The **Winners** tab is where you select and manage contest winners. How you select winners depends on the method you chose during contest setup.

## Winner Stats

At the top of the Winners tab, you'll see:

- **Total entries** — All entries submitted to this contest
- **Eligible entries** — Entries that haven't already won a prize
- **Winners selected** — How many winners you've picked so far

## Random Draw

If your contest uses the **random draw** method:

1. Go to the **Winners** tab.
2. Select which **prize** to draw a winner for from the dropdown.
3. The available quantity shows how many more winners can be drawn for that prize.
4. Click **Draw winner**.
5. The system randomly selects an eligible entry and assigns them the prize.

**How randomization works:**
- Each eligible entry has a chance proportional to their total entry count. An entry with 3 total entries has three times the chance of being selected compared to an entry with 1.
- Entries that have already won the same prize are excluded.
- The draw is instant — the winner appears in the winners list immediately.

You can draw multiple winners by repeating the process, up to the prize quantity.

## Manual Selection

If your contest uses the **manual selection** method:

1. Go to the **Winners** tab.
2. Select which **prize** to assign from the dropdown.
3. Browse or search the eligible entries list.
4. Click **Select** next to the entry you want to make a winner.

## Managing Winners

Once winners are selected, you can:

**Mark as notified**
After you've contacted the winner (by email, phone, etc.), click **Mark notified** to record the notification date. This helps you track which winners you've already reached out to.

**Mark as claimed**
Once the winner has claimed or received their prize, mark them as claimed. This keeps your records organized.

**Add notes**
You can add notes to any winner record — useful for tracking shipping details, communication history, or special arrangements.

**Remove winner**
If you need to remove a winner (e.g., they didn't respond, they're ineligible), click **Remove**. This frees up a prize slot and makes their entry eligible for future draws.

## Winner Workflow

A typical winner management flow:

1. **Draw or select** winners after the contest ends
2. **Contact** winners via email or phone
3. **Mark as notified** to track outreach
4. **Fulfill** the prize (ship product, send gift card, etc.)
5. **Mark as claimed** once the winner has received their prize

## Important Notes

- An entry cannot win the same prize twice.
- You can select winners at any time — even while the contest is still active.
- Removing a winner does not delete their entry; it only removes the winner assignment.
- Winner selection data includes: selected date, notified date, claimed date, and the selection method used (random or manual).