CommentCrateHow to pick a giveaway winner from Instagram comments
Export the comments, count each person once, draw with a formula and keep the file as your record.
Before you start
Decide the rules first and publish them: what counts as an entry (a comment, a comment that tags a friend, one entry per person), the closing time and how the winner will be chosen. CommentCrate gives you the comments the page shows; it does not check whether someone follows you or really tagged a friend, so check the winner's entry by hand. Instagram has its own rules for promotions, so read them before you run a giveaway.
1. Export the comments
Open the giveaway post, press Scan comments and wait until it says it is done, then press XLSX or CSV. The free plan exports up to 100 top-level comments per post; for a larger giveaway, Pro removes that limit. See the full export guide for the details.
2. Count each person once
Open the file in Excel or Google Sheets. The author column holds the usernames. To keep one entry per person, copy that column to a new sheet and either use Data → Remove duplicates, or the formula =UNIQUE(C2:C501) (Google Sheets and Excel 365), adjusting the range to your data.
3. Draw the winner
With the unique names in column A from row 2 to row 101, this formula picks one at random:
=INDEX(A2:A101, RANDBETWEEN(1, ROWS(A2:A101)))
If your spreadsheet is set to another language, the functions have local names and the arguments may be separated by semicolons instead of commas. The result changes every time the sheet recalculates. When you are happy with the draw, copy the cell and use Paste special → Values only so it stays fixed. Draw two or three extra names as backups in case the winner does not answer or does not meet the rules.
4. Keep it fair and transparent
- Announce the method (for example, “one entry per person, drawn with a spreadsheet formula”) before the draw.
- Keep the exported file with the date as your record, and screen-record the draw if you want to show it.
- Check the winner's comment against your rules before you announce them.
- Comments belong to their authors. Use the file only to run the giveaway and delete it afterwards.