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YouTube comment picker

Pick a random YouTube comment winner, fairly

A free giveaway picker with a public seed. Remove duplicate entries, require a keyword, set a deadline and share a proof link that anyone can re-run.

Paste a link to any public video or Short.

Comments posted at or after this time are ignored. Uses your time zone.
Announce it before the draw to prove you did not re-roll.

How to pick a YouTube giveaway winner

  1. Paste the link to the video where people entered.
  2. Set your rules: one entry per person, a keyword if entrants had to mention one, and the closing time from your announcement.
  3. Optionally type the seed you announced in advance. Otherwise we generate a random one.
  4. Press Pick winner, then copy the proof link and post it with the result.

How the draw works

The draw is deterministic: the same seed and the same entries always give the same winners. This lets anyone verify it. The steps are published so you do not have to take our word for it.

  1. Load all top-level comments, then apply your filters (deadline, keyword, channel owner, one entry per person).
  2. Sort the eligible comments by their YouTube comment ID so the order does not depend on how YouTube returned them.
  3. Fingerprint the list: the SHA-256 hash of all IDs joined by line breaks. If a comment is added, edited out or deleted, the fingerprint changes.
  4. For winner number k (starting at 0), hash seed:k:0 with SHA-256 and read the first 4 bytes as a number. If it falls in the unfair remainder at the top of the range, try seed:k:1, and so on. This is called rejection sampling and it gives every entry exactly the same chance.
  5. The number modulo the list length picks the winner. Remove that entry and repeat for the next winner.

Algorithm name: hac-sha256-v1. Comments change over time, so a draw is easiest to verify when you set a deadline that has already passed.

Before you run a giveaway

You, the organiser, are responsible for your giveaway. YouTube requires official rules, free entry and a clear statement that YouTube is not a sponsor. Read YouTube’s contest policies and guidelines and check the prize promotion rules where you and your viewers live (in the UK, for example, the CAP Code section 8). Have a Comment only picks from public comments and does not run, sponsor or offer any prize.

Read the full guide: how to pick a YouTube giveaway winner fairly.

Questions

Is the YouTube comment picker really random?

Yes. Winners are chosen from a SHA-256 hash of the seed, with rejection sampling so every eligible comment has exactly the same chance. The seed is shown after every draw.

How can my viewers check the draw was fair?

Share the proof link. It re-runs the draw with the same seed and filters and shows whether the entry list and the winners match.

Can I stop people entering more than once?

Tick “One entry per person”. Each account then counts once, using its earliest comment.

Can I exclude my own comments?

Yes. “Exclude the channel owner” removes comments posted by the channel that uploaded the video.

Can I only count comments that mention a keyword?

Yes. Enter a word or phrase and only comments that contain it are eligible. Matching ignores upper and lower case.

Does it check whether the winner is subscribed?

No. Many people keep their subscriptions private, so they cannot be checked reliably, and YouTube’s developer policies do not allow API tools to reward people for subscribing. Keep entry conditions to things visible in the comment.

Are replies counted as entries?

No, only top-level comments. That matches how most comment giveaways are run.

Comments come from YouTube API Services and are held only in a short-lived cache (under 24 hours). By using this tool you agree to the YouTube Terms of Service. Read the privacy policy and the Google Privacy Policy.

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