What does a contest rules read actually examine?
It examines every clause that decides whether outside promotion is allowed, how it must be done and what the organizer may do about a breach. Most entrants skim the prize and the deadline. We read the rest, because a missed clause costs an entry its place.
| Question we answer | Why it matters | Where we look |
|---|---|---|
| Is promotion by third parties allowed, and is paid promotion? | A ban decides the project before it starts | Eligibility and conduct clauses |
| Which tools may be used to ask for votes? | Some contests allow sharing but not ads | Promotion and social media terms |
| Who is eligible to vote, and from where? | Shapes audience and country targeting | Voter eligibility and location terms |
| What may the organizer do with suspicious votes? | Sets the cost of a mistake | Disqualification and audit clauses |
| Are there rules for minors? | Consent is required before any promotion | Age and guardian terms |
| What must posts say or show? | Hashtags, disclosures, logos | Branding and content terms |
What we hand back
A plain-language summary of each answer, the exact wording we relied on, and a list of questions we cannot answer from the text. The list goes to you to put to the organizer, because the organizer is the only party that can interpret its own terms. If the terms forbid what you hoped to do, we say so and decline the project, as described on our page about when we decline a contest project.
How does the organizer's voting protection change the plan?
Protection decides how much effort each supporter must spend, and that decides the message, the pacing and the channels. We map the contest to one or more of these types and plan around them.
- Email confirmation: supporters must finish a step in their inbox. See email verification contests.
- Registration or login: an account on the contest site comes first. See registration and login and social login.
- Captcha: a challenge sits on the voting form. See captcha-protected voting.
- Network and device limits: one vote per connection or device. See IP and device limits.
- Phone or SMS code: see phone and SMS verification.
- Daily limits: one vote per voter per day. See daily vote limits.
- Jury plus public vote: see jury and public vote.
Honest promotion under protection means telling supporters exactly which steps to expect, reminding them to finish them and pacing the campaign across the available days. We never help anyone get around a check, and a plan that depends on doing so is a plan we decline. The overview page on voting protection types explains each one in more depth.
What does the risk and budget review produce?
It produces a one-page verdict with three possible outcomes, and the outcome is stated before any cost is discussed.
- Go. The terms allow the kind of promotion you want, protection is manageable, and a campaign of a stated shape is sensible.
- Go with changes. The idea works if something changes: a channel is dropped, a message is reworded, a parent's consent is collected, or the budget is split differently.
- Decline. The terms forbid outside promotion, or the plan would rely on something we do not do. We say so and stop.
How the risk list is built
We rank risks by what the organizer could do and what you could control. Examples are an unclear ownership of music in a video, a hashtag the organizer reserves, a protection step that suits some countries badly, or a deadline too close for creative to be approved.
How the budget view works
We describe budget as shape, not as promise: how much should go to ads, how much to creative, how much to hold back for the final days. Ad spend is always paid to the platform and invoiced apart from our fee. For a range, the budget planner pairs a written range with a thirty-minute strategy call.
What happens in the thirty-minute strategy session?
It is a working conversation with one senior person, structured so that you leave with decisions and not just notes. We ask you to read the written verdict first, which keeps the call short.
The agenda
- Five minutes on what you want from the contest and what a good result would mean to you.
- Ten minutes on the verdict: where you agree, where you want to push back, and what the organizer needs to be asked.
- Ten minutes on the plan: which channels, what rhythm, who produces what, and what you will do yourself.
- Five minutes on next steps and dates.
What to bring
The rules, your entry link, any past results you can see yourself, a rough sense of budget and the name of whoever approves spending. If minors are involved, bring the guardian's contact details so we can plan consent first.
The session ends with a written plan that names the services needed. Many entrants then add paid promotion or creative and copy; some run the plan themselves, and that is a good outcome for a small project.
Should you buy consulting alone or with a campaign?
Buy it alone when the risk is the open question, and add a campaign when the risk is settled and the work is clear. A short rule of thumb:
- Consulting alone suits an entry with a small budget, a team that can post and ask for votes itself, or a contest whose terms need careful reading before anything else.
- Consulting plus creative suits entrants who have the audience but struggle to put the ask into words. See creative and copy.
- Consulting plus outreach suits business awards whose voters are customers and staff. See community, email and messenger outreach and business awards.
- Consulting plus creators suits contests where a clip is the entry. See creator outreach and photo, video and music contests.
The fee for consulting is quoted on request after we have seen the contest, and the quote is confirmed in writing before the review begins.
Where does a rules review stop, and how do you begin?
A review reads the text and the mechanics you can see; it cannot read the organizer's mind. Organizers may interpret their own terms differently from us, change them mid-contest or enforce them unevenly, and only the organizer can settle such points, which is why unanswered questions go back to you in writing.
The first step costs nothing. Send the contest link, the full rules, your entry link and the deadline through the free contest analysis, or open the rules and risk check on WhatsApp. We answer with a first read and a clear statement of whether a paid review is worth buying.
How it works
- Send the contest packContest link, full terms, entry link, deadline with time zone and any note about minors or partners.
- Terms readWe go through eligibility, promotion, voting and disqualification clauses and list questions only the organizer can answer.
- Risk and budget reviewWe rank risks, map the voting protection and describe a sensible shape for the budget.
- Strategy sessionA thirty-minute call with a senior member of the team to confirm decisions and dates.
- Written verdict and planYou receive go, go with changes, or decline, with the services needed if you proceed.
Frequently asked questions
Can you tell me whether my entry could be disqualified?
We can tell you which clauses give the organizer that power and what conduct they describe, so you avoid it. We cannot tell you what an organizer will decide, because that is their call. Where the text is unclear we give you the exact question to send to them.
What if the rules are vague about outside promotion?
Vague wording is common. We read it narrowly, mark it as an open question and recommend you ask the organizer in writing before spending. Until you have an answer we suggest low-cost organic steps only, so a later reply does not leave you with money already committed.
Do you contact the organizer on my behalf?
No. We draft the question and you send it from your own account, because the organizer should hear from the entrant. Keep the reply, because we use the organizer's own words to adjust the plan and to answer later disputes with facts.
Do you need access to my accounts for a review?
No. A review is based on the contest's public text and on what you share with us. Access to an ad account is needed only if you later choose a campaign, and in that case the account and its history stay yours.
Is the first read really free?
Yes. The free contest analysis covers a first read of the terms, the main risks we see and a suggested plan. The paid review goes further, with a written verdict, a ranked risk list, a budget shape and the strategy session. We quote it on request.
How quickly can you return a verdict?
Once we have the full terms and your entry link, a first read normally comes back in days, not weeks. Give us the deadline when you write and tell us which decision you need to make first, so we read those clauses first.
Does a go from you mean I will win?
No. A go means the terms allow the promotion planned and the risks are manageable. We cannot promise a win, a ranking or a number of votes. Results depend on the field of entries and on what supporters choose to do.
Free starters on WhatsApp
Pick one. It opens a prepared message so we know what you need.
Replies usually arrive within 10-30 minutes in working hours (Mon-Fri 09:00-21:00 GMT+3). We do not share your contest details.
Tell us about your contest
Answer four quick questions and we reply with a plan and the next step. The free contest analysis comes first, and any quote is confirmed in writing before work starts.
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