Getting Started
From installation and the setup assistant to the prize draw – including the upgrade from version 1.1.
View guideVersion 1.2 of Smarter Tombola is currently being validated by Microsoft and will be available in the Microsoft Marketplace shortly. Until then the Marketplace installs the previous version; the update follows through the app catalog.
SharePoint app
Smarter Tombola
The virtual raffle for your intranet.
Smarter Tombola brings the raffle of your Christmas party, anniversary or summer party to your SharePoint intranet. Employees get their ticket with one click – on site, working from home or at another location – and the draw runs live on the page.
- hand out & gift tickets
- Free
- English, German, French, Italian
- 4 languages
Three modes: how tickets reach your employees
You decide how tickets are handed out. You can change the mode later in the settings – tickets already handed out are kept.
- 1
One free ticket per person
Every participant gets one free ticket – for example as a thank-you to your staff. The ticket number arrives in a confirmation email.
- 2
A free ticket plus one to give away
In addition to their own ticket, participants give a second one to a colleague – with a personal message. The ticket is delivered by email.
- 3
Order tickets
Participants order the number of tickets they want. Payment is handled outside the raffle. Note: depending on the country, selling tickets may count as gambling.
Setup assistant and settings in the admin bar
New in version 1.2: an assistant takes you to a ready-to-use raffle in five steps.
- Mode: free ticket, free ticket plus gift ticket, or ordering tickets.
- People: who manages and who takes part – pre-filled with the site’s owner and member groups.
- Appearance: ticket colour from your site theme or a custom colour, with a warning when the contrast is too low.
- Emails: a test email for the Mail.Send permission, optionally a shared mailbox.
- Finish: a summary of all settings.
After that, all settings are in the admin bar above the raffle: Tombola · Prize Draw · Lists · Settings. Only raffle admins see it, and you don’t need to edit the page. A checklist shows what percentage of the setup is ready and what is still missing.
Nothing happens until you confirm
The assistant only creates lists and permissions when you confirm the summary. Until then, nothing on the site is changed.
Emails via Microsoft 365
Microsoft has retired the SharePoint SendEmail API. That is why, from version 1.2, Smarter Tombola sends confirmation, gift and winner emails via Microsoft Graph (Mail.Send permission, delegated).
- One-time approval: a SharePoint administrator approves Mail.Send once in the SharePoint admin center under Advanced › API access.
- Test email: one click checks that sending works.
- Shared mailbox (optional): all raffle emails come from one address. Participants and admins need the “Send on behalf” or “Send as” right for it. Without a shared mailbox, emails are sent from the signed-in user’s account.
- Your own texts: you edit the email texts as HTML, with placeholders for the ticket numbers. A summary shows who sends which email.
No approval, no emails
The raffle also works without Mail.Send, but then it sends no emails. The assistant, the checklist and the email settings show where to approve it.
The prize draw: fair across all tickets
Start the draw in front of everyone – at the Christmas party or in a team meeting. The prize draw is part of the Pro edition.
- 1
Every ticket counts
The prize draw considers all tickets. Version 1.1 only included the first 100 tickets – this is fixed.
- 2
Animation and winner email
An animation runs through the ticket numbers and stops at the winning ticket. The winner is notified by email.
- 3
No ticket wins twice
Draw as many winners as you have prizes. A ticket that has already won is not drawn again. A list shows the winners of earlier draws.
For Christmas parties, anniversaries and summer parties
Smarter Tombola works for on-site celebrations as well as virtual events. Distributed teams take part just like the colleagues in the room.
The app manages ticket numbers, owners and winners. No paper tickets, no Excel lists.
In Microsoft Teams, too
Smarter Tombola runs on a SharePoint page. If your team works in Microsoft Teams, add that page as a tab in a Teams channel.
Why Smarter Tombola?
Privacy built in
Participants only see their own tickets. On the lists they get the “Contribute” permission instead of “Edit”.
Your data stays on your site
All data is stored in three hidden SharePoint lists on the site where the raffle runs.
In four languages
English, German, French and Italian – matching each person’s SharePoint language. French and Italian are new in version 1.2.
- hand out, gift and order tickets
- Free
- free ticket, gift ticket, ordering
- 3 modes
- English, German, French, Italian
- 4 languages
- hidden SharePoint lists on your site
- 3
Built-in tools or app?
When are Microsoft’s built-in tools enough?
A small draw within the team doesn’t need software. Smarter Tombola is built for raffles with many participants – including people at different locations.
The built-in tools are enough for this
- A spontaneous small draw: paper tickets or a quick random pick are enough.
