Wykop
Platform · this deep dive is built from the official pages of the platform itself and of the tools that support it.
Overview
Wykop is a Polish social bookmarking service: users add finds from around the internet, vote on them and discuss them. The platform describes itself this way: «Wykop jest miejscem, gdzie gromadzimy najciekawsze informacje z Sieci… O treści serwisu decydują tylko i wyłącznie nasi użytkownicy» — a place where the most interesting things on the Net are gathered, and where the content of the service is decided solely by its users.
The key terms: *znalezisko* — a submitted link with a description; *wykopalisko* — the "sandbox" holding all new finds; *wykop* and *zakop* — the votes for and against; *mikroblog* — the section for short posts.
The operator is Wykop sp. z o.o. of Poznań; the rules give the address ul. Grodziska 8, the KRS number 0000280651 and the NIP 7792308851. The site's footer dates the project to 2005.
Who's here
The platform publishes figures itself — in the advertisers' section, where it also names the measurement source: more than 100 million page views a month and 8.5 million unique users a month «wg Google Analytics, styczeń 2025»; more than 2 million registered users, more than 80 thousand posts and comments a day, more than 1000 links added a day; «Top 5 serwisów społecznościowych w Polsce (wg Megapanel PBI/Gemius)».
Note the date: the Google Analytics figures refer to January 2025. The language is Polish (lang="pl-PL" in the home page markup), and the platform displays its popular tags itself: #ciekawostki, #informacje, #technologia, #polska, #swiat, #motoryzacja, #podroze, #heheszki, #sport.
Getting started
Registration is free: access to the service's content and features is not subject to any payment. The requirements are stricter than on most platforms:
- age 13 and up — «Zarejestrować się w Serwisie Wykop.pl mogą tylko osoby fizyczne, które ukończyły trzynaście lat»;
- a non-temporary, non-anonymous email address and a working phone number for authentication — both requirements are listed directly in the rules;
- SMS confirmation: a six-digit code arrives, one phone number is bound to one account, and the number of entry attempts is limited;
- signing in through Google, Facebook or Apple is possible.
A separate rule applies to companies: users may operate on Wykop for purposes connected with running a business, but registering an account using an organisation's details without authority to represent it is prohibited; the platform is entitled to check the accuracy of the details, especially on registration for commercial purposes. One more detail for anyone creating an account to keep in reserve: re-authentication may be required if the user has not signed in for at least 6 months.
What you can publish
The formats are limited in substance: users may publish only text or a graphics file; publishing video and audio broadcasts is not allowed — you may give links to external sites where the video is available. Embedding is permitted, but the video itself is stored outside Wykop.
Prohibited content is listed in clause 5.3 of the rules: material threatening the development of minors (in particular pornography and gratuitous depictions of violence), incitement to violence and hatred on a broad list of grounds — from sex and race to disability and sexual orientation — material capable of facilitating a terrorist offence, child pornography, vulgar and offensive statements, and breaches of netiquette (the full list). Links to sites with such content are prohibited by a separate clause.
There is a labelling obligation: a user must classify embedded video by its possible effect on the development of minors — appendix No. 2 to the regulations; commercial messages inside such video are governed by appendix No. 3.
How to grow
The mechanics are described in the rules. Every find first lands in the "wykopalisko" and is put up for rating. If it gathers the largest current margin of "wykop" minus "zakop" votes and the largest number of comments, it is moved to the front page. The window is strict: if that has not happened within 24 hours of posting, the find can no longer reach the front page; the «Dla Ciebie» tab is filled by an algorithm that takes into account views, votes, posts added and the tags being followed.
The platform gives its own advice on how to present a find: «Opisuj i oznaczaj» — describe it, add tags and a category, write to the point and without abusing Caps Lock.
Advertising: only through the sales department
This is Wykop's main rule for business, and the platform states it outright: «TAK — Reklamuj. Ale tylko za porozumieniem z nami! … Nie prowadź na Wykopie kampanii reklamowej na własną rękę… kończą się zablokowaniem konta» — advertise, but only by agreement; a campaign run on your own ends in the account being blocked.
The official formats are listed in the advertisers' section: "Wykop sponsorowany" — a native format in the feed of finds; banner advertising with targeting by topic category; "Wykop Poleca" for portals that produce content regularly; and product campaigns. There is a self-service option too: «Wykop Market… Za 250 zł brutto dziennie Twoja kreacja pojawi się na głównej stronie serwisu» — 250 zloty including VAT a day for placement on the front page.
Path to monetization
Wykop does not pay authors: there is no programme rewarding finds, comments or microblog posts on the open pages. There is only one legitimate way to earn here — buy advertising and drive traffic to your own resource. The moderation rules note an exception for authors: «dopuszczamy możliwość publikowania artykułów pochodzących z własnego bloga lub kanału, pod warunkiem, że treści zamieszczane w serwisie Wykop.pl nie mają charakteru reklamowego» — you may publish material from your own blog or channel provided that what you post on Wykop is not advertising in nature.
