When I'm reading through sweepstakes rules, I sometimes see a line that prohibits automatic entries, but I'm not sure what this means. Will I be disqualified for using the automatic form filling feature of my internet browser? What about Roboform?
Usually, automatic sweepstakes prohibitions will look something like this:
The use of any automated launching or entry software or any other mechanical or electronic means that permits the participant to automatically register and/or enter repeatedly is prohibited and all such entries will be disqualified.Another variation looks like this:
Source: Jose Ole Coolest Mom on Wheels Sweepstakes
Entries made through any robotic, automatic, mechanical, programmed or similar entry duplication method are ineligible and will be disqualified.
Source: Ace Hardware Holiday Wish List Rules
What's definitely covered is something that enters you into sweepstakes without you having to go to the sweepstakes site and fill out the form yourself. For example, if you wrote a program that automatically filled out and submitted a bunch of sweepstakes entries for you while you washed the car or made breakfast, it would definitely fall under the automatic sweepstakes rules.
For the most part, the autofill feature of your browser is not considered automatic entry. After all, you visit the site, you see the advertising, you have the opportunity to explore the sponsor's offerings in more depth. What difference does it make to the sponsor if you type in the information or not? While specific sponsors may disagree, most do not consider an entry completed with autofill to be an automatic entry.
The exception comes when the rules look something like this:
Every submission must be manually keystroked and manually entered by the individual participant and repetitive automated electronic submission of entries is specifically disallowed.In this case, you have to type everything in yourself, no mechanical assistance allowed.
Source: Circuit City Drive to 65 Sweepstakes Rules
In short, if you wanted to be absolutely sure to never, ever fall under the automatic entry rules, you should type every entry that includes automatic prohibitions in their rules by hand. However, you will probably be hand-entering a lot of entries that would have been perfectly allowable with the assistance of autofill or Roboform, and this will dramatically slow down your entry times. In my personal opinion, because there is no way to tell for sure which sponsors really don't like typing aids, the small chance of being disqualified from a very few sweepstakes where the sponsors disapprove of form filling assistance is worth the benefit of being able to enter many more sweepstakes. I use the Roboform form filling program to enter all sweepstakes that do not specify that entries must be manually keystroked.
