FAQ
Everything players and owners need to know about rankings, voting, and listings.
How do I connect ForgeRanks to my server’s vote rewards?
See the full walkthrough on the For server owners page: list your server, set the same callback URL you use for other toplists, add ForgeRanks to your vote sites table, then test a claim.
What is ForgeRanks?
ForgeRanks is a private-server toplist covering RuneScape, MU Online, World of Warcraft, Minecraft, Lineage 2, Ragnarok Online, Metin2, Conquer Online, and more. Players discover servers by game, vote for the ones they play, and higher vote counts mean higher placement on that game’s monthly ladder. Each game section also has its own ad inventory, so ads stay in the right category.
How often can I vote?
Once per server every 12 hours. Votes also use a quick security check (Cloudflare Turnstile when configured, or a simple one-tap math check) plus device fingerprint cooldowns to slow bots down without making players create an account.
Why is there a security check when voting?
It keeps the ladder fair. Real players usually pass in a second. When you host the site, add your Cloudflare Turnstile site key in js/config.js for the smoothest (often invisible) check, and verify tokens on your server.
When do vote counters reset?
Automatically at 00:00 UTC on the 1st of every month. All server vote totals go back to zero for a fresh ladder. Last month’s total is kept on each server page for reference. Your 12-hour personal vote cooldown is separate and does not wipe with the monthly reset.
Are votes legitimate?
Toplists typically run fraud detection for proxy farms, rapid repeats, and scripted traffic. Illegitimate votes are stripped so the ladder stays competitive for real communities.
Do I need an account?
Browsing and voting is open. Creating an account is required to list a server, manage callback settings, and use the owner dashboard. Right now accounts save in your browser; when you host the site with a database, the same register/login flow will store users server-side.
How do incentive voting callbacks work?
When you add a server, set a Callback URL (for example https://yourserver.com/vote). After a player votes with their username, ForgeRanks requests that URL with query params like username, optional p_secret, and timestamp. Your game/website should verify the secret and grant the reward.
Is listing free?
Yes. Basic listings are free for account holders. Sponsored placements and premium banners are optional upgrades for extra visibility at the top of the list.
What counts as a new server?
Any listing younger than 30 days appears on the New Servers page and gets a New badge. We also show how long each server has been listed on the main list and server pages.
What happens to inactive servers?
Servers with no votes for several days can be auto-hidden so the list stays fresh. A new vote usually reactivates the listing.
How does advertising work?
Each package has up to 15 active slots per game section (30 days each). Reserve an open slot, upload your banner + link, then pay with PayPal. Ads rotate on matching pages with under-shown creatives prioritized, so every buyer gets frequent exposure.