---
name: sales-kingsumo
description: "KingSumo platform help — the cheap, one-time (lifetime-deal) viral giveaway tool for growing an email list, from the AppSumo team, as both a hosted app and a separate KingSumo Giveaways for WordPress plugin: unlimited giveaways, viral bonus entries (refer-a-friend, social shares/follows, YouTube/podcast subscribe), Smart Auto-Emails, and list capture. Use when a KingSumo giveaway attracts fake or freebie-seeker entries you can't verify, syncing contestants into Mailchimp/ConvertKit/Kit/Klaviyo/SendFox or Zapier, the Zapier integration only offers triggers (New Contestant, New Giveaway) and no actions, contestants see a kingsumo.com URL with no custom domain, choosing Free vs the paid one-time plan, or looking for the fully-featured API but finding no public docs. Do NOT use for picking a giveaway tool across platforms or newsletter list-growth strategy (use /sales-audience-growth), or list deliverability after a giveaway (use /sales-deliverability)."
argument-hint: "[describe what you need help with in KingSumo]"
license: MIT
version: 1.0.0
tags: [sales, audience-growth, giveaway, viral-marketing, platform]
---

# KingSumo Platform Help

## Step 1 — Gather context

If `references/learnings.md` exists, read it first for accumulated platform knowledge.

1. **What are you trying to do?**
   - A) Pick a plan — Free (unlimited giveaways + bonus entries) vs the paid one-time/lifetime plan (custom branding, Meta Pixel, conversion tracking, custom rules, extra entry fields, advanced integrations)
   - B) Set up a viral giveaway and choose bonus-entry actions (refer-a-friend, social shares/follows, YouTube/podcast subscribe, phone)
   - C) Sync contestants to an ESP/CRM — SendFox, Mailchimp, ConvertKit/Kit, Klaviyo, or via Zapier
   - D) Wire an automation with the Zapier triggers (New Contestant / New Giveaway) or "Webhooks by Zapier"
   - E) Use the API to pull contestant/lead data (heads-up: no public docs)
   - F) Handle fake / gamed / freebie-seeker entries and low-quality subscribers
   - G) Decide between hosted KingSumo vs the KingSumo Giveaways for WordPress plugin
   - H) Compare KingSumo to RafflePress / Gleam / SweepWidget / ShortStack / UpViral / Vyper

2. **Hosted app or WordPress plugin?** They're two different products with different setup and integration paths — confirm which one the user is on before answering.

3. **What's your ESP?** Drives whether a native integration (SendFox/Mailchimp/Kit/Klaviyo) is enough or you need Zapier/API glue — and whether you're forced onto the paid plan to unlock advanced integrations.

Skip-ahead rule: if the user's prompt already contains enough context, skip to Step 2.

## Step 2 — Route or answer directly

| If the question is about... | Route to... |
|---|---|
| Which giveaway/contest tool to pick, or list-growth strategy across all platforms | `/sales-audience-growth [question]` |
| Deliverability / list hygiene of the emails a giveaway collected | `/sales-deliverability [question]` |
| Removing spam, disposable, or freebie-seeker addresses from the collected list | `/sales-clean-email [question]` |
| Sweepstakes legal rules (official rules, "no purchase necessary", registration, 1099) | `/sales-audience-growth [question]` (legal-compliance sub-topic) |
| The ESP the giveaway feeds (Mailchimp, Kit, Klaviyo) | `/sales-mailchimp`, `/sales-kit`, `/sales-klaviyo` |
| A WordPress giveaway plugin alternative | `/sales-rafflepress [question]` |

If the question is KingSumo-specific, continue to Step 3.

## Step 3 — KingSumo platform reference

**Read `references/platform-guide.md`** for the full reference — the hosted-app vs WordPress-plugin split, plan gating (what the paid one-time plan unlocks), bonus-entry mechanics and the unverifiable-share limitation, ESP/Zapier integration surface, the (undocumented) API, and comparisons with RafflePress / Gleam / SweepWidget / ShortStack / UpViral.

**Read `references/kingsumo-api-reference.md`** for the automation surface — the Zapier triggers (`New Contestant`, `New Giveaway`) with no actions, the "Webhooks by Zapier" fan-out, native ESP integrations, and what's known (and not documented) about the API.

