Contest projects we cannot take on

What do the contest rules permit you to promote?

The contest’s written terms are the first check: if they prohibit entrants from promoting their entries beyond the organizer’s channels, we do not plan a campaign around that restriction. Before asking for support, find the current rules and look for wording about soliciting votes, paid advertising, sharing entry links, creator promotion or contacting communities.

A useful first pass is to separate the permitted actions from the unclear ones:

• Note whether the restriction covers all outreach or only paid placements.
• Check whether it applies to every channel or names particular platforms.
• Look for limits on who may share an entry and when promotion must stop.
• Save the exact wording and the date you accessed it.

If the terms are ambiguous, ask the contest organizer for a written interpretation rather than inferring permission from what other entrants do. Our contest rules and risk consulting can help you frame that question. You can also begin with the rules and risk check. When the answer confirms that the planned activity is not allowed, we decline that activity; if a narrower, permitted route remains, we can assess it separately.

Which kinds of contest requests are outside our work?

Some requests are outside our scope regardless of the proposed channel. We decline political campaign promotion, lotteries and gambling projects, and work involving a minor when parent or guardian consent has not been provided.

For a youth entry, consent needs to cover both participation and the proposed use of images or video. We also follow the applicable platform age and privacy rules, and we do not run ads that target children. If a guardian has agreed, the project can be reviewed on its actual terms; approval is not assumed. See our guidance on beauty, kids, pets and school contests for context.

For political, lottery or gambling-related requests, we do not treat a change of wording or channel as a way around the boundary. If a project combines several activities, describe each one plainly so we can assess the contest entry separately from any unrelated campaign. Our broader contest marketing work is for entries that can be promoted in line with platform rules and contest rules. Being candid about the project’s purpose at the outset makes the decision clearer for everyone.

What if the requested plan relies on vote generation?

We decline requests for automated or purchased votes. We do not sell votes, followers or engagement, and we do not use bots, scripts, fake accounts or click farms. Our role is to help an entrant communicate about their entry through appropriate promotion, not to manufacture participation.

That distinction is useful when you are comparing possible support. We can assess paid advertising through a platform’s own ad system, creative and copy, creator outreach, or community and email outreach where people have agreed to receive it. We cannot take on a request whose goal is to generate votes by bypassing the contest’s voting process. Our no-bots policy explains this boundary, while community, email and messenger outreach describes a consent-based option.

When you share your request, tell us what the organizer allows, which channels you have in mind and what action supporters should take. That makes it easier to identify whether a straightforward promotional plan fits, or whether the request depends on activity we will not provide.

What happens when the initial review raises a concern?

We explain the specific concern and what information would resolve it, if anything can. A useful review does not leave you guessing whether the issue is the contest wording, the project category, consent or the requested method.

An organizer’s terms determine whether your entry may be promoted, while the ad platform makes its own decision about submitted ads. We cannot secure either decision; if one blocks the planned route, we will not disguise that route or present it as acceptable.

To make the first assessment useful, gather the contest page, the complete rules, your entry link, the closing date and a short description of the channels you are considering. For a complicated rules question, contest rules and risk consulting offers a deeper review; if you are still shaping the promotion, see how a contest campaign runs. Send those materials for the free contest analysis to receive a clear fit decision and a practical next step.