Managing the geographical reach of your contests is crucial for targeting specific audiences and ensuring compliance with regional regulations. Our platform makes it simple to set country-based restrictions for your contests. Here’s a guide on how to configure these settings.
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Access Contest Settings:
- For a new contest, proceed with the setup until you get to “Security Settings.”
- To edit an existing contest, go to the contest details page, click “Edit”, and then locate the “Security Settings” button.
- Determine Country Restrictions: Under “Security Settings”, you’ll find three country restriction options:
- Allow All: This option enables participants from every country to enter your contest.
- Include Some: Choose specific countries whose residents can participate. Once this option is selected, a list will appear allowing you to pick the permitted countries.
- Exclude Some: Instead of specifying which countries can participate, choose countries you want to exclude. Residents from these countries will be unable to enter your contest.
- Finalize Your Settings: After choosing your desired restriction and specifying the countries (for “Include Some” or “Exclude Some”), remember to save your settings.
Allow or Exclude contestants from certain states within the US
If you select the “United States”, you can also choose to allow or exclude specific states or territories.
In the example blow, you are allowing contestants from the United States while excluding people from Alaska and Rhode Island. Contestants will be able to enter from all other states within the US other than Alaska and Rhode Island. Conversely, you can also only allow certain states.
Here’s what the user will see if they are blocked from entering your contest.
How It Works:
User eligibility is determined through IP addresses, which approximate their geographical location. If you’ve set country restrictions, the system checks the user’s IP to either permit or restrict contest entry.
Note: While IP-based restrictions are mostly accurate, tools like VPNs can obscure a user’s real location. It’s beneficial to highlight any country restrictions in your contest rules or descriptions for clarity.
Conclusion:
Country-based restrictions enhance your control over contest participants. Whether you want a broad international audience or a focused regional one, our platform offers the flexibility you need.