Pinterest Contest Rules: What to Include + Free Template

Pinterest contest rules are the written terms that tell entrants what they can win, how to enter, who is eligible, and how the winner gets chosen. Good rules do two jobs at once: they keep your contest inside Pinterest's policy, and they head off arguments before anyone has a reason to start one. This guide covers what Pinterest's own guidelines say, the 10 things every rules section needs, and a free template you can copy, fill in, and post today.

Why Your Pinterest Contest Needs Written Rules

It's tempting to skip the rules for a small contest. A Pin that says "comment to win" feels like enough. It usually isn't, for three reasons.

Rules settle disputes before they start. When someone asks why they didn't win, or whether a second comment counted, your written rules answer the question. Without them, you're making up answers on the spot, and your audience can tell.

Rules protect you legally. Contests and giveaways are regulated, and the details vary by state and country. Written terms show what you offered, to whom, and how you chose. They don't replace legal advice, but they're the baseline.

Rules keep your Pin safe. Pinterest has its own contest requirements, and content that breaks them can be removed or limited. Writing your rules with those requirements in mind lowers the risk.

If you're still building the rest of the contest around these rules, How to Run a Pinterest Contest: Step-by-Step Guide walks through the whole process from entry method to winner announcement.

Pinterest's Own Contest Guidelines in Plain English

Pinterest publishes contest requirements as part of its Commercial and Branded Content Guidelines. As of this writing, they boil down to a handful of points:

• Don't require people to save a specific image. If saving is part of your contest, entrants should be able to choose what they save based on their own taste, even if they're picking from a selection or a particular website.
• Don't allow more than one entry per person. However many times someone comments or saves, they count once.
• Don't suggest that Pinterest sponsors or endorses you or your contest. That includes using the Pinterest logo in a way that implies a partnership.
• Follow Pinterest's Brand Guidelines whenever you reference the Pinterest name or logo.
• Follow all relevant laws and regulations. Pinterest's rules sit on top of the law. They don't replace it.

Pinterest also asks people who promote contests to encourage authentic behavior and keep the platform free of spam, and paid promotion has its own Advertising Guidelines.

Policies change, so don't treat this summary as the final word. Read Pinterest's current Contest Guidelines yourself before you launch, and again before each new contest. For a closer look at how these requirements apply to a comment-to-enter format, see Are Comment Giveaways Allowed on Pinterest?

The 10 Things Every Pinterest Contest Rules Section Must Include

Whatever the size of your contest, these ten items belong in your rules.

1. Prize. Describe exactly what the winner gets, including quantity, size or model, and an approximate retail value in dollars. If the prize can be substituted, say when and how.
2. Eligibility. State who can enter: country or states, minimum age, and who is excluded, such as your employees and their immediate families. Most US hosts set the minimum age at 18 to avoid parental-consent questions. Add "void where prohibited."
3. Dates and time zone. Give a start and end date with a time and time zone, for example "October 20 at 9:00 a.m. ET through October 27 at 11:59 p.m. ET." A date without a time zone is the most common source of "I entered in time" complaints.
4. How to enter. Say exactly what counts as an entry, such as "comment your favorite fall recipe on this Pin." State that each person gets one entry, which matches Pinterest's requirement.
5. Number of winners. Say how many winners there will be, and mention backup winners if you plan to draw them.
6. Selection method. Explain how the winner is chosen. For a comment giveaway that's a random draw from all eligible entries. Name the tool if you like. State the odds in general terms, such as "depend on the number of eligible entries."
7. Notification. Say how and where you'll announce the winner and how you'll contact them, such as a reply to their comment, a Pinterest message, or email.
8. Deadline to reply. Give the winner a fixed window, for example 72 hours or 7 days. State that the prize passes to a backup winner if they don't respond or turn out to be ineligible.
9. Pinterest disclaimer. Say plainly that the contest is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with, Pinterest.
10. Privacy. Explain what you'll do with entrant information. If you only use a winner's contact details to deliver the prize, say that. If you collect emails, say why and link to your privacy policy.

Free Pinterest Contest Rules Template (Copy and Paste)

Copy the block below, replace everything in [brackets], and delete any line that doesn't apply. It covers all ten items above plus a short general clause.

OFFICIAL RULES: [CONTEST NAME] 
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. 

1. SPONSOR. [Your name or brand] ("Sponsor"), [city, state]. Contact: [email address]. 

2. ELIGIBILITY. Open to legal residents of [the 50 United States and D.C.] who are [18] or older on [start date]. Employees of the Sponsor and their immediate family members are not eligible. Void where prohibited. 

