TheTopTens FAQs

AWhat is TheTopTens?

TheTopTens is a collection of over 200,000 interactive top ten lists that you can vote on, add to, reorder, and more. The site has been online since 2005 and in that time has amassed a collection of millions of items to vote on and comments to read.

Lists

AWhere do lists on TheTopTens come from?

Lists on TheTopTens are created by visitors like you.

AHow do I add a list to TheTopTens?

To add a list, click on the Add List link at the top of the page, or if you are using a mobile device, click on the M menu icon in the upper right and then the Add List link.

AHow long until my list shows up on the site?

Lists that are not flagged by our system are visible on the site as soon as they are submitted. Lists that are flagged for review will not be visible until they have been approved by our staff of moderators. How long this will take can depend on a number of factors including the nature of the list, the amount of work our staff has to put into the list correcting errors and fixing formatting issues, and the current number of lists in the moderation queue.

AWhat are some reasons why my list would not be approved?

Lists may not be approved if they contain excessive spelling errors, grammatical errors, inaccuracies, names of non-celebrities, or crude or profane content. Lists may also not be approved if they include copyright protected content, are nonsensical, or are spam lists created to promote a specific company or service and have no real value aside from that. Additionally, community lists that are duplicates of existing lists or are personal to the person adding the list such as lists starting with "My Top Ten" or "My Favorite" will be edited, deleted, or merged into existing lists depending on the list in question. Finally, because TheTopTens lists are all moderated by human moderators, lists must be submitted in English so they can be read and understood by our staff.

AHow do you determine the order of lists?

Standard items in a votable list are ordered based on a system that factors in the number of votes each item receives as well as personal remixes created by members. The more votes an item has and the more prominently it is featured in member remixes, the higher it appears in the list. If there are no Trusted Partner listings in a list, the item with the most votes is in the number one spot, the items with the second most votes is in the number two spot, and so on. Trusted Partner listings always appear at the top of a list.

When a votable list is first created, the number one item on the list is assigned 10 votes, the number two item is assigned 9 votes and so on. Once the list is posted, other visitors can add votes to items on the list. Items will then move up and down the list according to the number of times the item has been voted on or the item's prominence in member lists. That way, the most popular items will move to the top of the list while less popular items will be pushed down.

The order of personal lists is decided by the creator of the list. The order of objective lists is set at the time the list is created.

AHow do I vote for an item in a votable list?

Visit the list page and click the E Vote links next to the items you would like to vote for. After you have voted for all the items you would like to vote for, or have reached the maximum number of votes for the list, click the Save Votes button to continue.

ACan I down-vote an item or take back my vote?

You cannot vote against an item in a list, however, when you create your own personal remix of a list you will have the option to mark up to three items on the list as "dishonorable mentions". Similar to how including an item in your remix can help move that item up the rankings, marking an item as a dishonorable mention will work against that item in the rankings.

When you are initially placing your votes on a list, you can remove a vote by clicking the G Voted button to the right of the item you voted on.

ACan I vote for more than one item?

Yes, you can vote for up to 10 items per list or the total number of items in the list depending on which number is lower. Additionally, you may create your own remixed version of the list which will be incorporated in the rankings. Creating your own list is like voting for every item you add to the top ten in your list except that the order you place the items in your list is also factored into the rankings. Creating your own list gives you the ability to affect the rankings much more than by simply casting votes.

AHow often can I vote on a list?

Visitors are able to vote on a list once per day.

AWhen does to voting end on a list?

Voting on most TheTopTens lists is open ended. In instances where is makes sense to end the voting such as a list of teams most likely to win the 2024 league championship, voting may be disabled after the championship has concluded since it no longer makes sense to speculate on the outcome of an event that has already occurred.

AWhy don't you allow duplicate community lists?

Because of the voting nature of TheTopTens, lists on TheTopTens work best when there is only one definitive community list per topic. Having multiple lists per topic would be like if you held a handful of different elections for the same political office at the same time. You wouldn't be able to tell who won and people wouldn't know which election to participate in.

AHow do you determine if a community list is a duplicate of an existing list?

When comparing two lists to see if they are duplicates, we look at two factors; the criteria for inclusion in the list, and the criteria for ranking the list. If they are the same, then we consider the lists to be duplicates.

