A Streamlabs Cloudbot giveaway is configured as a saved profile, then started when you are ready to accept entries. You choose a custom or merch prize, set entry rules, close the entry period and use Cloudbot’s documented winner-selection process.
The settings control eligibility and ticket allocation; they do not guarantee participation or establish that a promotion meets every platform or local rule. This guide follows the full workflow, including the separate steps for handing over a custom prize and a merch-store item.
Create and save a Cloudbot giveaway profile
Open the Giveaways tab in Cloudbot settings and choose Add Giveaway Profile. A profile is the saved configuration for a giveaway: it holds the prize type and description, entry rules, ticket settings and any timer. You can prepare it before launching, then reuse or adjust a profile for a later event rather than building every setting during a live broadcast.
Treat profile creation and giveaway launch as separate tasks. First fill in the configuration and confirm it. When the time comes to open entries, select Start Giveaway on that profile. This gives you a chance to check that the prize and rules are still right before viewers see an entry command.
Before you build the profile, decide what you can actually deliver and what you want a viewer to do to enter. A small devotional channel might offer a custom digital item or a store product, while a local news loop could offer a clearly described local business voucher. The example matters less than the fulfilment: know who will provide the prize, what the winner must do, and whether you can respond after the stream.
Cloudbot’s interface may change over time, so follow the current labels in the product rather than relying on a screenshot from an older walkthrough. Streamlabs’ Cloudbot giveaway instructions document the profile workflow and settings. Read them alongside the live controls if an option appears in a different place.
Choose a custom prize or a merch-store item
There are two documented giveaway types, and they lead to different fulfilment work. Custom is for a prize you describe yourself, such as a digital reward or an item arranged directly with the winner. Merch is for an item already available in your Streamlabs merch store. The merch route requires store items to exist before you configure the giveaway; selecting it does not create or stock an item for you.
| Choice | Prize source | Documented winner limit | What happens after selection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom | A prize described in the profile and arranged by you | Up to 10 winners per giveaway | You contact the selected winner and arrange delivery or access |
| Merch | An existing item in your Streamlabs merch store | One winner per giveaway | The winner claims through a unique redemption URL and supplies applicable details |
The winner limits in the table are the limits documented by Streamlabs, not a recommendation to use the maximum. Streamlabs’ merch giveaway tutorial explains the separate redemption flow. Check the current help pages before launch in case the interface or documented limits have changed.
Choose custom when you want control over the prize description or the item is not in the merch store, and you are comfortable arranging delivery yourself. For example, a study channel could offer a digital study resource, but should be ready to send it privately and confirm the winner can access it. A physical custom prize requires you to agree how to collect any necessary delivery information and arrange shipping; Cloudbot does not do that for you.
Choose merch only when the intended item is already set up in the store and you can explain what the winner will receive. Check the item’s available options and redemption conditions in advance. If a particular size, colour or delivery destination is not available, do not imply otherwise in the profile. Store preparation and giveaway configuration are distinct steps.
Name the giveaway and describe the prize
Give the profile a unique, recognisable name. A label such as “Friday study session headphones” is easier to distinguish from another saved profile than “Giveaway 1”, especially if you prepare several prize types. The name is an organising aid; make sure the public description also identifies the actual reward in plain language.
For a custom prize, describe what it is and any practical boundaries: whether it is digital or physical, what is included, and how the winner will receive it. Avoid promising a particular delivery date unless you can meet it. If the prize is subject to availability, explain that before entries open rather than after a winner is picked.
For a merch prize, name the store item accurately. Do not call the prize “any item in the store” if the giveaway is tied to one configured item. If redemption requires the winner to choose from available options or provide shipping details, say that the claim will require those steps. This lets viewers decide whether they want to enter with a realistic understanding of the handoff.
Keep the prize description consistent across the profile, the on-stream announcement and any chat message you use to invite entries. If you update a profile that has been used before, check that the old prize name or delivery information has not been left behind. A saved profile is convenient, but reuse without review can create confusion.
Set entry rules, tickets and limits
Configure who can enter and how tickets work before starting the giveaway. Cloudbot separates permission to enter from the follower setting that prevents non-followers from winning. The follower setting is not the same as making the giveaway follower-only for entry: non-followers may still enter, but the setting can exclude them from winning. Explain the distinction in your announcement if you enable it.
Ticket cost uses Cloudbot loyalty points. Set a cost only if viewers understand how those points are earned and what spending them does. Then decide the maximum tickets per viewer and whether subscribers or non-subscribers receive bonus tickets. These controls shape allocation among entrants; they do not ensure that people will enter or that a particular person will be selected.
Before you choose values, ask what behaviour you want the rule to permit. A maximum can stop one viewer from accumulating tickets beyond the limit you set. A subscriber bonus changes how many tickets eligible subscribers receive relative to non-subscribers. Neither should be treated as a substitute for explaining who is eligible, what the prize is, or how selection works. Use only settings you can describe clearly in chat.
The selected settings should be workable for your audience. If your viewers do not use loyalty points, a ticket cost may add friction without helping them understand entry. If you want a simple entry, avoid adding conditions that are difficult to explain during a busy live session. Conversely, if you use point costs or bonuses, check the values in the saved profile and make sure the entry response does not suggest a different rule.