Answer the user's question using only the relevant section. Don't dump the full reference.

## Step 4 — Actionable guidance

Focus on the user's specific situation:

- **Confirm which product they're on first.** Hosted KingSumo (kingsumo.com) and KingSumo Giveaways for WordPress (a self-hosted plugin, wordpress.kingsumo.com) are separate products with different setup, integration, and Zapier paths. Don't give hosted-app steps to a plugin user or vice versa.
- **The Zapier integration is trigger-only.** KingSumo exposes two triggers — **New Contestant** (requires selecting a giveaway) and **New Giveaway** — and **no actions**. You can push contestants *out* to any tool; you can't have Zapier create or modify anything *in* KingSumo. Route webhooks through "Webhooks by Zapier."
- **Present the API honestly: it exists but has no public docs.** Reviewers and the marketing site reference a "fully-featured API" (OAuth-based) on the paid plan, but there is **no published endpoint documentation**. Don't invent endpoints. For a documented, supported path recommend the **native ESP integration or the Zapier New Contestant trigger**, and tell the user to contact KingSumo support for API specifics.
- **Warn that bonus-entry shares can't be verified.** KingSumo (like most giveaway tools) can't confirm a contestant actually posted a share — clicking the button awards the entry. Expect gamed entries; validate winners before awarding a prize and don't treat share counts as real reach.
- **Flag the no-custom-domain limitation.** Hosted giveaways live on a `kingsumo.com` URL — there's no CNAME/custom domain. If the user wants their own domain, tell them to **embed the giveaway on their own site** instead of linking the hosted page.
- **Present all pricing as best-effort and point to the live pricing page.** It's a one-time/lifetime-deal tool (often sold via AppSumo), and the Free-vs-paid split and price have shifted — confirm at kingsumo.com/pricing before quoting. Advanced integrations, custom branding, Meta Pixel, and conversion tracking are the paid-plan unlocks.
- **Expect low-quality subscribers and plan for hygiene.** Giveaways pull freebie-seekers; a spike of disposable/one-off addresses can hurt deliverability. Recommend double opt-in, list cleaning (`/sales-clean-email`), and a welcome sequence — route deliverability questions to `/sales-deliverability`.

If you discover a gotcha, workaround, or tip not covered in `references/learnings.md`, append it there.

## Gotchas

> *Best-effort from research (2026-07) — review these, especially items about plan-gated features and integrations that may shift. Confirm pricing at kingsumo.com/pricing.*

1. **Two separate products.** Hosted KingSumo vs KingSumo Giveaways for WordPress — different setup and integration surfaces. Identify which before answering.
2. **Zapier is trigger-only.** Triggers: New Contestant (giveaway required), New Giveaway. **No actions** — you can't write into KingSumo from Zapier.
3. **API has no public documentation.** A "fully-featured API" is advertised (OAuth, paid plan) but endpoints aren't published. Prefer native ESP sync or the Zapier trigger; contact support for API specifics. Don't fabricate endpoints.
4. **Shares are unverifiable.** Clicking a share button awards the bonus entry whether or not anything was posted. Validate winners; treat viral reach as unproven.
5. **No custom domain / CNAME.** Hosted giveaways show a kingsumo.com URL. Embed on your own site if branding/domain matters.
6. **Advanced integrations are paid-plan-gated.** Free typically includes SendFox + Zapier; Mailchimp/ConvertKit/Kit/Klaviyo + API access sit on the paid plan (best-effort — verify).
7. **No giveaway templates + fewer entry methods than rivals.** Reviewers note more setup work and a smaller viral-entry set than Gleam/SweepWidget/ShortStack.
8. **Giveaway lists skew low-quality.** Freebie-seekers and disposable emails inflate signups; clean and double-opt-in before mailing.

