A 400-character caption on YouTube
YouTube shows about the first 157 characters before "…more", so 243 of the 400 are hidden until someone taps. Put the hook in those first 157.
YouTube giveaway winner picker
Paste your YouTube giveaway entrants and draw a real, cryptographically random winner — entirely in your browser, nothing uploaded. This does not fetch YouTube’s actual comments itself (no static tool safely can); paste the usernames or comments you’ve already collected, and it draws fairly from exactly that list. YouTube’s own contest policies still apply to how you run the giveaway. YouTube posts take up to 5,000 characters, shows about 157 before "…more", and allows up to 60 hashtags.
How do you use the YouTube giveaway picker?
- Collect your entrants from YouTube. Copy commenter names or channel names from the actual video’s comment section.
- Paste them in, one per line. Duplicates can be allowed (one entry per comment) or removed (one entry per unique person).
- Set how many winners to draw. Draws distinct winners with no repeats when you ask for more than one.
- Draw the winner. A cryptographically random pick from exactly your pasted list, computed in your browser.
- Follow YouTube’s contest policies. YouTube has its own contest requirements (an official set of rules, eligibility, etc.) — this tool doesn’t enforce or verify compliance for you.
What are the YouTube rules to know?
The limits SkedCast’s composer checks for YouTube before a post goes out, read from the same rules table the composer uses.
| Text limit | 5,000 characters |
|---|---|
| How length is counted | As you see it: one emoji or accented letter counts as one character |
| Hashtags | Up to 60 per post; extras are flagged before publishing |
| Where the caption is cut off in the feed | About 157 characters before "…more", so lead with the point |
| Text-only posts | Not allowed: every post needs an image or video |
| Links in the text | No link-preview card |
| First comment | Supported: SkedCast can post a first comment right after publishing |
| Feed crop | 16:9 in the feed preview |
| Images | Not published by SkedCast to this platform |
Good to know
- YouTube cannot post text without a video — every post requires exactly one video.
- YouTube does not support image, photo, or carousel posts via the API.
- YouTube does not support GIF posts.
- YouTube does not support document/PDF posts.
- YouTube does not support polls, threads, stories, or link posts via the publishing API.
What does it look like in practice?
65 hashtags on YouTube
That is 5 over the 60 SkedCast allows for YouTube, so the post is flagged before it publishes rather than going out with tags dropped.
Picking 1 winner from subscriber comments
Paste every eligible commenter’s name — this tool draws fairly from exactly that 1 list, but has no way to verify who actually subscribed.
Picking 2 winners for a two-prize giveaway
Ask for 2 winners and the tool draws 2 distinct entrants with no repeats in one pass.
YouTube giveaway picker FAQ
- Does this tool pull comments from my YouTube video automatically?
- No — it draws from exactly the list you paste in. Fetching a video’s actual comments would require the channel owner’s OAuth access, which a public tool like this cannot safely do.
- Can it verify who actually subscribed to my channel?
- No — it has no way to check subscription status; you’re responsible for pasting in only entrants who actually met your entry rules.
- Does this tool handle YouTube’s contest requirements for me?
- No — YouTube’s own contest policies (official rules, eligibility disclosures, etc.) still apply, and you’re responsible for following them.
- Does this work for a Community post giveaway, not just video comments?
- Yes — paste whatever list of names you collected, regardless of whether they came from a video’s comments or a Community post.
- Can I post text only on YouTube?
- No. Every YouTube post needs at least one image or video; the caption rides along with the media.
- Will YouTube cut off a long caption?
- In the feed, yes: YouTube shows roughly the first 157 characters and hides the rest behind "…more", so put the hook and any call to action first.
- How many hashtags can a YouTube post have?
- SkedCast flags anything over 60 hashtags on a YouTube post before it publishes, so a post never goes out with tags YouTube would drop.
- What happens to a link in a YouTube post?
- The link counts at its real length, and YouTube shows no link-preview card for it.
Ready to broadcast everywhere?
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