Cloudbot also allows you to customise the default command, entry response, other messages and a repeat reminder. Those message controls are optional; the core profile does not require you to rewrite every message. They are useful when you need to make the entry instructions fit your channel’s language, but keep them short enough to read and consistent with the configured rules. If your channel’s wider setup includes regular live playback, keep the giveaway interruption understandable: viewers arriving mid-stream should be able to learn what is happening without guessing. The advice on testing a YouTube lofi radio stream before making it public is useful for checking what a viewer sees and hears before relying on a long-running broadcast.
Decide whether to use a timer
A timer is optional. If enabled, set a duration so Cloudbot can close the giveaway automatically after the period you choose. If you leave it off, you control when the entry period ends and need to return to the giveaway controls to close it yourself.
A timed close can be useful when you want to announce a clear window and then continue with a scheduled programme. It also means the window ends according to the timer rather than your sense of how many people have entered. A manual close gives you more direct control during a live session, but it depends on someone monitoring the giveaway and remembering to act.
Pick a duration that gives your audience a reasonable chance to notice and understand the announcement, especially if viewers arrive at different times. Do not assume a timer will create participation. It only governs automatic closing. If the stream is running unattended, think carefully about whether the announcement and timing are appropriate for the audience who may join later.
Whichever method you use, tell viewers when entries close. If you change a profile after announcing the giveaway, repeat the updated closing time or clarify the change. Make a note of whether the timer is on before you press Start Giveaway, because the same profile may have been used previously with a different duration.
Start the giveaway and invite entries
When the profile is ready, select Start Giveaway. Check that the active giveaway is the intended one, then invite entries using the configured command and the channel messages you want viewers to see. State the prize, who may enter, the ticket rule if one applies, whether a follower condition affects winning, and when entries close.
A practical announcement might say: “Type the giveaway command to enter. The prize is the named store item; one winner will be selected after entries close. Non-followers may enter, but only a follower can win.” Use that wording only if it matches your actual settings. For a custom prize, replace the store wording with a specific description and explain how you will contact the winner.
Watch the entrant list and ticket counts during the entry period. This is a chance to spot an obvious mismatch between your announcement and what the profile is collecting, such as a command viewers cannot find or an entry response that omits an important condition. Do not quietly change a material rule while people are entering; if you need to correct a mistake, explain it plainly and consider whether you should stop and restart with the corrected profile.
For a channel that runs continuously, place the announcement where people can encounter it without assuming they were present at the start. A pinned or repeated message can help, but it should not overwhelm the channel’s ordinary purpose. If a giveaway sits alongside an always-on devotional or music stream, keep the stream content and giveaway language distinct. The planning considerations in how to make a 24/7 Shiv bhajan stream for YouTube are a useful reminder that an ongoing channel still needs a clear experience for viewers joining at any point.
Close entries, select a winner and arrange the prize
When the entry period is over, close the giveaway yourself or let the configured timer close it. Then use Pick a Winner. Follow the documented Cloudbot selection flow; do not describe it as a guarantee of fairness or randomness beyond what Streamlabs documents. Streamlabs specifies the controls and winner limits, but those facts should not be stretched into claims about participation or outcomes.
For custom giveaways, Streamlabs documents up to 10 winners per giveaway. If you have configured more than one winner, be prepared to arrange the prize with each selected person. Monitor chat for the selected winner’s response and use the available reroll control if needed. Before rerolling, make clear that the first selection could not complete the claim, and keep the replacement selection within the same announced rules.
The handoff for a custom prize is yours to manage. Tell the winner how to claim it, use an appropriate private channel for any details that should not be posted publicly, and confirm when the item or access has been delivered. For a physical prize, agree the delivery process directly. Avoid asking a winner to post an address or other sensitive details in public chat.
For a merch giveaway, Streamlabs documents one winner. The selected winner receives a unique redemption URL and can use it to enter applicable size, colour and shipping details. Monitor messages so you can see whether the winner has responded, and complete the merch giveaway after the winner confirms the claim. The redemption process is not the same as you manually sending a custom prize, and it depends on the store item being ready beforehand.
If the winner does not respond, use the reroll process available in Cloudbot when appropriate and explain that the original selection did not complete the claim. Do not imply that a winner has received a prize simply because a name was selected. Keep a brief record of the selection and handoff status for your own follow-up, particularly if the giveaway was announced to an audience across a long-running stream.
Giveaways are promotions, so Cloudbot configuration is not a substitute for checking the current rules that apply to your location and platform. Review the relevant official guidance before launching, and write terms that match the actual prize and process. If a giveaway is connected to a channel with copyright-sensitive material, keep prize mechanics separate from rights questions; the checks in preventing copyright blocks on a Hindi meditation music YouTube live stream address a different risk, but illustrate why a channel should not assume one operational setting resolves every issue.
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FAQ
Can I reuse a Cloudbot giveaway profile?
Yes. The profile is saved before you start a live giveaway, so you can prepare it in advance and use it again. Review the prize, entry rules, ticket settings and timer each time rather than assuming they are still suitable.
Do non-followers get to enter if I use the follower setting?
The follower setting is described as preventing non-followers from winning, while still allowing them to enter. That is different from a rule that blocks them from entering at all. Explain the distinction in your announcement when you enable it.
How many winners can I select?
Streamlabs documents up to 10 winners for a custom giveaway and one winner for a merch giveaway. Choose the prize type based on the actual fulfilment route, and check Streamlabs’ current help page before launch in case its documented limits change.
Does Cloudbot send every prize automatically?
No. A custom prize needs a handoff that you arrange with the winner. A merch giveaway uses a redemption URL for the selected winner, and the merch item must already exist in your store.