If visitors are seeing an ended or expired promotion when they click your giveaway link, don't worry — this is usually a quick fix. There are a few common reasons this happens.
You're sharing an old or preview link
The most common cause. If you copied the link from a browser preview, an email draft, or a previous promotion, it may point to the wrong place.
Fix: Get the correct direct link from your promotion:
Go to your promotion in the ViralSweep dashboard
Click Install → Direct Link
Copy and share that URL
This is the canonical link for your promotion and will always reflect the current state.
Your end date is set in the past
If the promotion's end date has already passed, it will display as ended to all visitors — even if you intended it to still be running.
Fix:
Go to Edit → Settings → Duration
Update the end date to a future date and time
Double-check the timezone is set correctly — a timezone mismatch can cause a promotion to end hours earlier than expected
Save and confirm the promotion shows as active
Your entry limit has been reached
If you set an Entry Limit on your promotion, it will automatically show as ended once that limit is hit — even if the end date hasn't arrived yet.
Fix:
Go to Edit → Settings → Entry Limit
Increase the entry limit or remove it entirely
Save your changes
The link is pointing to a different (older) promotion
If you've run multiple promotions, it's possible the link you're sharing belongs to a previous one that has since ended.
Fix: Check the promotion ID in the URL and compare it to the active promotion in your dashboard. Each promotion has a unique ID — make sure they match. Then re-copy the Direct Link from the correct active promotion.
What do visitors see when a promotion has ended?
When a promotion is ended or expired, visitors will see an "This promotion has ended" message. They won't be able to enter. This is expected behaviour and not an error — it means the promotion is no longer active.
Still not working?
If you've checked all of the above and the link still shows an ended promotion, contact our support team with:
The URL you're sharing
The name of the promotion you want it to point to
A screenshot of what visitors are seeing
Click the chat icon in the bottom-right corner to get in touch.