- A simple survey or vote: Microsoft Forms.
This is what Smarter Tombola is built for
- Digital tickets without paper or lists – the app manages ticket numbers, owners and winners
- Free tickets, tickets to give away with a personal message, or ordered tickets
- Prize draw across all tickets with animation and winner email (Pro)
- Participants only see their own tickets – all data stays in your SharePoint
If the left column covers your case, you don’t need an app – you’ve already paid for the built-in tools. Smarter Tombola exists for everything on the right.
Start for free, draw winners with Pro
Handing out, gifting and ordering tickets is free. You buy the Pro edition via Microsoft AppSource – with local prices, taxes and centralized billing.
Two editions
The free edition has no time limit. The Pro edition adds the prize draw and covers every site collection in your tenant.
Free edition
Free tickets, tickets to give away and ordered tickets – unlimited, for everyone.
Pro edition
Adds the prize draw with animation and winner email, plus priority support.
Pro for your whole tenant
One licence covers every site collection in your tenant – one annual subscription, no matter how many raffles you run.
Subscription via Microsoft
Purchase, invoice and cancellation run through your organization’s Microsoft account.
What Pro includes
In addition to the free edition:
- Prize draw across all tickets
- Animated draw
- Winner email
- List of winners from earlier draws
- No ticket wins twice
- Priority support
Purchasing & licensing
Three steps to your license
Microsoft separates the app from its license in the marketplace – that’s why you’ll find Smarter Tombola listed twice. Getting licensed is still quick:
Install the app for free
Install Smarter Tombola for free from the Microsoft Marketplace. The free edition has no time limit.
View the app in the marketplaceBuy the Pro license from Microsoft
The Pro edition includes the prize draw with animation and winner email, plus priority support. You buy it as a subscription on Microsoft AppSource – with the price in your local currency and the correct taxes for your country.
See the price in your currencyActivate your license
After the purchase, activate the license in our licensing portal – Microsoft sends you the link by email. The license covers every site collection in your tenant; tickets and settings are preserved.
Billed directly by Microsoft
Buying through AppSource is procurement without the procurement process: the contract runs through the Microsoft account your organization already has.
No new vendor
You buy from Microsoft – no vendor onboarding or supplier checks in your purchasing department.
Invoice from Microsoft
With the correct VAT for your country, in your local currency.
One bill
The license appears on your existing Microsoft 365 invoice – alongside your other subscriptions.
Full control
Manage, scale or cancel the subscription at any time in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
Frequently asked questions about buying
Why is Smarter Tombola listed twice in the marketplace?
Microsoft technically separates the app from its license: you install the app for free in your environment and purchase the license as a separate subscription. Microsoft mandates this split for all SharePoint apps with marketplace licensing. For the purchase, the listing with the “License” suffix is the right one.
What can we use without a license?
Everything except the Pro features – with no time limit. The Pro edition includes the prize draw with animation and winner email, plus priority support. Your data lives in your own SharePoint lists and is preserved when you switch to Pro.
Do we need a credit card?
Not necessarily. Payment runs through your organization’s billing profile at Microsoft – by credit card or invoice, depending on your configuration.
Who in our organization can buy?
The purchase is made in your organization’s Microsoft account – usually by someone with permission for marketplace purchases, for example a billing administrator.
How do we cancel the subscription?
Directly in the Microsoft 365 admin center – you manage the license like any other Microsoft subscription.
Questions about the purchase process?Get in touch – we’re happy to guide your IT team through the first purchase.
Support & Resources
Guides and legal information for Smarter Tombola.
Terms of Use
Legal terms and conditions for using Smarter Tombola.
Read termsSupport
Questions about the app? Our support team is happy to help.
Get in touchBlog
From the blog
Intranet
Smarter Tombola 1.2: setup assistant, emails via Microsoft 365 and a fair prize draw
Version 1.2: a setup assistant, settings in the admin bar, emails via Microsoft Graph, a prize draw across all tickets, French and Italian.
Read more
Intranet
Turn Your SharePoint Intranet into an Easter Egg Hunt
Boost engagement and collaboration in your SharePoint intranet with a playful Easter egg hunt powered by AI‑generated quizzes, gamification, and simple SPFx integration.
Read more
Intranet
How do I increase the acceptance of my SharePoint intranet?
Boost the adoption of your SharePoint intranet with creative team-building experiences that spark engagement. Discover our table tennis SPFx web part.
Read moreReady for your first raffle?
Install Smarter Tombola for free and hand out the first tickets. The prize draw comes with the Pro edition – we are happy to answer your questions about setup and licensing.