Facebook Competition Rules: What You Can and Cannot Do (And Why Many Get It Wrong)

Running a Facebook competition is a great way to engage with your audience, grow your brand, and increase visibility. However, many businesses and individuals unknowingly break Facebook’s competition rules, risking post removal, page restrictions, or even bans. In this post, we’ll break down what you can and cannot do under Facebook’s rules, why these guidelines exist, and why so many misunderstand them.

What You CAN Do in a Facebook Competition

✅ Clearly State the Rules – Your competition must have clear terms and conditions, including eligibility criteria (such as age or location), prize details, how winners will be chosen, and how they will be contacted.

✅ Include a Facebook Disclaimer – Facebook requires you to state:
“This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook.”
This protects Facebook from any legal responsibility regarding your competition.

✅ Allow Entry Through Likes, Comments, or Follows – You can ask participants to like your post, comment on it, or follow your page as a way to enter.

✅ Encourage Tagging (But Not Force It) – You can suggest that people tag their friends in comments to spread the word, but you cannot make this a requirement for entry.

✅ Use Third-Party Apps – If you want to run a more complex competition (such as a giveaway that collects emails or multiple entry methods), you can use third-party apps like Gleam, Woobox, or ShortStack to manage it.

✅ Comply with Local Laws – Some countries have strict regulations around competitions, including age restrictions, tax implications, and legal disclaimers. Make sure your competition follows the laws in your location.

What You CANNOT Do in a Facebook Competition

❌ Require Users to Share on Their Personal Timeline – You cannot make “sharing this post to enter” a condition of the competition. This rule exists because Facebook doesn’t want users to feel pressured to share content they don’t genuinely want to.

❌ Make Tagging a Requirement for Entry – You cannot ask people to tag themselves or friends in a post/photo just to enter a contest. Tagging should only be used when someone is actually in the image.

❌ Use Personal Profiles for Promotions – Competitions must be run through a Facebook Business Page or Group, not a personal profile. Personal profiles are for individual use, not business promotions.

❌ Mislead Participants or Fake Winners – Running a fake giveaway or not delivering the promised prize can lead to serious consequences, including Facebook taking action against your page.

❌ Ignore Facebook’s Policies – If Facebook detects that you’re violating its competition guidelines, it may remove your post, restrict your page, or even ban your account.

Why Do People Misunderstand These Rules?

Many businesses and individuals unknowingly break Facebook’s competition rules because:

1. They See Others Doing It – When businesses see others asking users to “share this post to enter” or “tag 5 friends to win,” they assume it’s allowed. However, just because others are doing it doesn’t mean it’s within Facebook’s guidelines.
2. Facebook’s Rules Are Buried in Their Guidelines – Facebook’s competition policies are hidden within their broader Page Terms and Advertising Policies, so unless you actively look for them, you might not realize certain actions are against the rules.
3. There’s No Automatic Warning – Facebook doesn’t immediately flag non-compliant competitions, so businesses often don’t realize they’ve done something wrong until they face a penalty.
4. People Confuse Facebook’s Rules with Other Platforms – Platforms like Instagram and Twitter have different giveaway policies, leading to confusion about what’s allowed on Facebook.

How to Run a Facebook Competition Safely and Effectively

To avoid breaking the rules, follow these steps:

• ✅ Write clear terms and conditions for your competition.
• ✅ Encourage engagement through likes, comments, and follows but avoid forcing shares or tags.
• ✅ Use a third-party giveaway tool if you want more entry options.
• ✅ Announce winners publicly and fulfill prizes as promised.
• ✅ Ensure your competition aligns with Facebook’s policies by reviewing their official Promotions Guidelines here.

By following these rules, you’ll keep your competition fair, compliant, and effective—without the risk of Facebook taking action against your page.

Have you ever run a Facebook competition? Did you know about these rules? Let us know in the comments!