- Download or make a copy of an existing Sweepstakes Official Rules document. The Open Source Community Happiness Study Sweepstakes Official Rules is the pre-cleared template to work from. A plain-text version with fill-in placeholders lives at
templates/official-rules-template.md. - Rename the document to a title relevant to your study and edit only the customizable fields: entry period timing, eligibility audience, link to the study, incentive amount, and winners list. Leave all other legal language exactly as written. Comb through the language carefully — a second pair of eyes is recommended.
- Open a pull request that adds your document to this repository (instead of committing straight to
main). The Official Rules Review Gate runs automatically and posts a PASS or FLAG comment. Navigate to the repository's main page, click the Add file dropdown button, then select Upload files, drag and drop your document, and choose "Create a new branch and start a pull request." - Add the appropriate verbiage to your survey or email copy, such as: "For official sweepstakes rules, please see the following details here."
- Link the new file to your survey or email copy using the URL from your browser. Make sure you are linking the correct file for your specific study.
The Official Rules are pre-cleared legal boilerplate plus a small set of per-study fields. An automated gate (.github/workflows/validate-official-rules.yml) checks every Official Rules document added or edited in a pull request against the approved template:
- ✅ PASS — you changed only the allowed per-study fields and left the boilerplate intact. No fresh CELA review is required; you can publish.
- 🚩 FLAG — the document changed fixed legal language, dropped a required section, is missing "No Purchase Necessary", uses a prohibited word ("raffle"/"lottery"), or signals a paid entry. Route to CELA for review before publishing, or fix the document to match the template.
Allowed per-study fields: title, entry period start/end, eligibility audience, survey/study URL, prize description and ARV, number of winners, and the Winners List contact/subject/window.
Fixed (do not edit): Sponsor, Definitions, the employee-exclusion and "Void in …" sentences, "No Purchase Necessary", winner-selection mechanics, prize warranty/substitution/tax language, Odds, Release of Liability, Use of Your Entry, and Governing Law.
The conformance rules are defined in templates/rules-spec.json. To check a document locally: python scripts/validate_official_rules.py "Your Rules 2026.pdf".
- Double-check all customized fields (entry period, eligibility, study link, incentive amount, winners list). Review the document multiple times.
- Make sure to pay the winner within the timeline specified in your rules.
- Participants may reach out to find out who won, so have that information ready and ensure you've listed yourself as the point of contact in the Winners List section.