Community Levels: How Are User Levels Determined?

[Sreeram Nair]

Hi everyone,

I’ve noticed something interesting about the ranking system in the ServiceNow Community and wanted to get some clarity on how user levels are actually determined.

When comparing two community profiles, I saw that a user with a very high number of posts, solutions, and helpfuls has a lower level, while another user with far fewer visible contributions has reached a much higher level.
Example:

This made me wonder:

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What factors determine overall community levels?

It seems that the level does not depend only on the visible stats such as:

• Number of posts

• Number of solutions

• Helpfuls received

• Helpfuls given

• Badges displayed

So, I’m curious to understand:

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1. What activities contribute most to leveling up?

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2. Why do some users with fewer visible contributions reach higher levels?

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3. Is there any official documentation or guidance on how levels are calculated?

[GlideFather]

Hi @Sreeram Nair,

https://www.servicenow.com/community/recognition-rewards/ct-p/rewards 

There's explained everything that you asked 

[Sreeram Nair]

I saw that but did you see the example. very less solutions and helpful give but still Giga Sage. I have seen profiles with 100 times more contributions but still may be Mega Sage or lower.

[Simon Hendery]

Yeah, there's definitely some secret sauce in there somewhere, and none of us will ever see the recipe. 😆 😆

While we're on the subject: a couple of things that annoy me:

1. It's a 'fail upwards' model. This means, if you keep pumping out stuff, regardless of the good/mediocre/garbage ratio, you'll keep leveling up.

2. The 'current Ranks and number of the Community members who have achieved each ranking' info on the page @GlideFather referenced is about 3 years out of date!

ServiceNow is a database solutions company. How hard would it be for someone to make this info display live??

@Dan Bruhn - I'm looking at you, buddy. I was in a Rising Star webinar two years ago when this question was raised and you said you'd look into it. Still waiting 😁 😁. But seriously, please at least update the 3-year-old info that's sitting there. 

[Sreeram Nair]

Even if we assume it's a 'fail upwards' model. It still doesn't explain that someone with just 1 post and 50 odd replies getting 'Giga Sage'

Quite strange. I have also seen people jump 4-5 levels directly and Ta-Da 😂