For giveaway hosts
Export Instagram giveaway comments
Ran a giveaway on Instagram? Download every entry — usernames, comment text, tagged friends and timestamps — as a spreadsheet you can check against your rules and keep on file. No Instagram login, free up to 200 comments.
Your giveaway entries, as a spreadsheet
Instagram shows giveaway comments one screen at a time, in an order it chooses, with replies tucked away. That is no way to check a few thousand entries. Export the comments and you have a proper entry list: one row per comment, with the columns a host actually needs.
- username and user_id — who entered (the ID stays the same if someone changes their handle mid-giveaway).
- comment — the full entry text.
- mentions — every @friend they tagged, already pulled out.
- posted_at_utc — when they entered, to check against your deadline.
- is_reply and reply_to_username — whether it was a new comment or a reply in someone else’s thread.
Download it as CSV or Excel, or bring it into Google Sheets to share with a co-host or brand partner.
Checking entries against your rules
Most giveaway rules can be checked with filters on the results page before you even open the file:
| Rule | How to check it |
|---|---|
| “Tag a friend” | Filter to comments that have @mentions. In the file, the mentions column shows exactly who was tagged. |
| “Tag two friends” | Count the handles in the mentions column — in Excel or Sheets, =IF(K2="",0,LEN(K2)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(K2,"@",""))) gives the number of tags. |
| “One entry per person” | Turn on one comment per person to get each entrant once, or see the repeat commenters in the stats. |
| “Entries close Sunday at midnight” | Set a date range. Remember timestamps are UTC, so convert your deadline first. |
| “Comment your favourite flavour” | Search for the answer word, or skim the comment column. |
| “Use #ourhashtag” | Filter to comments that have hashtags, then check the hashtags column. |
Following the host account or liking the post can’t be checked from a comment export — follower lists aren’t part of it. Pickfetti can check that the drawn winners follow the accounts you name, and skips anyone who provably doesn’t.
Picking the winner: use Pickfetti
IGComments is built for the list: exporting, checking and keeping a record of entries. To actually draw the winner, use our sister tool Pickfetti. It reads the same comments, applies your rules (tags required, one entry per person, keywords, a deadline), and picks a winner at random with a draw that can be verified afterwards. Everyone gets a public proof page showing the rules and the result — something a spreadsheet and a random number formula can’t give you.
A common workflow is to use both: draw the winner on Pickfetti, then export the entry list here and keep it with your records, or share it with the brand that sponsored the prize.
Why keep a record of giveaway entries
- Disputes. If someone says they entered and weren’t considered, you can look them up by username or user ID and see exactly what they commented and when.
- Sponsors and partners. Brands often want to know how many people entered, how many unique accounts that was, and who was tagged. The free stats give you unique commenters, repeat commenters and most-mentioned accounts in one view.
- Local rules. Some places expect promoters to keep records of prize promotions for a period of time. A dated export is an easy way to do that. (We’re not lawyers — check what applies to you.)
- Comments change. People delete entries and accounts disappear after a giveaway ends. Export as soon as entries close to capture what was there.
Big giveaways and honest counts
Giveaways are often the biggest comment sections an account ever gets. Up to 200 comments is free. Above that, the first 200 entries are a free preview, and a one-time Export Pass unlocks the full list — $4.99 up to 10,000 comments, $9.99 up to 30,000, $14.99 up to 100,000. No subscription; pay once for that post. Pricing.
Expect the export to be a little smaller than the number Instagram shows. That count includes comments Instagram hides from everyone — spam-filtered entries are common on giveaways — plus deleted ones, which no tool can fetch. Why the count doesn’t match.
Frequently asked questions
Can IGComments pick the giveaway winner?
No — IGComments exports and analyzes comments. To pick a random, verifiable winner from the same comments, use our sister tool Pickfetti at pickfetti.com.
Can I check whether entrants follow my account?
Not from the export — follower lists aren’t part of it. You can check tags, keywords, hashtags, dates and duplicate entries. When you pick the winner with Pickfetti, it can verify that the drawn winners follow the accounts you name.
How do I remove duplicate entries?
Turn on one comment per person before exporting. Each username then appears once, with their first comment.
Are reply comments counted as entries?
They are included and marked with is_reply. If your rules say replies don’t count, choose Top-level only before exporting.
Can I export a giveaway from someone else’s account?
Yes, if the post is public. Co-hosts and sponsors often export the entries from the partner’s post.
Does exporting the comments notify the entrants?
No. We read public comments without logging in, so nobody is notified and nothing is posted.
Should I export before or after picking the winner?
Either works, but export soon after entries close, before people delete comments, so your record matches what was there at the deadline.