How to Run a Shopify Giveaway in WordPress (Step-by-Step)

Getting a Shopify giveaway off the ground sounds simple enough until you realize your Shopify store and your WordPress site don’t talk to each other by default. You’ve got products on one platform and your audience on another, and stitching them together into a contest that actually converts takes more than adding a Shopify app.

Now, there’s a cleaner way to do it. In this guide, I’ll walk you through running a Shopify giveaway from your WordPress site using RafflePress: setting goals, building the contest, promoting it, and converting participants into buyers.

Why Run a Shopify Giveaway?

A Shopify giveaway is one of the fastest ways to grow your audience and boost sales. It keeps visitors on your site longer, encourages them to explore, and often drives repeat visits.

Giveaways also spark viral sharing. When people enter, they frequently post about it on social media, putting your brand in front of new potential customers without extra ad spend.

Why Use Shopify with WordPress?

Running your giveaway through WordPress instead of a Shopify app gives you three advantages that are hard to replicate:

• You own your data. Every email address and entry action lives in your own WordPress database, not on a third-party platform.
• One-time cost, not a subscription. Shopify giveaway apps like Gleam ($29-$119/month) charge ongoing fees; RafflePress is a one-time payment.
• Built-in viral refer-a-friend mechanic. Participants earn bonus entries for referring friends, and most Shopify-native apps don’t offer this, so it compounds your reach without extra ad spend.

Before you start, you’ll need: a self-hosted WordPress site, your Shopify store URL to reference in giveaway details, and RafflePress Pro installed.

See how to integrate Shopify with WordPress if you haven’t connected the two yet.

Steps to Run a Shopify Giveaway in WordPress

A Shopify giveaway can attract more customers and increase sales. And with the right tools, it’s easier than you might think.

Follow the steps below to run a Shopify giveaway using RafflePress, the best WordPress giveaway plugin.

Step 1. Set Your Goals and Prize

Setting goals is an essential first step when planning your giveaway. As with any project, having a clear goal gives direction and helps make decisions.

Ask yourself what you want to achieve. Do you want to increase audience engagement, user interaction, or drive traffic to your website?

With the right goals, it’ll be easier to measure your giveaway’s success and run better campaigns in the future.

After setting your goals, you’ll need to decide on a prize. The prize is where most giveaways go wrong.

A generic prize like an iPad attracts people who will never buy from you. The prize determines who enters.

Aim for a prize worth about 2-3x your average order value. Under $50 rarely generates urgency; over $500 tends to attract freebie hunters with no intent to buy.

A tiered structure also works well: one main prize plus 3-5 runner-up discount codes keeps non-winners engaged instead of disappearing.

Prize ideas that attract buyers rather than browsers include products from your own Shopify store, gift cards that can only be spent with you, and exclusive bundles tied to your niche. Here are some options to consider:

• Gift cards for your online store
• Discount coupons for popular items
• Limited edition merchandise
• Early access to new launches
• Exclusive branded swag
• Personalized customer experiences
• Membership or subscription services

See more prize ideas to incentivize your audience.

What Are the Legal Requirements for a Shopify Giveaway?

Before you launch, there are a few legal requirements to know. Giveaway laws vary by country, but if you’re running a promotion in the U.S., these basics apply:

• No purchase necessary: U.S. law requires that entry be free. You cannot require a purchase to enter.
• Prize value disclosure: State the approximate retail value of the prize clearly in your rules.
• Eligibility and geographic restrictions: Define who can enter (age, country, state restrictions if any).
• Platform-specific rules: Facebook and Instagram have their own promotion guidelines; if you’re running social entry actions, review them before launching.
• GDPR notice: If you’re collecting emails from EU participants, include a clear opt-in consent statement and link to your privacy policy.

RafflePress can automatically generate a set of giveaway rules once you’ve filled in the prize details. That’s the easiest way to cover your basics without hiring a lawyer.

Step 2. Install Your Giveaway Plugin

In this guide, we’ll show you how to set up your giveaway using RafflePress. RafflePress is a WordPress giveaway plugin that lets you run viral contests from your WordPress admin, no Shopify app subscription required.

