How to Set Up NuVotifier and Reward Votes

How the Votifier protocol works: v1, v2 and the token

Votifier is a deliberately simple protocol: when a player votes for your server on a ranking site, that site opens a TCP connection to your server (port 8192 by default) and sends a packet containing the voter’s username, the site’s name and a timestamp. Your server then fires a vote event that any rewards plugin or mod can listen to. Players install nothing — the whole mechanism lives server-side.

Two protocol versions coexist. Legacy v1 encrypts the packet with an RSA key pair: you hand the public key to the voting site. Protocol v2, introduced by NuVotifier, replaces that with a secret token — a short string generated in your config — that signs every vote with HMAC-SHA256. V2 is easier to configure and more secure, and it is what modern sites use. TopModdedServers, for instance, delivers its votes exclusively over Votifier v2.

Installing NuVotifier step by step (Spigot, Paper, proxies)

NuVotifier is the maintained successor to the original Votifier, compatible with the same vote listeners. It covers Bukkit, Spigot and Paper (1.7.10 and newer), Sponge, BungeeCord/Waterfall and Velocity — version 2.7.3 is the current release in 2026.

1. 1

   Download NuVotifier

   Grab the jar from the plugin’s SpigotMC page or the NuVotifier GitHub releases, then drop it into your server’s plugins folder (or the proxy’s, if you run a network).

2. 2

   Restart to generate the config

   On first startup the plugin creates plugins/Votifier/config.yml (config.toml on Velocity). Inside you will find the listening port, the forwarding method and a tokens section with a token already generated under the default key.

3. 3

   Pick and open the port

   Keep port 8192 if you can, and open it over TCP in the machine’s firewall and your host’s panel. Some shared hosts assign you a specific port instead: put that value in config.yml.

4. 4

   Copy the token

   Copy the token under the default key — that is what you will paste into voting sites that use v2. Treat it like a password: anyone who has it can send your server fake votes.

5. 5

   Test locally

   Restart, then run /testvote YourName (or /ptestvote on BungeeCord and Velocity). If the vote event shows up in the console, NuVotifier works; all that remains is wiring up rewards and voting sites.

Modded servers: which Votifier mod in 2026?

NuVotifier is a plugin: it will not run on a pure Forge, NeoForge or Fabric server. The most complete option in 2026 is the Modded Votifier mod, available on CurseForge for all three loaders (Minecraft 1.18.2, 1.19.2, 1.20.1 and 1.21.1). It implements both protocols — v1 RSA and v2 HMAC-SHA256 —, installs server-side only, runs configurable commands on each vote with a username placeholder, and queues rewards when the player is offline. Its latest release (1.0.3) shipped in March 2026.

Alternatives exist depending on your loader: Votifier for Fabric and Votifier for NeoForge on Modrinth, or Votifier Renewed on the Fabric side. Check three things before committing: compatibility with your exact Minecraft version, v2 support (required by modern sites) and offline vote handling. Finally, if your modded server sits behind a Velocity proxy, you can also run NuVotifier on the proxy and let it forward votes to the backend server.

Rewarding votes: VotingPlugin and friends

Receiving a vote does nothing by itself: you need a listener that turns it into a reward. On Spigot and Paper the reference is VotingPlugin, still actively maintained in 2026 (6.9.x releases): per-site or global rewards, cumulative milestones, daily vote streak bonuses, a vote party that rewards the whole server at a collective threshold, a GUI vote shop, and BungeeCord and Velocity multi-proxy support. Rewards for offline players are stored and delivered on their next login.

On modded servers the Votifier mod often plays both roles: Modded Votifier executes your reward commands directly. Whatever the tool, the loop that builds loyalty is well known: a modest instant reward (currency, a crate key), a consistency bonus (a seven-day streak), and a collective event like a vote party so that every vote benefits everyone.

• Instant reward: server currency, a crate key, a cosmetic — worth having, never balance-breaking.
• Streak bonus: voting every day in a row increases the reward, which is what builds the habit.
• Vote party: once the whole server accumulates X votes, everyone gets a bonus.
• Public recognition: an in-game message or a monthly top-voters board rewards the players who show up.

Connecting your server to voting sites

On the ranking site’s side, configuration boils down to three fields: your server address (IP or domain), the Votifier port, and the secret — a token for v2, a public RSA key for v1. Fill them in on the admin panel of every site where your server is listed. Watch for the details that break the link: the Votifier port is not the game port (25565), and if your domain goes through a proxy like Cloudflare, Votifier traffic must target the machine’s real IP, not the proxied address.

On TopModdedServers, these fields live in the owner dashboard of your server listing, which includes a built-in connection test: the site sends a trial vote and tells you immediately whether your setup responds — faster than waiting for a real player’s vote to discover a problem. Once the link is validated, every vote is forwarded in real time and your players get their reward on the spot.

Troubleshooting: the four classic failures

Nearly every Votifier problem comes down to four causes. Work through them in order with the server console open: every incoming vote, even an invalid one, leaves a trace there.

• Closed port: the voting site cannot reach your server. Check that the port is open over TCP in the firewall and the host panel, and that NuVotifier is actually listening on it (the plugin’s startup line prints it). Quick check: the voting site’s connection test, or any open-port checker.
• Token mismatch: the vote arrives but the signature is rejected — the console logs a challenge or invalid-signature error. The token entered on the site does not match config.yml: copy it over exactly, without spaces, and restart after any change.
• Wrong address: a proxied domain (Cloudflare), an IP that changed, or the game port entered instead of the Votifier port. The site must target the real IP and the Votifier port.
• Vote received but no reward: NuVotifier did its job (console trace) but no listener is wired up, or proxy forwarding to the backend servers is misconfigured. Check that VotingPlugin (or your mod) is installed on the server that should hand out the reward, and test with /testvote.