AWhat are objective lists?

Objective lists are lists where there is a single, factually correct order of the list. These are lists such as the largest countries on Earth or the richest people in the world. Objective lists can be added to TheTopTens, but they must include a reference URL that can be used to verify the accuracy of the list.

AHow do I edit or delete my list?

Self-Moderated and My List lists can be edited or deleted by browsing to the list you would like to delete, clicking the M list menu icon, and then clicking the a edit list icon. This will give you the option to edit the list description, add or remove items in the list, or remove the list entirely. Please note that it is not possible to restore a list once it has been deleted.

Because it would be unfair to visitors who have taken the time to vote or comment on a list, we avoid deleting community or objective lists once they have been approved unless it is warranted by extraordinary circumstances. As an alternative, we give users the ability to disown lists they have created providing the list is over 30 days old. You can disown a list by browsing to the list you would like to disown, clicking the M list menu icon, and then clicking the F disown list icon.

Listings

AHow do I add a new item to a community list?

You can add a new item by browsing to the list you would like to add to and clicking either B Add New Item or P Search List, depending on the list. When clicking the P Search List button, perform a search to verify the listing you are looking to add does not already exist in the list. If it does not, you will be provided with a link to add to the list.

After you have clicked the B Add New Item button or the add item link in the search results, you will be presented with a form for adding a new item. In the form, enter the item title and click the Post button.

You may also add new items when creating your remix of a community list. More information about remixes is available below.

ACan I still add to a community list that already has 10 listings?

Yes, lists can be as large as they need to be.

AHow long until my new item shows up on the site?

All new item submissions on community lists will be reviewed by our staff of moderators. How long it takes for them to approve an item depends on a number of factors including the nature of the item and the number of items in the moderation queue.

AWhat are some reasons why my item would not be approved?

New listings in a community list will not be approved if they do not belong in the list, cannot be verified as being appropriate for the list, or are duplicates of an existing item in the list. Listings may also not be approved if they are impossible to critique at the time of their submission. An example of this is a movie added to a list of best movies of 2024 that has not yet been released either to critics or to the general public.

Finally, submissions containing excessive spelling or grammatical errors, or are not formatted using the same conventions as the rest of the items in the list may not be approved.

AHow do I add images, song samples, album art, URLs, to items?

Song samples, product images and URLs are typically added as a part of the moderation process. In cases where an image is not automatically added, you can add an image to items included in the list by clicking the T Add Image link when available. The option to add images is usually available to the author of the list as well as to all members on select lists where having images is most relevant. If the option to add an image is not displayed by the list item, then you will not be able to add an image.

AWhat can I do about listings that do not belong in a community list?

If you see a listing that does not belong for factual reasons, you can report that item using the list's Error Reporting tool linked to from the list page. You can also use this tool to report other issues such as misspelled listings, listings with incorrect URLs or song samples, or duplicate listings.

Comments

AHow do I add comments to a list?

First vote on the list item(s) you would like to comment on. Then you will be given the opportunity to add a comment to support your vote(s).

ADo I have to add a comment for my vote to be counted?

No, adding a comment has zero effect on whether or not your vote is counted.

AHow long until my new comments show up on the site?

When comments are added, they are checked using an automated filter. Those that pass are added immediately although it may take a few minutes for the addition to become visible on the site.

All comments are then passed through a more robust filter that either approves the comment to be included on the site, removes the comment, or flags the comment for human review. Those comments that are flagged for human review may or may not be made visible on the site depending on the reason why they were flagged.

AWhat are some reasons why my comment would not be approved?

The purpose of comments on TheTopTens lists is to allow voters to explain the reasoning behind their votes. They give voters an opportunity to say why the items they voted on deserve to be included in the list, and why they deserve to be voted to a top position. Comments that do not do this, or go so far as to attempt to convince future voters not to vote on the commented on listing may be removed.

Additionally, comments may not be approved to be included on TheTopTens if they are crude or profane, too short, duplicates of existing comments, copied from other sources, non-English language, contain excessive spelling or grammatical errors, do not contribute to the intended discussion of the list, contain factual inaccuracies, contain potentially harmful misleading information, or are added for the purpose of trolling or bullying visitors to the site.

