Rules · whotops
Rules
WHOTOPS is a public bidding board. A listing pays for its spot, and the total amount paid directly determines its rank. There are no algorithms, no hidden fees, and no revenue share. These are the complete rules that govern how the board works and what is allowed.
1. The board
The board is live and open continuously, 24 hours a day. A single payment places your listing on both the main board and the specific category it belongs to. Your rank is based purely on the total amount your listing has paid. Your listing does not naturally expire; it only drops in rank if outbid.
Weekly Crown. The board is relentless. Every Sunday at 11:59 PM GMT, the system takes a snapshot. The listing sitting at #1 becomes the Weekly Champion and is enshrined in the Crown section for the next seven days, gaining additional prestige and visibility.
Category boards. Sections like Tech, Fintech, and Food show the exact same global ranking, simply filtered to show only the listings in that category. Your overall bid pays for your rank across all views.
2. How ranking works
The financial mechanics are straightforward but strict. New listings must start with a minimum bid of GHS 5. There is no maximum bid. Every time you place a bid to overtake a rank, you must clear a minimum increment over the target amount. This increment ranges from GHS 10 at the lowest levels to GHS 100 at the highest tiers.
- To take the #1 spot, you must bid the current #1 total plus the required increment for that amount.
- If two listings end up with the exact same total paid, the listing that reached that total first keeps the higher rank.
- Your listing maintains the rank its total affords it. If you are outbid, you do not lose your listing, you simply drop in rank. To reclaim your spot, you pay the difference between your current total and your new desired bid.
- Platform links (such as App Store pages or GitHub repositories) count the core listing, not the query string. Tracking parameters are automatically stripped, so two different apps can never artificially share one rank by using different URL parameters.
3. What you can list
You may list a product website, an online store, a web application, a mobile app link, or a public profile (like a Twitter or GitHub page). The URL must be public, functioning, and you must have the legal right or permission to promote it. We welcome creativity, businesses, and personal projects.
4. What you cannot list
To maintain the quality and safety of the board, the following are strictly prohibited. We will remove them without hesitation:
- Chat and group invites: Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, and similar group invite links are rejected. The board is for websites, products, and profiles, not chat rooms.
- Adult content: Pornography, NSFW sites, and adult entertainment platforms are completely banned.
- Illegal and malicious content: Scams, phishing sites, malware, pirated content, or any services that break the law.
- Affiliate and tracking links: We strip query parameters. Pure affiliate links designed just to capture referrals are not allowed.
- Link shorteners: URLs from bit.ly, t.co, or similar shorteners are forbidden. If you submit one, our system will either reject it or resolve it to its final destination.
5. Categories
Categories help visitors find what they are looking for. You choose your category during the claim process. Please select the most accurate category. If a listing is placed in an obviously incorrect category to game the system, we reserve the right to move it to the correct one upon review.
6. Payments and Financial Rules
- Payments are processed securely by Paystack and are charged exclusively in Ghanaian Cedi (GHS).
- A bid only counts-and your rank only updates-after the payment is fully confirmed by our servers.
- You pay the amount of your bid once. There are absolutely no recurring charges or subscriptions.
- Payments are not refundable if you are outbid or if you change your mind.
- By completing a payment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.
7. Fair Play and Manipulation
The board must remain a fair representation of human attention and real financial commitment. Using automated bots to place bids, using scripts to artificially inflate your view or click counts, or attempting to manipulate the site's infrastructure will result in your listing being permanently banned.
8. Moderation and Enforcement
We reserve the right to review any listing at any time. We may remove anything unsafe, illegal, or in violation of these rules, no matter how much was paid for its rank. If we remove your listing during our moderation process before it has run its course on the board, we will refund your last payment to the original payment method. If your listing is banned for a serious violation like fraud, no refund will be issued.
