No-bots policy for contest promotion, with clear source checks

What does our no-bots policy permit instead?

The policy permits promotion that introduces an entry to people; it never turns promotion into voting on their behalf. We do not use bots, scripts, fake accounts or click farms, and we do not sell votes, followers or engagement. We also reject vote exchanges and any request to get around a contest's safeguards.

Our work can include paid advertising through a platform's own ad system, creative for the entry, creator outreach with paid placements disclosed, and messages to communities or lists where contact is welcome. Each route is assessed against the contest's written conditions before it is recommended. If outside promotion is prohibited, we do not try to repackage it as another channel.

The practical test is whether the organizer could review the activity and see a straightforward route from a disclosed promotion to a voluntary decision. A contest rules and risk check can help identify restrictions before planning. For the wider set of permitted promotion options, see contest marketing.

How do we review where attention comes from?

We review sources using information the client and campaign can actually see, rather than claiming to identify every individual visitor. The checks are chosen for the channel and the voting page, then recorded in the campaign plan.

• Paid advertising: use the platform's campaign reporting for spend, impressions and clicks, alongside tagged links where available.
• Creators: request audience information from the creator's own analytics and assess whether the visible audience profile fits the intended voters before confirming a placement.
• Community, email and messenger outreach: confirm the audience has a reasonable expectation of receiving the message and that the list or group can be contacted with consent.
• Voting page: compare tagged visits with completed votes only where the page provides a way to connect them. If it does not, report visits and votes as separate observations.

A creator outreach plan or community and email outreach follows the same source review. The point is not to label every visitor; it is to make each promotion route visible and describe its limits accurately.

What will the client see before and during promotion?

Before launch, the client sees the proposed channels, the contest-rule boundary and the evidence each channel can provide. We use a Strategy Memo to keep the recommendation concise: what will be done, what will be tracked, and what cannot be inferred from those records.

A Senior Review checks the plan for mismatches between the contest's voting steps and the message supporters will receive. If voting requires registration, email confirmation, a daily limit or another stated step, the copy should describe that accurately. Supporters are not urged to repeat a vote beyond the rules or work around a safeguard.

During delivery, reporting separates platform-reported activity, tracked visits and any visible entry-counter changes. We do not present an unconnected counter movement as campaign-attributed activity. Clients can also review the promotion methodology and the contest campaign process to understand how those observations fit into the work.

This record gives the client a clear account of what was planned and delivered, without disguising estimates as confirmed votes.

When is the right decision to decline a contest project?

We decline when a requested tactic conflicts with the contest conditions or depends on artificial activity. A request for purchased votes, scripts, fake accounts, click farms or engagement is a firm stop, not a negotiating point. We explain the boundary and, if the rules allow it, may suggest a compliant alternative such as creative, paid promotion or consent-based outreach.

The organizer controls how contest rules are interpreted and whether an entry remains eligible; platforms control ad review and delivery. We therefore commit to the agreed permitted work and transparent reporting, not a vote total, placement, ranking or win. That distinction belongs in the plan before any activity begins.

If the rules are unclear, do not launch promotion on an assumption. Send the contest link, the relevant rules and a short description of the entry to our free contest analysis. We will review the permitted routes and return a clear recommendation.