So you want to create public GAs, but you don't want bots and auto-join scripts to enter? Good. Just post a comment in this thread with a link to an invite-only giveaway. The idea is very simple and is really not different from many (most?) of the other threads in the forum, except that you don't need to invest much time or thought into it. Just post the link in a comment, and you're done :-)

A few additional guidelines:

  • Feel free to obfuscate the link to make it more difficult for bots/scripts to enter. This is completely optional and may not make much of a difference, because the forums are probably not as infested with bots and auto-join scripts as public giveaways (see example).
  • You may use itstoohard.com, sgtools.info or other sites as filters to the link, but do try to keep things easy (for humans) to enter.
  • Don't feel obligated to write anything to accompany the giveaway link. If you have stuff to share beyond just the link, you probably should create a dedicated thread for it. Needless to say, you can also write it here, but it's not required.
  • Cross-posting giveaways your posted in other threads is fine, as long as they are your giveaways.
  • If you want to add a dynamic signature showing the game name, giveaway end date and current number of entries, but without revealing the URL to bots, you can use this tool created by Reforced. It takes the signature created by SG and provides you with a new URL that hides the original giveaway address. Just add it to your comment using the regular format for posting images: ![](URL)
  • Just like public GAs typically have a lot of entries, there's no need to maintain a low number of entries in GAs posted here. If you want to give especially good odds to people who enter and still get CV, you may want to instead consider posting the link here (and then remove it when you have your 5 entries). This is not needed here in this thread. The more (humans) the merrier :-)
  • The best way to bump this thread is by posting a link to your own invite-only giveaway. With that said, if the thread drops from the first page a regular "Bump" would also be appreciated.

I'm trying to find how serious the issue with bots really is. So far the results don't really prove things one way or another. Here are some stats from my latest experiment:

Game: Space Trader: Merchant Marine
Number of giveaways: 5
Period: 3 days

Giveaway # Level Type Number of entries Winner's Sent:Won Reroll needed?
1 Level 0+ Public 891 0:82 No
2 Level 0+ Invite only, direct link 55 4:47 No
3 Level 0+ Invite only, SGTools (no restrictions) 48 6:71 No
4 Level 0+ Invite only, shortened URL, captcha-free 50 1:205 No
5 Level 0+ Invite only, shortened URL with "I'm not a robot" captcha 54 162:86 No

Yet some more stats:

Giveaway game Period Level Type Number of entries Winner's Sent:Won Reroll needed?
Tales from the Void 5 days Level 0+ Public 755 0:37 No
Tales from the Void 5 days Level 0+ Invite only, obfuscated link 183 42:514 No
Hyper Box 4 days Level 0+ Public 554 0:32 No
Hyper Box 4 days Level 0+ Invite only, obfuscated link 193 178:188 No
Ace Combat Assault Horizon 3 days Level 0+ Public 1596 0:28 Yes
Ace Combat Assault Horizon 3 days Level 0+ Invite only, obfuscated link 234 88:107 No
7 years ago*

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First time for me too.
Dungeon of the endless, >= level 1 , >= 0.5 ratio ,all activated, not multiple, not VAC ban
End : 16.04.2018
http://www.sgtools.info/giveaways/d5a5b1e1-3f4a-11e8-b5f5-fa163ee2f826

6 years ago
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I already own the game but wanted to say "Thanks that you use that sgtools rules". I use exactly the same in my thread https://www.steamgifts.com/discussion/Bc22Q/ (i will make today new GA's)

6 years ago
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https://www.steamgifts.com/giveawayFORYOU/bel6B/splasher
Did I mention this is for you all? .

6 years ago*
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. lvl4 sgt

6 years ago
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6 years ago
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Good discussion

6 years ago
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Planetary Annihilation: TITANS
Rules : >= level 1, >= 0.5 real cv ratio, all activated, not multiple, not VAC ban
End : 19.04.2018 11.14 AM
http://www.sgtools.info/giveaways/85de18c5-420f-11e8-b5f5-fa163ee2f826

6 years ago
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6 years ago
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Check then possible invalid entries, in my last draw a user passed the link to another. Blacklist for centuries and reported.
What a disappointment...