## Related skills

- `/sales-audience-growth` — Newsletter/audience & list-growth strategy and giveaway-tool selection across all platforms (RafflePress, Gleam, SweepWidget, ShortStack, UpViral, KickoffLabs, Viral Loops…)
- `/sales-rafflepress` — RafflePress (WordPress giveaway/contest plugin; the closest WordPress-native alternative)
- `/sales-sweepwidget` — SweepWidget (cheap high-limit giveaway builder with a real read+write REST API + signed webhooks)
- `/sales-shortstack` — ShortStack (standalone contest platform with an Entries API + HMAC-signed webhooks)
- `/sales-upviral` — UpViral (viral sweepstakes/waitlists with REST API + Callback-URL webhooks; the API-first upgrade path)
- `/sales-clean-email` — Clean and validate the email list a giveaway collected (disposable/spam removal)
- `/sales-deliverability` — Protect deliverability after a giveaway (double opt-in, warmup, list hygiene)
- `/sales-do` — Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install: `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-do -a claude-code`

## Examples

### Example 1: Auto-syncing contestants into a CRM via Zapier
**User says**: "I want every new KingSumo contestant to land in HubSpot automatically. Can Zapier do that both ways?"
**Skill does**: Explains KingSumo's Zapier app is **trigger-only** — use the **New Contestant** trigger (select the giveaway) → HubSpot "Create/Update Contact" action. Notes there are **no KingSumo actions**, so Zapier can't write back into KingSumo, and that native ESP integrations (SendFox/Mailchimp/Kit/Klaviyo) may be simpler if HubSpot isn't required. Warns that giveaway entries skew low-quality, so recommends tagging them and running double opt-in before nurturing.
**Result**: User builds a New Contestant → HubSpot Zap, tags the source, and adds a verification step.

### Example 2: Looking for the API
**User says**: "Where are the KingSumo API docs? I want to pull my contestant list programmatically."
**Skill does**: States plainly that KingSumo advertises a "fully-featured API" (OAuth, on the paid plan) but publishes **no endpoint documentation**, so it won't invent endpoints. Recommends the supported paths — a **native ESP integration** or the **Zapier New Contestant trigger** (optionally "Webhooks by Zapier" to POST to your own endpoint) — and to contact KingSumo support for API keys/specs. Notes competitors with documented APIs (SweepWidget, ShortStack, UpViral) if a real API is a hard requirement.
**Result**: User wires the Zapier trigger now and files a support request for API access.

### Example 3: Fake / gamed entries before drawing a winner
**User says**: "My giveaway has a ton of entries but the referral shares look fake. How do I trust the winner draw?"
**Skill does**: Explains KingSumo can't verify that a share was actually posted — clicking the share button awards the bonus entry — so referral/share counts are unreliable. Recommends validating the shortlisted winners manually, using double opt-in to filter disposable addresses, and cleaning the list (`/sales-clean-email`) before mailing. Points to `/sales-deliverability` for protecting sender reputation after the influx.
**Result**: User validates finalists, prunes disposable emails, and draws a verified winner.

## Troubleshooting

### Zapier won't let me create or update anything in KingSumo
**Symptom**: You can trigger *from* KingSumo but can't find a KingSumo *action* in Zapier
**Cause**: KingSumo's Zapier app exposes only triggers (New Contestant, New Giveaway) — there are no actions
**Solution**: Use KingSumo as the trigger and put the write step on the *other* app (ESP/CRM/Sheets). To send data to a custom endpoint, add a "Webhooks by Zapier" POST action. There is no supported way to write back into KingSumo via Zapier.

### API calls fail / I can't find the API documentation
**Symptom**: You want to hit the KingSumo API but there are no public docs or endpoint references
**Cause**: KingSumo markets a "fully-featured API" (OAuth, paid plan) but does not publish endpoint documentation
**Solution**: Don't guess endpoints. Use a native ESP integration or the Zapier New Contestant trigger for a supported data path, and contact KingSumo support for API keys and specifications. If a documented API is mandatory, evaluate SweepWidget/ShortStack/UpViral instead (route via `/sales-audience-growth`).

### Contestants see a kingsumo.com link instead of my domain
**Symptom**: The hosted giveaway URL is on kingsumo.com and you want it on your own domain
**Cause**: Hosted KingSumo has no custom domain / CNAME support
**Solution**: Embed the giveaway on a page of your own site (the embed keeps your domain in the address bar) rather than sharing the hosted kingsumo.com page. Custom branding (logo/colors) is a paid-plan feature; a fully custom domain is not offered — consider a WordPress-plugin or self-hosted alternative if the domain is a hard requirement.