Finally, because comments on lists are listed according to popularity and not chronologically, comments need to be able to stand on their own. Comments where the sole purpose is to reply to an existing comment should be posted as a comment reply by clicking the M comment menu button to the right of the comment being replied to and then clicking the 1 reply button (option available to logged in members). Replies that are added as standard comments and not comment replies may be removed.

AWhat do the thumbs up mean?

If you like a comment, you may give it a thumbs up by clicking on the M comment menu button and then the 3 thumbs up button. We use this information to help determine the popularity of a comment and how prominently that comment should be displayed on the site.

AHow do I reply to a comment?

Members who are logged in to the site can reply to a comment by clicking the M comment menu button and then clicking the 1 reply button.

AHow do I edit or delete a comment?

You can only edit or delete comments submitted while logged in to your account, i.e., comments that contain your signature. To do so, click on the M comment menu button and then click the a edit or I delete button depending on what you want to do.

AWhy was my comment edited?

Comments may be edited to correct spelling and grammatical errors, to remove offensive or irrelevant content, and to generally make comments more clear and readable. We may edit such comments manually or with the assistance of generative AI such as ChatGPT. When editing comments, we take special care not to change the intended meaning of the text.

AWhat can I do about offensive or off-topic comments on lists?

Logged in members have the ability to report comments they feel are not relevant to the list or may not be permitted by the Terms of Use of this site. You can report a comment by clicking the M comment menu button next to the comment you want to flag, and then clicking the b flag comment button.

Remixes

AWhat is a personal list remix?

Personal list remixes are your personal versions of votable lists on TheTopTens. Remixes give you the ability to show how you feel the list should be ordered and to add comments explaining why. We then use these remixes to help determine the rankings of the original list.

AHow do I create a remix?

To create your own version of a list, browse to the votable list you would like to remix, open the list menu, and then click the W Remix List link. Follow the instructions to add items to your list and then save the changes.

AHow do I edit my remix?

You can edit a remix by browsing to the list you remixed and again opening the list menu, and then click the W Remix List link. You can also go to your TheTopTens profile page and click the a edit icon next to the remix you would like to edit.

AWhat are "Dishonorable Mentions" in a remix?

Dishonorable mentions are up to three listings you can add to your remix that represent items in the list that you feel are ranked too high in the list. Similar to how including an item in your personal list can help move that item up the rankings, marking an item as a dishonorable mention will work against that item in the rankings.

Posts

AHow do I add a post?

If you would like to add a post about a list in general and not just comment on a single item in the list, you can do so by loggin in to the site and then clicking the Add Post button on the page for the list you would like to write about. Then, add a title, write your post, choose whether or not to allow comments on your post, and submit.

AHow can people find my post?

Once a post is submitted, you will be taken to the page on the site where the post can be viewed. You can bookmark and return to this page. If you were logged in to the site when submitting the post, people will be able to view your post by visiting your profile page and then clicking the link to the post. Finally, if after reviewing the post, we determine the post to be a good fit for display on the site, the post will be linked to from the list page for the list it was added to so any future visitors to that list will be able to click through and read it.

AHow do you determine if a post is added to a list page?

We may feature a post on a list page if it is original, well-written, generally free of spelling and grammatical errors, properly formatted, free of crude or profane content, and is relevant to the visitors to the list.

AHow do I moderate comments on my posts?

If you were logged in when you created the post and opted to allow comments, you can moderate the comments by browsing to your profile page and clicking the a Moderate Comments link. From there you will be able to approve pending comments or disapprove comments that have already been approved.

AWhat can I do about offensive comments on posts?

Logged in members have the ability to report post comments they feel may not be permitted by the Terms of Use of this site. You can report a comment by clicking the M comment menu button next to the comment you want to flag, and then clicking the b flag comment button.

Members

AWhat are the benefits of creating a TheTopTens account?

Creating an account on TheTopTens includes a number of benefits such as:
9 Signature automatically included on all lists, comments, and posts you create
9 Profile page which allows you to provide information about yourself as well as acting like a hub for finding all your content
9 Ability to view stats on your lists
9 Ability to create personal remixes of existing lists that will be factored into the rankings
9 Ability to reply to comments and posts
9 Ability to favorite lists and follow other members
9 Ability to send and receive personal messages

AWhat information do I have to provide to create an account?