View attached image.
6 years ago*
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yes such things are disappointing

6 years ago
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I hope that cheat gets a good punishment to serve as a lesson... And there is another cheat, who passed the link, who has escaped: I have no evidence to say has been this or that user.

Finally, for the next raffle I will put that capture and I will make the warning that I always check the participants and that I will report those who break the rules and if by chance the raffle wins, reroll

6 years ago
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I give you a Whitelist. Maybe that helps :o)

Nice DragonLance Group Avatar at your Steamprofile

6 years ago
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Thanks ^^

You were already on my white list XD

6 years ago
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Were you able to find out who passed the link out yet? I hope so!

6 years ago
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No, that can not be determined... But hey, two cheats have caught one is not so bad and there are 79 legitimate entries.

6 years ago
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That is a shame. :( At least there were all the legitimate entries! And thankfully you are able to determine if they got in there legitimately due to SGTools!:)

6 years ago
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some hours left, 40 ppl :p

6 years ago
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41 ;-P Thanks for the GA

6 years ago
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Thanks.

6 years ago
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Deleted

This comment was deleted 5 years ago.

6 years ago
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6 years ago
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bump.

6 years ago
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https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/CZ
say no to bot
q5K/dungeon-of-the-endless

6 years ago
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You have to rewrite giveaway code to participate: https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/ksо1Z/armored-animals-h1n1z lvl 3+

6 years ago
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__/\\\\\_____/\\\_________________________________/\\\________/\\\________________        
 _\/\\\\\\___\/\\\________________________________\/\\\_______\/\\\________________       
  _\/\\\/\\\__\/\\\_____/\\\__/\\\_________________\/\\\_______\/\\\________________      
   _\/\\\//\\\_\/\\\____\//\\\/\\\_______/\\\\\\\\__\/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\___/\\\____/\\\_     
    _\/\\\\//\\\\/\\\_____\//\\\\\______/\\\//////___\/\\\/////////\\\__\/\\\___\/\\\_    
     _\/\\\_\//\\\/\\\______\//\\\______/\\\__________\/\\\_______\/\\\__\/\\\___\/\\\_   
      _\/\\\__\//\\\\\\___/\\_/\\\______\//\\\_________\/\\\_______\/\\\__\/\\\___\/\\\_  
       _\/\\\___\//\\\\\__\//\\\\/________\///\\\\\\\\__\/\\\_______\/\\\__\//\\\\\\\\\__ 
        _\///_____\/////____\////____________\////////___\///________\///____\/////////___
View attached image.
6 years ago
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I can't read this properly in chrome, Is the first letter a N or a h

6 years ago
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Looks fine in Chrome here. Just take 2 or 3 steps back from the screen.

6 years ago
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Copying the text and pasting it in a text editor (GEdit in my case, I guess notepad will work as well) made it much more visible for me.

6 years ago
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This is really nice, maybe should have used a couple less underscores between the second and third letter (for kerning) but nonetheless it's really well done. Did you use a program to generate it or was it your craft?

6 years ago
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It would have taken me ages to do this manually. I used a website - http://patorjk.com/software/taag

6 years ago
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Thanks, I'll bookmark it

6 years ago
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bumping bot

6 years ago
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Bump :)

6 years ago
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Bump!

6 years ago
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Bada-bing, bada-bump!

6 years ago
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Planetary-annihilation-titans:
Last two: cQ
First one are: n8
and the "V" for vendetta for the win

6 years ago
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It looks like the url got mangled. Or was that on purpose?

6 years ago
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It's messy but it works.

6 years ago
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there are some anti-bot protection and it seems like you might be bot : - )

6 years ago
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I wish I was.

6 years ago
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Deleted

This comment was deleted 11 months ago.

6 years ago
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Deleted

This comment was deleted 3 years ago.

6 years ago
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bumperino

6 years ago
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Bump!

6 years ago
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