Instagram competition terms and conditions: updated rules for Australian brands

Instagram is one of the most effective platforms for Australian trade promotions. But Meta updated its promotion guidelines in 2025, changing what brands can and cannot require of entrants. Running a non-compliant Instagram competition risks post removal, account restriction, and potential enforcement action under Australian Consumer Law.

What changed in Meta's Instagram promotion guidelines in 2025

Meta's 2025 update to Instagram's Promotion Guidelines introduced a significant change that many brands are still unaware of. The updated guidelines now prohibit requiring engagement actions as mandatory conditions of entry. Specifically, you can no longer require participants to:

•       Like the competition post as a condition of entry

•       Follow the brand's account as a condition of entry

•       Tag friends in the post as a condition of entry

•       Share the post to their Story as a condition of entry

•       Save the post as a condition of entr

These actions may still be encouraged, but they cannot be listed as obligations. The distinction is important. Saying "like this post and follow us for your chance to win" breaches the updated guidelines. Saying "enter by commenting below and feel free to follow us for more" does not.

Instagram's algorithm also now treats follow-gated and like-gated entries as low-intent engagement signals, which can actively suppress the reach of your competition post. Beyond compliance, the mechanics that are now prohibited are also less effective than they used to be.

Rules that have not changed

No inaccurate tagging

Instagram strictly prohibits asking entrants to tag themselves or others in photos they do not appear in. You cannot ask entrants to tag themselves in the competition prize image, the brand's product photo, or any image where the tagged person does not physically appear. Encouraging inaccurate tagging remains a violation and Meta's image recognition systems detect it reliably.

You may ask entrants to mention a friend's name in a comment without requiring a formal tag that misrepresents who appears in the image.

The mandatory Meta release disclaimer

Every Instagram competition must include the following statement in its terms and conditions:

"This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Instagram."

This wording is mandatory under Meta's current guidelines and must appear in the full terms and conditions. It should also be referenced in the post directing entrants to the terms. There are no exemptions, including for verified accounts or Meta Business Partners.

Brand responsibility

Instagram requires promoters to create compliant terms and conditions and ensure the competition meets all applicable laws. This includes Australian Consumer Law, the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), age restrictions, and state-based trade promotion permit requirements. The platform does not review or approve competitions before they go live. Compliance is entirely the promoter's responsibility.

Compliant Instagram entry mechanics

The following entry mechanics are compliant with Meta's current guidelines:

•       Comment to enter: entrants comment on the competition post

•       Answer a question in the comments

•       Submit an entry via an external form linked from the post or the bio

•       Tag a friend in the comments as an optional but not mandatory action

•       User-generated content: entrants post their own original content and mention the brand, with the brand's account tagged as optional

How to display your terms on Instagram

Instagram does not allow clickable links in post captions. Your terms and conditions must be hosted on a website or landing page and linked from the brand's Instagram bio. The promotional post must direct entrants to the bio link to access the full terms.

The post itself must include any significant conditions that affect a consumer's decision to enter, including eligibility restrictions, entry limits, and a reference to where the full terms can be found.

What your Instagram competition T&Cs must include

Your Instagram competition terms must cover all elements required for any Australian trade promotion, plus the Instagram-specific requirements above. Full details are in our guide to social media competition terms and conditions. In summary:

•       Promoter's full legal name, address and ABN

•       Eligibility: age (minimum 13 years for Instagram), residency, and any other restrictions

•       Entry period: exact opening and closing date and time including time zone

•       How to enter: every required step, with language making clear which actions are optional

•       Prize details: full description and retail value

•       Winner selection: method, date, time, and location for games of chance

•       Winner notification: how winners will be contacted

•       Privacy statement: data collected, purpose, storage, and third-party sharing

•       Intellectual property: rights the brand is obtaining over user-submitted content

•       Disqualification conditions: fraudulent behaviour, multiple accounts, non-compliant content

•       The mandatory Meta/Instagram release disclaimer

•       Dispute resolution and modification rights

Contacting winners on Instagram

When a winner is selected, tag them in a comment on the competition post and ask them to contact the brand directly via direct message. Do not send an unsolicited direct message to the winner as the first contact. Unsolicited DMs from brand accounts are frequently flagged as spam, which can result in the account being restricted. The public tag is both safer and more transparent for other entrants who can verify a winner was selected.

Age restrictions and Australia's minimum age

The minimum age to hold an Instagram account is 13 years. Your competition terms must restrict entry to persons aged 13 or over at a minimum. Australia is transitioning to a 16-year minimum age for social media use under proposed federal legislation. Brands running competitions targeting general audiences should consider whether raising the minimum age threshold to 16 is appropriate given the direction of Australian law.

For competitions involving alcohol, gambling products, or other age-restricted goods or services, the minimum entry age must be 18 years.

Can I still ask people to follow my Instagram account to enter a competition?

Under Meta's 2025 updated guidelines, you cannot require following as a mandatory condition of entry. You can encourage people to follow your account, but following cannot be listed as an obligatory step without which an entry is invalid. Making following mandatory breaches the updated Instagram Promotion Guidelines.

Can I ask entrants to tag a friend in my Instagram competition?

You can ask entrants to mention a friend in the comments as a voluntary action, but you cannot require a formal tag as a mandatory condition of entry under Meta's 2025 guidelines. Additionally, you cannot ask entrants to tag someone in content where that person does not appear. Asking entrants to tag a friend in the prize image or competition graphic, where the friend is not depicted, remains a violation.

Does my Instagram competition need a permit?

Permit requirements depend on whether the competition is a game of chance and the total prize pool value, not on which platform it runs on. See our guide to trade promotion permits in Australia for the full state-by-state breakdown. If your Instagram competition is open to Australian residents across multiple states and the prize pool exceeds relevant thresholds, permits will be required regardless of the platform used.

Generate compliant Instagram competition terms in minutes

Plexus Promotion Wizard produces legally reviewed terms and conditions for Australian trade promotions including Instagram competitions, with updated 2025 platform rules, Meta disclaimers, and permit disclosures built in. See how Plexus trade promotions compliance works.