at first, but once you have duplicate comments, tag-a-friend rules, date limits, or a few hundred entries, it becomes much harder to keep the process clear.
A comment picker helps because it gives you a fixed workflow. You load the comments from the selected Page post, turn on the filters that match your rules, and then run the draw from that filtered list. That makes the process easier to repeat, easier to explain to participants, and easier to document afterwards.
Who can use Facebook Comment Picker?
The tool is for people who manage a Facebook business page and want to run a giveaway, sweepstake, promotion, or contest based on Facebook comments.
You can use it for:
- Regular Facebook Page posts
- Facebook Page videos
- Facebook Page Reels
You cannot use it for:
- Personal Facebook profiles
- Digital creator profiles
- Facebook groups
If your giveaway is not published on a supported Facebook Page, the post will not load in the tool.
What is included in Free and Premium?
The Facebook Comment Picker is free to use without registration to pick one winner from one post with up to 100 comments. Premium removes those limits and unlocks more options, such as multiple posts, more winners, advanced filters, branding settings, and an ad-free experience.
If you need those extras, see Comment Picker Premium.
Step 1: Log in with Facebook
To use the tool, Facebook Login is always required. The tool needs that login to retrieve your Facebook Pages, Page posts, and comments through the official Meta platform.
You can start here: Facebook Comment Picker.
During login, Meta can ask permission for:
- Name and profile picture
- Manage your business
- Read content posted on the Page
- Read user content on your Page
- Show a list of the Pages you manage
These permissions are needed so the tool can show your Pages, load your selected giveaway post, and retrieve the comments for the draw.
After login, the tool shows a confirmation message that you can continue with selecting your Facebook Page, posts, and giveaway settings.
Step 2: Select your Facebook Page
After logging in, go to Facebook pages under Facebook & contest setting. Here you will see the Pages connected to your Facebook account. Select the Page that published the giveaway post.
This step matters more than many users expect. The tool only loads posts and comments from the Page you select here. So if you manage multiple Pages and choose the wrong one, the giveaway post you need will not appear later in the list.
Step 3: Select the Facebook giveaway post
Under Facebook posts, you can choose how you want to load the giveaway post. The tool gives you two options:
- Your Facebook posts - this is the default option and shows a list of posts from the selected Facebook Page.
- Link to Facebook post - this lets you paste the direct link to a Facebook post manually.
Your Facebook posts
If you use Your Facebook posts, the tool shows a select box with the available posts from the Facebook Page you selected in the previous step. Choose the giveaway post, video, or Reel you want to use for the draw.
By default, the tool shows the latest 100 Facebook posts. If your giveaway post is older, click Load more posts + below the list to load more posts.
Link to Facebook post
If you use Link to Facebook post, paste the direct Facebook post link into the input field. This is useful if the post does not appear in the list right away or if you want to load one specific post directly.
The link must contain a valid Facebook post ID. That is important, because not every Facebook URL works in the tool.
For example, a mobile share link such as facebook.com/share/... usually does not work directly. You should first open that link in your browser and then copy the final URL from the browser address bar after Facebook redirects you to the real post URL.
Even when you use a direct post link, you still need to log in with Facebook, grant the requested permissions, and select the correct Facebook Page first. The link does not replace the login or Page selection.
If the post you expect is missing or does not load, check these points first:
- You selected the correct Facebook Page.
- You are logged in with the Facebook account that has access to that Page.
- If you pasted a link, make sure it is the final Facebook post URL and not a mobile /share/ link, because the link must contain a valid post ID.
- You have a Facebook Business Page, and not personal or professional creator Profile.
Step 4: Choose your Facebook giveaway settings and filters
This is one of the most important steps in the tool. Picking a winner only takes a moment, but before you start, it is important to make sure your entry list matches the giveaway rules as closely as possible.
The best way to do that is to look at the rules from your giveaway post first and then choose only the filters that are actually relevant. Some rules can be checked automatically by the tool, while others still need a manual check after the draw.