It comes with goal-based giveaway templates and a drag-and-drop builder, so you can get started quickly. You can add 1-click entry options to make entering easy for participants.

To get started, install and activate the RafflePress plugin.

Note: RafflePress has a free version that lets you create simple giveaways in WordPress. This guide uses RafflePress Pro for its advanced features. If you need help setting it up, see this guide on how to install RafflePress.

Step 3. Create and Customize Your Shopify Giveaway

After installing RafflePress, go to Giveaways » Add New from your WordPress admin and choose a giveaway template.

Each template comes with entry options that meet specific goals. For example, the “Grow Your Email List” template lets users subscribe to your newsletter for entry into your prize draw.

Choose a template that matches your campaign goal. You can always add and remove entry options later.

Next, you’ll see the drag-and-drop giveaway builder. Start by filling in your prize details: the name, description, and start and end dates. Upload a custom prize image to make it more compelling, and include enough detail in the description so participants know exactly what they’re entering for.

Before you click the Actions tab, think about your entry method strategy. RafflePress has over 30 entry options, but adding all of them works against you.

Each additional required entry step reduces completion rate. The approach that works best: pick 1 required action aligned to your main goal (email subscribe for list growth, social follow for follower growth), then make the rest optional bonus entries.

Click the Actions tab to choose your entry methods from the 30+ options, including joining an email list, visiting a page, following you on social media, and more. Pick those that align with your giveaway goals.

From there, click the Design tab to customize your giveaway’s fonts, colors, and background. If you plan to create a standalone giveaway landing page, you can set a custom background image in this panel.

Click the Settings tab to configure email verification, giveaway rules, reCAPTCHA, and automation.

In the Giveaway Rules section, you can automatically generate a set of rules for participants to follow.

For more information, refer to the RafflePress documentation. When you’re happy with your giveaway’s design and settings, click the Save button.

Step 4. Publish and Run Your Shopify Giveaway

Click the Publish tab in the top menu bar. Here, you can choose how to publish your giveaway in WordPress.

The options include a shortcode, the RafflePress WordPress block, or a giveaway landing page. For this guide, choose the Landing Page option.

Select “Click here” to go to the settings page, where you can choose a permalink for your giveaway page. Make this easy to remember, because participants may want to revisit.

For example, “shopify-giveaway” makes the full URL “yoursite.com/shopify-giveaway.”

Click the View button to preview your page. This is what visitors will see when your giveaway launches on the start date you set earlier.

For more detailed instructions, see our guide on how to do a giveaway in WordPress.

Step 5. Promote Your Shopify Giveaway

Now that your Shopify giveaway is live, promotion determines whether it spreads or stalls. Here are the tactics that move the needle:

• Launch on Tuesday or Wednesday. Mid-week launches consistently get more entries in the critical first 48 hours, when up to 40% of all entries typically come in. Monday is a catch-up day; Friday people mentally check out.
• Email your list on day one. Use your email list to announce the giveaway and link directly to the entry page. Encourage subscribers to participate and share.
• Share on social media. Post on Facebook, X (Twitter), and Instagram with a direct link to your giveaway page. Include a clear image of the prize to stop the scroll.
• Consider an influencer partner. Collaborating with influencers in your niche can put your giveaway in front of their audience. Their endorsement adds credibility and reach you can’t buy with ads alone.
• Run paid ads if your budget allows. Google Ads and Facebook Ads offer specific targeting options to make sure your Shopify giveaway reaches the right people, not just anyone.
• Send a reminder email 48 hours before close. Entries spike again in the final two days. A reminder email captures people who saw the original announcement but didn’t act.

Step 6. Monitor and Engage with the Winner

Track your participants and keep an eye on your stats as the giveaway runs. This data shapes every future campaign you run.

Engagement matters throughout. Respond to comments and questions, and share progress on social media to keep the excitement alive.

When the contest ends, go to RafflePress » Giveaways and click the Needs Winners link.

