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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One DLC from Tiltify's Yogscast Jingle Jam 2023. That means redeem before 31st, but since they only last a week until 11th, you'll redeem them much before. Level 2, btw.

NOTICE
To enter the Run Prop Gun DLC giveaway, you need to add the free base game to your account. You can remove it later if you don't want it.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1475400/Run_Prop_Run__Puropu_Pursuit/

And here it is:
https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/?DWLw/ru?-prop-ru?-complete-bu?dle
I think the bot protection is pretty clear.

Edit: deleted the Sifu Cosmetic as no one entered.

5 months ago*
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Hiveswap Friendsim, Lv1+
steamgifts.com/giveaway/2O??X/hiveswap-friendsim = ??iends and Steamgifts-fam, happy holidays!

5 months ago*
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Two Worlds II - Call of the Tenebrae DLC, Lv1+
steamgifts.com/giveaway/??aGx/two-worlds-ii-call-of-the-tenebrae = MN?P?

5 months ago
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boop

5 months ago
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Castle Break

https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/I1Yqt/
(triple the number)

5 months ago
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Nice triple tip!!
Thnx 4 GA!

5 months ago
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5 months ago
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5 months ago
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5 months ago
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https://www.sgtools.info/giveaways/d90a2713-c579-4946-873f-babb25c539(4+5)1

The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries
L1+

5 months ago
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Cardaclysm - steam link

.

Number between 16 and 18

5 months ago
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Thx for this!!!
Was wondering why my links werent working right...

5 months ago
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Flash giveaway. Key expires on December 14th.

https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/hd?Ta/the-ramp

Missing letter: uvw?yz

5 months ago
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LV2 https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/H?@SO/kingdom-two-crowns

? = 1+(2*3)
@ = last Letter for latin alphabet

5 months ago
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are you sure man lol

5 months ago
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Can confirm it works :) Try it in incognito mode, autocorrect might be screwing with you on the capitalization.

5 months ago
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everytime the same thing happens lol thanks mate

5 months ago
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So what was the problem?

5 months ago
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If you try the first time with the wrong captalisation, your browser saves the link, and when you change the lower/ uppercase, your browser automatically "corrects" it back to the way you tried the first time. At least that's one issue I often have. Might be some other similar web link autocorrect issues with the browsers.

5 months ago
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Chrome?
I have not this problem with firefox.

5 months ago
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For me, it happens in both Chrome and Edge. It is choosing the first link it remembers that "looks the same" instead of the one you typed in with different capitalisation, when you press "enter".

5 months ago
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I also use Firefox for SteamGifts and this doesn't happen. Well, I guess next time I'll just hide the numbers!

4 months ago
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My trick is to just copy and paste the 5 characters into a different giveaway, or delete the game name at the end so chrome doesnt auto-fix.

I really need to just give up on chrome and switch back to firefox.

5 months ago
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That's a good tip! Thanks!

I think, looking for, and only taking the 5 characters is also how the bots do it, so we are becomming more like bots every day. 😄

5 months ago
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They learn tricks from us, we learn tricks from them... the cycle continues on...

5 months ago
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Cov's humor: Who is good at rowing a rowboat? A robot (row-bot). 😜

4 months ago
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View attached image.
4 months ago
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happy cake day!

4 months ago
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Oh my Lord you're right!

Here's something from the last Humble Bundle Choice I forgot to pause.

https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/?Ou?W/wwe-2k23

? are four and three, in that order.

4 months ago
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Happy cake day to you now!

4 months ago
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thank you :D
here's some small gibs to commemorate:
4rmJ9
R3N6U
HODDy
KtKMf
x09L5
8sbkq

switch the capitalisation of the first letter in each code (lvl 2)

4 months ago*
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Happy Cake day!!🎂

4 months ago
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Oh my Lord you're right!

Here's something from the last Humble Bundle Choice I forgot to pause.

https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/?Ou?W/wwe-2k23

? are four and three, in that order.

4 months ago
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Happy cake day!

4 months ago
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Thanks!!

4 months ago
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Lvl 0+ - Founders' Fortune: https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/?%h5D/founders-fortune
Running until 2023-12-14 at noon EST.

with ? = capital a
and % = first letter of yes

4 months ago*
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Did I miss something, like link?

4 months ago
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confused as well

4 months ago
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My mistake 😅 I pasted the link but forgot that it simply added it and that I needed to add some text so that it would show. Thanks for pointing out the fact that it was not visible!

4 months ago
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Deleted

This comment was deleted 4 months ago.

4 months ago
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4 hours left bump!

