Vote Rewards for Game Servers: How They Work and How to Set Them Up

Vote rewards are one of the oldest tricks in the game server world, and they still work. Players vote for your server on a server list, and your server thanks them with a small in-game reward. The player gets something, your server climbs the list, and the habit of coming back every day builds itself.

This guide explains how vote rewards work, what to give, how to stop abuse and how to set them up with TopRealms.

How vote rewards work

There are three parts:

1. A player votes for your server on the list, using their in-game name.
2. The list tells your server that the vote happened, or lets your server ask whether a player has voted.
3. Your server gives the reward, such as money, a crate key, an item or a rank for a day.

The tricky part is step 2. There are two ways to do it, and you can use either one:

• Vote callback (push): the list sends your server a message the moment a vote happens. Best for instant rewards.
• Vote check (pull): your server asks the list "has this player voted in the last 6 hours?" when the player types a command like /vote or /reward. Best when you want a simple setup or when your server cannot receive incoming messages.

What to give as a reward

Good vote rewards feel nice but do not break your game:

• A small amount of in-game currency.
• A crate key or a spin on a reward wheel.
• A cosmetic item, particle or chat tag.
• A bonus for streaks, such as a better reward for voting seven days in a row.

Avoid rewards that make non-voters feel left behind, like exclusive powerful gear. If voting becomes the only way to compete, players who do not vote will leave. Think "thank you", not "requirement".

How often can players vote on TopRealms?

Each player can vote for a server once every 6 hours, per name and per network. Votes reset on the 1st of every month (UTC), so every server starts the month with a fresh chance at the top. Your reward system should expect up to four votes from a player per day.

Set up the callback

In your dashboard, open Manage for your server and you will find the Vote links and API section with your callback settings and your secret key. Add a callback URL (it must be an https address on a public website) and keep your secret key private.

For every vote, TopRealms sends a JSON message by POST to your URL:

{"event":"vote","server_id":12,"server":"your-server","username":"Player","timestamp":"2026-10-27T12:00:00.000Z"}

The request has a header called X-TopRealms-Signature. It is an HMAC-SHA256 signature (in hex) of the raw request body, made with your secret key. Always check it before you hand out a reward, or anyone could send fake votes to your URL.

Here is a small example in Node.js:

import { createHmac, timingSafeEqual } from 'node:crypto';

function isValid(rawBody, signature, secret) {
  const expected = createHmac('sha256', secret).update(rawBody).digest('hex');
  const a = Buffer.from(expected);
  const b = Buffer.from(String(signature));
  return a.length === b.length && timingSafeEqual(a, b);
}

Use the raw body exactly as it arrived, not a re-encoded version, or the signatures will not match. After the check passes, look up the player by username and give the reward. The Latest votes table in your dashboard shows whether each callback worked, and a Send test callback button lets you try it without a real vote.

Or use the vote check

If you prefer to ask on demand, call this address from your plugin or script:

GET https://toprealms.com/api/v1/vote-status?server=your-server&username=Player
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_SECRET_KEY

It returns {"voted":true} if that player voted in the last 6 hours, and {"voted":false} if not. Remember which votes you have already rewarded, so a player cannot claim the same vote twice.

Stop reward abuse

• Reward each vote once. Save a vote's timestamp or keep a per-player cooldown, so a retry or a repeated callback does not pay twice.
• Check the signature on every callback.
• Give offline players their reward later. If a player is not online when the vote arrives, store it and hand it out when they join.
• Keep rewards small. The smaller the reward, the less reason there is to cheat.
• Do not reward bought or fake votes. Fake voting can get a server removed from lists.

Make voting easy for players

Put a clear /vote command and a link in your Discord and on your website. Show the reward next to the link. Our vote badge lets you put a live vote count on your own site, and one click takes players to your vote page.

Frequently asked questions

What is a vote callback?

A vote callback is a message the server list sends to your server when a player votes. Your server reads it and gives the reward automatically.

Do I need a plugin to give vote rewards?

Not always. If you can run a small script or plugin that receives a web request, you can use the callback. Otherwise, use the vote check from a command in your game.

How often can a player vote?

On TopRealms, once every 6 hours for each server. Votes reset on the first day of each month.

What if my server is offline when a vote happens?

The callback fails and shows in your dashboard. Use the vote check as a backup, so players can still claim their reward later.

Are vote rewards allowed?

Yes. Rewarding real votes with small in-game items is common. Rewarding fake or bought votes is not allowed.