Add comment replies
Turn this on if replies should count as entries too. When enabled, replies are treated the same as regular comments for the giveaway draw.
Leave it off if only top-level comments should be eligible.
Filter duplicate users
Use this if your rule is one entry per person. It keeps a maximum of one comment per user, even if someone commented many times.
This is one of the most useful filters for simple Facebook giveaways, because it keeps the draw fair without needing extra manual work.
Filter comments by mentions or tagged friends
Turn this on if your giveaway requires users to tag one or more friends in their comment. You can then set the minimum number of mentions required in one comment.
This is useful for tag-a-friend giveaways, but only if that rule is clearly written in your giveaway post.
User should have liked the post
Use this filter if liking the Facebook post is part of your giveaway rules. It helps narrow the entry list to users who both comment and liked the post.
This filter only works for regular Facebook posts. It does not work for Reels.
Filter comments by words or hashtags
Use this when participants must answer a question, type a keyword, or include a hashtag in their comment.
If you want multiple words to appear in one single comment, enter those words comma-separated in one field. For example, entering #summer, #giveaway in one field means the comment must contain both.
If you want to allow multiple possible answers, enter each answer in a separate field. Then comments containing one of those options can qualify.
Add extra entries
This lets you add bonus entries manually by username. Each added username counts as one extra entry. This is totally separated from any filter.
This is useful when your giveaway includes a rule the tool cannot verify automatically. For example, if you told participants to share the post, like your Page, or follow the Page, you can check that manually and then give those people an extra entry yourself if that matches your rules.
Filter comments by date
Use the start and end date fields when your giveaway has a fixed closing time or only comments from a specific period should count.
This is especially helpful when a post keeps receiving comments after the giveaway has already ended.
Filter comments by like count
This filter lets you include comments based on the number of likes on the comment itself. You can compare by exact number, less than, or more than.
Most giveaways will not need this, but it can be useful for campaigns where engagement on a comment matters.
A comment must contain a photo
Turn this on if your giveaway requires users to comment with a photo. This filter only checks for comments that contain an actual photo attachment.
GIFs, stickers, or link previews do not count as a photo for this filter.
Limit entries per user
This filter limits how many entries one person can have. After enabling it, set the Maximum number of entries per user.
This is useful when you want to allow multiple comments, but still keep the giveaway balanced. For example, if someone posts 40 comments and your limit is 3, that user will only get 3 entries.
Exclude users
Use this to remove specific usernames from the draw, such as spam accounts, test accounts, or previous winners you do not want to include again.
Which giveaway rules still need a manual check?
Not every Facebook giveaway rule can be checked automatically. That is important to understand before you start the draw.
Rules like follow our Page, like our Page, or share this post still need to be checked manually. The tool cannot automatically confirm those actions. If those rules matter for your giveaway, verify them yourself before confirming the winner.
One practical approach is to use the comment filters first, run the draw, and then manually verify whether the selected winner also followed the extra rules. If not, you can reroll or add bonus entries in advance for users who completed those extra steps, depending on how your giveaway was set up.
Step 5: Choose your raffle settings
Under Raffle settings, you choose how the winner should be selected.
Number of winners
Free users can select 1 winner. Premium users can select up to 10 winners in one draw.
Choose winner by
The standard option is Random comment. Premium users can also choose:
- First comment
- Last comment
- Most liked comment
- Most comments from a user
For most giveaways, random comment will be the right choice. The other options are mainly useful when your promotion follows a different format than a standard random giveaway.
Remove selected winners from entries after raffle
Enable this if you want winners to be removed from the remaining entry pool. This is helpful when you select multiple winners or need to reroll without choosing the same person again.
Step 6: Choose your result settings
Under Results settings, you decide how the draw is presented visually.
Animations
You can choose from:
- Show random names
- Wheel of names
- Spinning names
- Countdown
- None
You can also set the animation duration in seconds.
Branding options
Premium users can customize the result with:
- A theme color
- A custom title
- A logo
These settings are useful if you want the result page or certificate to match your brand.