4 months ago
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for some reason the link doesn't work for me, even when I replaced the ? and %

4 months ago
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Try it in a private browser window. Your browser might have cached the redirection. Or you might be using a plugin such as ESGST which redirects automatically.

4 months ago
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Here's a few LV3 giveaways for my cakeday!

https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/?Ou?W/wwe-2k23

? are four and three, in that order.

4 months ago
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happy cakeday!

4 months ago
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Happy cakeday!

4 months ago
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Happycakeday

4 months ago
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Happy cake day!

4 months ago
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Happy cake day Xee0!

4 months ago
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Happy cakeday! Thanks for the train!

4 months ago
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Deleted

This comment was deleted 4 months ago.

4 months ago
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Happy belated cakeday and thanks for your generosity!

4 months ago
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Desolate:

View attached image.
4 months ago
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Got it, thanks

4 months ago
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Good. You're welcome.

4 months ago
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A little LVL2+ invite GA !

https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/Iok?l/tails-noir

? = 2 - 4 - 6 - ? - 10 - 12 - ...

4 months ago
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? = 2 - 4 - 6 - (2 - 4 - 6 - (2 - 4 - 6 - (2 - 4 - 6 - 😅 - 10 - 12 - ...) - 10 - 12 - ...) - 10 - 12 - ...) - 10 - 12 - ...

4 months ago
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Overlord: Raising Hell
https://sgtools.info/giveaways/99b73ed3-f31f-4873-89d7-f5d325d3cee(7)
Remember to remove the ( ) before joining!
My first use of sgtools, I hope I did it well!

4 months ago
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Thanks for the chance but I've failed requirements unfortunately =(

4 months ago
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as Cult said, if you have the base game I have it now as a normal giveaway:
https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/PM5TJ/overlord-raising-hell

4 months ago
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ty! <3

4 months ago
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Its over, but just wanted to share that the link worked perfectly for those that could enter.
Im guessing it probably said "Missing Base game" for them.

4 months ago
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yes, I suppose that was what happened...

4 months ago
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Very quick, 12 hours only, Lvl 0+ giveaway: Between the Stars

Replace ?? by Province of Québec (abbreviated, capital letters only, in that specific order).

Enjoy!

4 months ago
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👍

4 months ago
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4 months ago
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Very quick Prey giveaway, level 0+: Prey. Runs for about 9 hours only.

??? = one of the common substances produced by bees, if you remove bees from its name. Starts with a Capital W, the other two letters are lowercase.

4 months ago
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2 hours left bump!

4 months ago
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24h giveaway of STAR WARS™: Squadrons. All levels welcome.

?? = User interface (first word starts with an uppercase letter, second word with a lowercase letter)

4 months ago
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4 months ago
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IT'S OVER!

https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/?iZ1I/mass-effect-legendary-edition

? -> First letter of my first name.

Level 2+
Not available for:
Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Russia, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and United Arab Emirates.

Steam GIFT, I will add you on Steam. :)
1 HOUR GIVEAWAY!

4 months ago*
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-5min bump :D

4 months ago
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̶H̶e̶y̶ ̶j̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶p̶o̶s̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶h̶t̶t̶p̶s̶:̶/̶/̶s̶g̶t̶o̶o̶l̶s̶.̶i̶n̶f̶o̶/̶g̶i̶v̶e̶a̶w̶a̶y̶s̶/̶4̶f̶9̶b̶b̶f̶4̶4̶-̶d̶5̶a̶7̶-̶4̶0̶1̶a̶-̶a̶3̶1̶b̶-̶1̶0̶f̶3̶6̶f̶0̶a̶6̶2̶b̶5̶
̶I̶ ̶m̶e̶s̶s̶e̶d̶ ̶u̶p̶ ̶a̶ ̶g̶e̶n̶e̶r̶a̶l̶ ̶h̶i̶t̶s̶q̶u̶a̶d̶ ̶k̶e̶y̶ ̶a̶c̶c̶i̶d̶e̶n̶t̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶s̶e̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶i̶n̶v̶i̶t̶e̶ ̶o̶n̶l̶y̶

̶T̶h̶e̶ ̶g̶a̶m̶e̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶h̶o̶t̶ ̶b̶r̶a̶s̶s̶ ̶h̶t̶t̶p̶s̶:̶/̶/̶s̶t̶e̶a̶m̶d̶b̶.̶i̶n̶f̶o̶/̶a̶p̶p̶/̶8̶9̶2̶8̶6̶0̶

Finished and sent

4 months ago*
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̶I̶t̶'̶s̶ ̶o̶n̶l̶y̶ ̶u̶p̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶5̶0̶ ̶m̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶m̶i̶n̶u̶t̶e̶s̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶g̶a̶m̶e̶
Finished and sent

4 months ago*
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