Contest no-bots policy: how we keep promotion accountable

How does our no-bots policy shape a contest plan?

The policy is a governance control: it determines which promotion methods can enter the plan and which requests must be declined. We support visibility for an entry, but the vote remains an individual decision made through the contest’s stated process.

Before recommending a channel, we read the organizer’s rules and check whether outside promotion is permitted. If the rules prohibit it, we do not try to reinterpret the restriction or route promotion through another channel. Where promotion is permitted, the plan can include advertising through a platform’s ad system, creator outreach with paid posts disclosed, or messages to audiences that have agreed to receive them. Our contest promotion methodology explains how those activities are assessed.

We do not cast, refresh or otherwise generate votes with bots or scripts. We do not operate fake accounts or click farms, and we do not buy votes, followers or engagement. Requests for any of these tactics are outside our work; we can offer a compliant alternative only if the contest rules allow promotion.

The contest rules and risk check is a useful starting point. It helps identify the conditions that should be settled before a campaign plan is approved.

What evidence can show where contest attention came from?

We assess promotion using records the client can inspect: platform analytics, tracking links, creator-provided audience information and the contest’s visible entry counter. These sources can help connect campaign activity to visits; they do not establish who cast each individual vote.

For paid promotion, we record the figures available in the advertising account, such as spend, impressions and clicks. For a creator placement, we review audience information the creator can share from their own analytics and compare it with the intended audience before confirming the placement. For community, email or messenger outreach, we confirm that the channel and list are appropriate for the message and that outreach is welcomed. See our creator outreach for contests for the checks involved in that channel.

Where tracking is possible, we use links to distinguish campaign visits. We compare the information available with the entry counter and note any gap rather than presenting an estimate as a confirmed vote. A useful report separates the source, the observed activity and any limitation in connecting a visit to a completed vote.

Clients can also review community and consent-based outreach to understand how direct communications fit into the plan. The standard is straightforward: report what the evidence supports, and label anything it cannot establish.

What should the client and agency confirm before launch?

A clean start requires the client’s contest information and our written record of the permitted work. We use a Compliance Review to resolve rule questions before creative, placements or outreach are put into motion.

What we prepare

• A review of the published contest rules, voting steps and any limits supporters must follow.
• A proposed channel mix restricted to methods the contest allows.
• A description of the records available for reporting, including where a link can connect a visit with campaign activity.
• Clear client-facing language about the work: promotion can invite attention, but we do not vote on someone’s behalf.

What the client provides

• The contest page, organizer’s rules and any written guidance about outside promotion.
• The entry link, the intended audience and any approved campaign materials.
• Details of relevant voting protections, such as email confirmation, a daily limit or a phone code, so reminders can explain the correct steps without asking anyone to bypass them.
• Access to the campaign analytics or public counter needed for agreed reporting.

The scope and responsibilities can be recorded in a Mandate Letter before activity begins. For a broader overview of available channels, see contest marketing. If a rule or voting step changes, tell us before new material is sent; we can reassess the plan against the updated information.

What happens when a request crosses the boundary?

When a requested tactic conflicts with contest rules or this policy, we stop that tactic from entering the plan and explain the reason plainly. If permitted alternatives remain, we can revise the scope; if the contest bars outside promotion or the request depends on artificial activity, we decline the project.

Our Quality Gate checks that the proposed work, materials and reporting match the agreed scope. If a client asks for purchased votes or automated activity after approval, we refuse the request and do not deliver a smaller version of it indirectly. We can still discuss allowed advertising, creative or outreach, provided those methods comply with the contest’s instructions. Our contest projects we decline page describes other situations where we will not proceed.

An organizer controls how it applies its rules, and an advertising platform controls review and delivery within its own system. We cannot promise a win, a vote count, a ranking or an approval decision; we can commit to the agreed work and honest reporting of available evidence.

For a practical first review, send the contest link, the full rules and a short description of your entry to our free contest analysis. We will check whether promotion is allowed and identify the next suitable step.