How to restrict or limit participation in a campaign

1. Introduction.

2. Types of restrictions.

2.1. Restriction by number of participations.

2.2. Hourly restriction.

2.3. Restriction by IP.

2.4. Restriction by country.

2.5. Restriction by Spanish region.

2.6. Restriction by age.

3. Other specifications.

4. Related content.

1. Introduction.

When configuring a campaign with Cool Tabs, you have different functionalities that aim to control or restrict user access. In this way, you will be able to prevent, for example, the participation of underage or mass participation from the same IP.

These options, to limit participation, can be enabled from the 'Participation' section > 'Restrictions' tab in the campaign edition.

Below, we show you what restrictions you can set.

2. Types of restrictions.

2.1. Restriction by the number of participations.

You can determine the maximum number of participations per user in your campaign. 

• Each user can only participate once in the whole campaign. Only one participation is allowed.
• Each user can participate a certain number of times. When this option is activated, a text field 'Maximum participations per user' will be displayed, to set the number of times each user can participate.
• Users will be able to participate as many times as they want. With this option, users can participate an unlimited number of times.
• Users will be able to participate 1 or several times in each time period that you define. Check this option in case you want to launch a campaign with different phases or stages. You will have to fill in the hours that each phase lasts and the number of times that can participate in each phase.
• Limit the number of entries in your campaign (leave empty for unlimited). You can also determine the total number of participations allowed in the whole campaign. Once that number of participations is reached, no more will be allowed.

2.2. Hourly restriction.

Another option to limit participation is to restrict the maximum number of participations per hour.

You can enable the campaign form only during certain hours of the day, or limit how many users can participate in different time ranges during the day. You can set a fixed number of participants for any given hour. For example, to limit to 100 participants per hour, fill in 100. You can also limit a variable number, for example: '8:50,9-18:100,19-21:50'. In this case, from 0:00 to 7:59 you will not be able to participate. From 8:00 to 8:59 you can participate 50 times. From 9:00 to 18:59, you can participate 100 times per hour. From 19:00 to 21:59, 50 times per hour. And from 22:00 to 23:59 will be allowed to participate.

When the user tries to participate during this time restriction, a message will appear: "Sorry, this campaign has reached its hourly limit of participants. Please try again in the next hour".

2.3. Restriction by IP.

You have the option to limit participation per IP to a certain number of times. In this way, you can prevent a user from participating with different identities, for example, 10 times with different valid emails, which can be theirs and those of family members.

Keep in mind that there may be several users who participate from the same home or office, and the limitation prevents their participation.

This feature does not prevent you from allowing only one participation per email and three per IP, so that, for example, 3 users who live in the same house can participate each with their own email, but only once. It could also happen that a single user participates three times from the same IP, each with a different email.

The behavior of the restriction varies depending on the type of campaign you set up:

• A campaign without phases: all participations per IP are counted globally.
• A campaign with phases: the participations per IP are counted for each phase. For example, in a campaign with 24-hour phases, in which only one participation per email is allowed, but 3 per IP, each day, a user could participate with 3 different emails.

When the user tries to participate and completes the personal data form, a message will be displayed warning that the limit of participation has been reached.

2.4. Restriction by country.

You can limit participation to a specific country or countries. In this way, only users accessing from the countries you specify will be able to participate in the campaign.

Leave it blank so that they can participate from anywhere in the world.

2.5. Restriction by Spanish region.

In addition, you have the option to exclude or allow participation from certain Spanish provinces. In this way, only users located in the regions you determine will be able to participate or, on the contrary, if they try to participate from those places, they will not be able to do so.

This functionality is configured from the 'Form' section of the campaign edition.

Check the fields 'Region', 'Required field' and 'Activate a drop-down menu with Spanish cities'.

When doing so, several options will appear:

• Use autocomplete. The user will be able to type the province and one or more will appear depending on what is typed in the text field.
• Allow participation from any province.
• Allow participation from these provinces. In the text field that appears just below, you will be able to indicate the provinces from which participation is allowed.
• Do not allow participation from these provinces. In the text field below, you can indicate the provinces from which participation is not allowed.

2.6. Restriction by age.

You can restrict participation to users over the age you specify.

This restriction is enabled from the 'Form' section.

Check the fields 'Birthdate', 'Required field' and 'Participants should be older than certain age', and indicate the minimum age that users must be to be able to participate.

3. Other specifications.

If you have any questions, please contact us at help@cool-tabs.com.

4. Related content.

How to avoid fraud in a campaign.