3. CONTEST PERIOD. [Start date, time, time zone] through [end date, time, time zone]. Entries made outside this period will not count. 

4. HOW TO ENTER. During the contest period, comment on the [Pin name] Pin on Pinterest with [entry prompt, e.g., your favorite fall recipe]. Limit one entry per person. Multiple comments from the same person count as one entry. 

5. PRIZE. [Number] winner(s) will each receive [prize description], with an approximate retail value of $[amount]. The prize is non-transferable. The Sponsor may substitute a prize of equal or greater value if the original becomes unavailable. 

6. WINNER SELECTION. [Number] winner(s) and [number] backup winner(s) will be selected at random from all eligible entries on or about [date] using a random draw tool (PNT Picker). Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. 

7. WINNER NOTIFICATION. The winner will be announced in a comment on the contest Pin and contacted by [Pinterest message/email] within [number] days of the draw. 

8. REPLY DEADLINE. The winner must reply within [number] days. If the winner does not reply or is not eligible, the prize will go to a backup winner.

9. PINTEREST DISCLAIMER. This contest is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with, Pinterest. By entering, you release Pinterest from any liability related to this contest. 

10. PRIVACY. The Sponsor will use entrant information only to run the contest and deliver the prize. [Link to your privacy policy.] GENERAL. The Sponsor may cancel or change the contest if fraud, technical problems, or other events outside its control prevent it from running as planned.

This template is general information, not legal advice. Contest law varies by state, and certain larger prize pools may trigger extra requirements, so have a lawyer review your final rules if the prize is valuable.

Use the Giveaway Rules Generator to Make Your Own

If you'd rather not fill in a template by hand, the Giveaway Rules Generator builds a custom set of rules from a few answers: your prize, dates, eligibility, and entry method. You'll need a free PNT Picker account, and the generator counts toward the same 3 free uses as the picker.

[EMBED: Giveaway Rules Generator tool. Dev team to embed here.]

[SCREENSHOT PLACEHOLDER: The Giveaway Rules Generator form with prize, dates, and eligibility filled in. Suggested alt text: "PNT Picker Giveaway Rules Generator showing a Pinterest contest rules form with prize, dates, and eligibility fields."]

Once your rules are final, the winner-picking step is where they turn into proof. PNT Picker applies your entry rules to the comments on your Pin, with a keyword filter, duplicate removal for the one-entry-per-person rule, and a secure random draw. Each draw gives you a public result link and a winner certificate to back up what your rules promised.

Where to Put Your Rules on Pinterest

Pinterest gives you a few places to publish rules, and most hosts use more than one.

In the Pin description. This is the first place entrants look. Pin descriptions have a character limit, so use a short version here with the essentials: prize, how to enter, end date and time zone, one entry per person, and the Pinterest disclaimer. Then point to the full rules.

On a linked page. Link the Pin to a page on your website or blog that holds your complete official rules. This is the cleanest option for long rules, and it gives you a permanent URL to cite if someone has a question.

On a contest board. If you run contests regularly, consider a dedicated board for them and add your standing rules to the board description, so every contest Pin on that board inherits them.

Whichever you choose, post the rules before the contest starts, and don't change them midway. If something must change, announce it clearly and note the date.

Common Rule Mistakes That Get Pins Removed

Pinterest can remove, limit, or block content that breaks its contest requirements. These are the mistakes that most often put a contest at risk:

• Requiring entrants to save one specific image. Let people choose what they save, or skip the save requirement entirely.
• Counting multiple entries per person. Treat every participant as one entry, no matter how often they comment.
• Implying Pinterest is involved. Don't use the logo like a co-sponsor badge, and always include the disclaimer.
• Encouraging spammy behavior. Asking people to save to many boards, follow dozens of accounts, or comment repeatedly pushes against Pinterest's anti-spam expectations.
• Leaving out the end time or time zone. Vague deadlines cause disputes, and disputes cause bad comments on your Pin.
• Changing the rules after entries start. It looks like moving the goalposts, even when your reason is good.

Pick Your Winner With PNT Picker: 3 Free Uses

Your rules promise a fair draw. PNT Picker delivers it: paste your Pinterest post URL, set your filters, and draw winners and backups with a secure random selection. Every draw comes with a public result link and a winner certificate.

[ Pick your winner with PNT Picker - 3 free uses → ]

PNT Picker is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by Pinterest.