From there, select Choose Winners to pick a winner randomly.

Email the winner to share the good news, then announce the winner on your website and social channels to close the loop publicly.

What to Do with All the Non-Winners

The day your giveaway ends is the highest-intent moment you have with every participant who didn’t win. Send a consolation email that same day with a 10-15% discount code. They entered because they wanted your product; a well-timed offer converts that intent into a purchase before it cools.

After the consolation email, continue engaging with your new subscribers. Send relevant content, special offers, and product updates over the following 30 days to move non-buyers further down the funnel.

How to Measure Your Giveaway ROI

Track these metrics to know whether your Shopify giveaway actually worked:

• Cost per lead: Total giveaway cost (prize value + promotion spend) divided by new email subscribers. Under $1 per lead is a strong result.
• Participant-to-customer conversion: Track at 30, 60, and 90 days post-giveaway using UTM tags on your entry links through Google Analytics. RafflePress lets you add UTM parameters to your entry URLs for this reason.
• List hygiene: Before adding giveaway participants to your main email list, remove fake or inactive emails. A giveaway audience is more varied than your regular subscriber base; cleaning it first protects your deliverability.

Use this information to make your next giveaway even better.

FAQs About Running a Shopify Giveaway

Here are answers to common questions about running a Shopify giveaway on your WordPress site.

Do I need a Shopify app to run a giveaway, or can I use my WordPress site?

You don’t need a Shopify app. If you have a WordPress site, you can run the giveaway entirely from WordPress using RafflePress.

Your entry data stays on your own server, not a third-party platform. You avoid ongoing monthly app fees. And RafflePress includes viral entry actions like refer-a-friend that most Shopify-native apps don’t offer.

Are Shopify giveaways legal, and what rules do I need to follow?

Yes, Shopify giveaways are legal, but there are rules to follow. In the U.S., giveaways must include “no purchase necessary” language, disclose the prize value, and state eligibility requirements clearly.

If you’re collecting emails from EU participants, you need explicit opt-in consent under GDPR. Facebook and Instagram also have their own promotion guidelines if you’re using those platforms for entry actions. RafflePress automatically generates giveaway rules once you fill in your prize details, which covers the legal basics without extra effort.

What’s the best prize for a Shopify giveaway?

The best prize is one that attracts your ideal customer, not everyone. A generic prize like an iPad or cash will pull in entries from people who will never buy from you.

Aim for a prize worth about 2-3x your average order value, pulled directly from your own product catalog or closely tied to your niche. A tiered structure works well: one main prize plus 3-5 runner-up discount codes so non-winners still have a reason to buy.

How do I track whether my Shopify giveaway actually drove sales?

The most reliable method is UTM tracking. Add UTM parameters to your entry links in RafflePress, then track participant-to-customer conversions in Google Analytics at 30, 60, and 90 days after the giveaway ends.

A simple cost-per-lead calculation also helps: divide your total giveaway cost (prize value plus promotion spend) by the number of new email subscribers. Use RafflePress’s built-in reports alongside Google Analytics to see which entry actions and promotions produced the best results. Here’s how to connect Google Analytics to WordPress.

How long should I run my Shopify giveaway?

Most giveaways perform best at 1-2 weeks. That window gives you enough time to build entries and promote across multiple channels, but not so long that momentum drops because people think they have plenty of time to enter later.

Longer than two weeks and entries tend to slow significantly after the first few days. Shorter than a week and you may not have enough time to reach your full audience. Learn more about giveaway timing here.

Start Your Shopify Giveaway Today

You came here with a Shopify store and a WordPress site that weren’t working together. Now you have a process that connects them into a campaign that builds your list, drives traffic, and converts participants into buyers.

Over 200,000 WordPress sites run their giveaways with RafflePress, and it holds a 5-star rating on WordPress.org. Get started with RafflePress and you can have your first Shopify giveaway live today.

To make your eCommerce store even more successful, see this guide on how to drive traffic to your Shopify store.

You might also like these top WordPress plugin showcases:

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