Other display options
You can also:
- Enable sound during the draw
- Hide information in the results
- Disable confetti after winner selection
Step 7: Get Facebook comments
After selecting the right Page, post, and settings, click Get Facebook comments. The tool will then load the comments from the selected Facebook post.
Once loading is complete, you will see how many entries match the selected post and your current filters. This is a useful moment to pause and check whether the number looks logical before you start the draw.
If the number seems too low, the cause is usually one of the selected filters. In most cases it is not the draw itself that is wrong, but the entry conditions you applied before loading the comments.
Step 8: Start the draw and pick a winner
When the comments are loaded, click Start to begin the winner selection. The tool then selects the winner based on the method you chose earlier. If you kept the default setting, it picks a random comment.
Before starting, you can also use the fullscreen option or make a screen recording if you want to show the draw in a more visible way.
When the draw ends, the winning user and comment are shown. If you click the winner name, a new Facebook screen opens with the original post and highlights the winning comment there.
How the result is shown
Under the winning result, the tool shows giveaway details such as:
- Number of entries
- Date of draw
- Post ID
- Facebook Page
That makes it easier to keep a clear record of which post was used and when the draw took place.
What to do if the selected winner does not qualify
This happens more often than many people expect. Someone may have posted a valid comment, but still not meet all the other giveaway requirements.
For example, your rules may also require that the person liked your Page, followed the Page, or shared the post. Those checks are manual. So before you confirm the winner publicly, verify the extra rules yourself.
If the selected person does not qualify, use the Pick new winner button below the share buttons to reroll the draw.
Step 9: Save results and share the winner
After the winner is selected, go to Save results & share winner. This part is useful when you want to document the outcome and show participants that the draw was done in a clear way.
The tool can create a result page with the giveaway outcome. Premium users can access saved results from their own dashboard. Free users can save the result by using one of the available share options.
You can also download the result as a certificate image in Story or square format, which makes it easier to share the outcome visually.
See also our related guide: How to save and announce winners of your giveaway.
Why saving the result matters
In a Facebook giveaway, the draw itself is only one part of the process. Participants also want to know that the winner was selected in a fair and transparent way.
A saved result page or certificate helps with that. It gives you something concrete to share, and it makes it easier to explain how the winner was selected if anyone asks afterwards.
Common issues and limitations
The login does not work
Make sure you fully complete the Facebook permission dialog during login. Also check that you are signed in with the Facebook profile that manages the Page business page you want to use, and you have full access to the Page. You can check if you have the correct access to the Page in Meta for Business settings.
If the button does nothing, check whether browser extensions, ad blockers, privacy tools, or popup blocking are interfering with the Facebook script.
The Facebook Page is missing
This usually means the Facebook account you used does not have the right access to that Page, the Page is not available in the expected Meta connection or the Page is not a business Page.
The giveaway post is missing
Check whether you selected the correct Page first. Also make sure the giveaway was posted from a supported Facebook business page and not from a personal profile, digital creator profile, or group.
Also make sure the Facebook post is public without any restriction.
Some comments are missing
In many cases, comments are excluded because of the selected filters. Duplicate filtering, date filtering, mention rules, or other entry conditions can reduce the number of included comments.
Hidden comments are generally not returned by Meta in the normal way, so they should not be expected in the tool. In some cases the comment count displayed on Facebook is wrong, which might happen because of removed spam accounts or comments.
Can the tool verify every giveaway rule automatically?
No. The tool is strongest at checking comment-based rules and post-based filters. But some giveaway requirements still need a manual check.
That includes rules such as liking your Page, following your Page, or sharing the post. If your giveaway uses those conditions, make sure you verify them yourself before announcing the winner.
Final tip before you start
The cleanest Facebook giveaways are usually the ones with simple rules. The more closely your written giveaway rules match the available filters in the tool, the easier it is to build a fair entry list and explain the result afterwards.
Ready to use the tool? Open the Facebook Comment Picker and start by logging in with Facebook.