All that is required to create an account is a username, password, and email address. You will have the ability to provide additional information to be displayed on your profile page; however, this is purely optional.

AWhat are member accomplishments?

Member accomplishments are awards that can be earned by members for a variety of tasks related to submitting lists, adding comments, creating remixes, and more. These accomplishments help contribute to a member score and rank so members can track their progress and see how they stack up against others.

AHow do I send a message to another member?

To message a member, first visit their profile page. If you are able to send them a message based on their messaging preferences, there will be a Q message button in the gray bar below their username. Click the button, fill out the message form, and click Send.

AHow do I edit my profile page and image?

To edit your profile information, go to your profile page and then click the a edit profile button. Here you will be able add information such as your name, gender, location and more.

To change your profile image, click the T Update link in the bottom right of the current profile image on your profile page.

AHow do I change my account password?

To change your password, go to your profile page, click the  Settings button, and then click Edit to the right of Account Password. After entering the current password, you will have the option to create a new password.

AWhat can I do if I've forgotten my password?

If you have an email address saved to your account, you can reset your password by clicking the Log In link, entering your username, and then clicking the Forgot password? link. After clicking the link, you will be prompted for the email address saved to your account. Enter the address, click Submit, and an email will be sent to the address with further instructions.

If after entering your username correctly you do not see the Forgot password? link, then we do not have an email address saved for your account.

AHow do I change my account username?

Sorry, it is not possible to change a username once an account has been created.

AHow do I control who can send me personal messages?

To change your personal messaging preferences, go to your profile page and then click the  Settings button. Click Edit to the right of Personal Messaging and select one of the three options available. Your choice will be saved automatically.

To block an individual member from sending you messages, first open a message they have sent to you and then click the message menu button. Select Block Sender from the menu options.

AHow do I unblock a sender after I have blocked them?

If you have blocked a member from sending you messages and later decide you would like to unblock them, go to your profile page and then click the  Settings button. Go to the Blocked Senders section, click the Edit button, and follow the instructions provided.

AHow do I opt in to receive TheTopTens email notifications?

To opt in to email notifications, go to your profile page, click the  Settings button, and click the Edit button in the Email Address section. There you will be able to sign up to receive personal message notifications as well as change the email address on your account.

AHow can I disable advertisements on TheTopTens?

To opt out of third party advertising, go to your profile page and then click the  Settings button. Click the On/Off switch to the right of Allow Advertising so it reads Off. This will prevent most advertisements on the site from being displayed, but will not affect advertisements placed by TheTopTens or advertisements displayed on search results pages. This setting is browser specific. If you would like to remove advertisements on TheTopTens on multiple devices and browsers, you will need to repeat the steps above on each browser and device.

AHow do I delete my account?

To permanently delete your TheTopTens account, go to our Account Deletion page and supply the required information.

Advertising

AHow can I have my ads displayed on TheTopTens?

TheTopTens makes use of Google's AdSense platform for display advertisements throughout the site. As a result, Google AdWords publishers have the ability to display advertisements on TheTopTens on the specific pages they want to target using the AdWords "managed placements". You can learn more about this service here.

AHow do I become a "Trusted Partner"?

A Trusted Partner listing represents an arrangement between TheTopTens and the company being promoted in which TheTopTens receives a commission when a visitor to this site then visits the company site and completes a specified action such as requesting a call or signing up for service. We feel this is a far better approach for all parties involved than a "pay for placement" model as it incentivizes us to only promote companies that our visitors genuinely want to work with.

Companies looking to have a Trusted Partner listing on TheTopTens should have an affiliate program in place, either in house or through an affiliate network such as Commission Junction. Then, they can invite TheTopTens to join their program.

ACan I pay to have a link added to a page on TheTopTens?

No, TheTopTens does not sell text links. If, however, your website or company is listed as one of the items in a list and the site content is not objectionable, we will add a link to your site from that listing free of charge. If we are missing a link or have linked to the wrong URL, you can use the List Error Reporting tool to let us know.