YouTube Giveaway Comment Picker
Pick a random winner from your YouTube video or Shorts comments. No comment limit: one entry per person, required tags or keyword, excluded channels, backup winners, and a winner image.
How to pick a YouTube giveaway winner
Step 1
Install the extension
Add the free Lection Chrome extension. You don't need to log into YouTube.
Step 2
Load the comments
Paste the link to your giveaway video or Short and click "Load all comments". Big giveaways take a few minutes.
Step 3
Set your rules and draw
Choose winners and backups, one entry per person, tagged friends, a required keyword and channels to exclude, then pick.
What the picker checks
- One entry per person: a channel that comments ten times still gets one ticket, unless you turn this off.
- Tagged friends: counts distinct @handles in a single comment, ignoring the commenter's own.
- Required text: e.g. a keyword or hashtag you asked entrants to write.
- Excluded channels: moderators, staff, or partners can never win. Comments from the video's own channel are always left out.
- Fair draw: every eligible entry has the same chance, and the same channel can't win twice.
Honest limits
- Only top-level comments are loaded. Replies to comments are not entries.
- Comments YouTube holds for review, hides as spam, or that the author deleted are not visible, so they can't be drawn.
- The picker can't check whether someone is subscribed or liked the video. Check that for your winner by hand before announcing.
- Works on public and unlisted videos with comments on. Private, members-only, and made-for-kids videos have no comments to load.
- You are responsible for your giveaway's rules and for following YouTube's contest policies and local laws.
Frequently asked questions
How do I pick a random winner from YouTube comments?
Install the free Lection extension, paste your giveaway video link here and click "Load all comments". Then set your rules (one entry per person, tagged friends, a keyword, channels to exclude) and click "Pick a winner".
Is this YouTube comment picker free?
Yes. Loading comments and drawing winners is free with no comment limit, and so is the winner image. Only downloading the full entries list as CSV, Excel, or JSON needs a free Lection account and uses credits (1 credit per 100 rows; free accounts get 5 credits a month).
Does it work with YouTube Shorts?
Yes. Paste the Shorts link (youtube.com/shorts/...) and it loads the comments the same way as a regular video.
Is the draw really random?
Each draw uses your browser's cryptographic random number generator (Web Crypto), and every eligible entry has exactly the same chance. You can draw again, but for a public giveaway announce the first draw and screen-record it.
Can I count only one entry per person?
Yes, that is the default. A channel that comments many times gets one entry. Turn it off if your rules say each comment is an extra entry.
Does it check subscribers or likes?
No. YouTube doesn't show who liked a video, and subscriber lists are private by default. Open the winner's channel and check what your rules require before announcing, and draw a backup if needed.
Do I need a YouTube API key or login?
No. The extension reads the public comments in your own browser, with no API key, no Google Cloud project, and no YouTube login. It never posts, likes, or comments.
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