Tools and automation
There is an official API: «Wykop API v3.0 … Komunikacja z API odbywa się w oparciu o architekturę REST», responses in JSON, access through a separate developer panel. The full reference is published at doc.wykop.pl; it is served through a Swagger interface.
The second official tool is the "Wykopywarka": a widget for site and blog owners that lets visitors add or "dig up" material with a single click. There are also RSS feeds.
Limits and rules
Moderation is described publicly: the company may block the addition of content or moderate what has been posted; the user is notified of any restriction applied, with a justification, and the decision can be appealed; automated detection of prohibited content is also permitted — with the same notification.
What counts as a spam account the platform lists directly: advertising material for financial gain, links to online auctions and referral links, deliberate inflation of clicks and points, selling promo codes and illegal goods, links to sites impersonating other organisations, to phishing and to pages with misleading content.
Manipulation is banned separately: users must refrain from actions aimed at manipulating the content or the results of finds, and from spam. The "good practices" page is blunter: voting for the same find from several accounts is called fraud.
The rules currently in force are the version of 11 May 2026; the same document sets out the right to withdraw from the contract within 14 days without giving a reason.
Who it's for
Wykop suits Polish media outlets and authors with material of their own: a find on the front page brings noticeable traffic, and the rules explicitly allow publishing articles from your own blog — as long as they are not advertising. It suits brands willing to pay for the official formats: the ad section is clear, and there is self-service at a fixed daily rate.
It does not suit anyone counting on promoting themselves unnoticed: running your own advertising campaign is explicitly named as grounds for blocking the account, and vote inflation is called fraud. Nor does it suit video: publishing video on the platform is not allowed by the rules.
Verified data
The checked data this deep dive rests on.
About the platform
the platform describes itself as follows: «Wykop jest miejscem, gdzie gromadzimy najciekawsze informacje z Sieci: newsy, artykuły, linki. O treści serwisu decydują tylko i wyłącznie nasi użytkownicy, dodając newsy, komentując i głosując na nie.»
Self-description: this is the platform's claim about itself, not an independent assessment
source, checked 2026-07-28
the operator is Wykop sp. z o.o., Poznań (60-363), ul. Grodziska 8, KRS 0000280651, NIP 7792308851
The definitions section of the rules
source, checked 2026-07-28
Who's here
the platform reports more than 100 million page views a month and 8.5 million unique users a month «wg Google Analytics, styczeń 2025»
A Google Analytics measurement for January 2025, cited by the platform itself
source, checked 2026-07-28
the platform reports more than 2 million registered users, more than 80 thousand posts and comments a day and more than 1000 links added a day; «Top 5 serwisów społecznościowych w Polsce (wg Megapanel PBI/Gemius)»
Claims by the platform with the measurement sources named
source, checked 2026-07-28
Getting started
registration requires a login, a non-public (non-temporary, non-anonymous) email address, a phone number and acceptance of the rules; confirmation is by a six-digit SMS code, one number per account, with a limited number of attempts
The account verification page
source, checked 2026-07-28
Account and access
only natural persons who have reached the age of thirteen may register
Clause 3.1 of the rules
source, checked 2026-07-28
re-authentication may be required if the user has not signed in for at least 6 months
The general provisions section
source, checked 2026-07-28
Business terms
using the service for purposes connected with running a business is allowed; registering an account using an organisation's details without authority to represent it is prohibited; the platform is entitled to check the accuracy of the details
No separate business account format is described in the rules
source, checked 2026-07-28
What you can publish
only text or a graphics file may be published; publishing video and audio broadcasts is not possible, while links to external sites and embedding are permitted
The «Funkcjonalności Wykop» section
source, checked 2026-07-28
Content
«dopuszczamy możliwość publikowania artykułów pochodzących z własnego bloga lub kanału, pod warunkiem, że treści… nie mają charakteru reklamowego» — publishing from your own blog is allowed if the material is not advertising
An exception in the section on spam accounts
source, checked 2026-07-28
Promotion
a find reaches the front page if it gathers the largest margin of «wykop» minus «zakop» votes and the largest number of comments; if that has not happened within 24 hours of being posted to the «wykopalisko», it can no longer reach the front page
A direct provision of the rules
source, checked 2026-07-28
the «Dla Ciebie» tab is filled by an algorithm: it takes into account the material viewed and the actions taken (wykop, zakop, posts added, tags followed) and determines the tags and categories with the most interaction
The platform's own description of the algorithm
source, checked 2026-07-28
Advertising
«Nie prowadź na Wykopie kampanii reklamowej na własną rękę. Takie nachalne działania… kończą się zablokowaniem konta» — running your own advertising campaign leads to the account being blocked; advertising is arranged with the sales department
The «TAK — Reklamuj» section
source, checked 2026-07-28
the «Wykop Market» self-service option: «Za 250 zł brutto dziennie Twoja kreacja pojawi się na głównej stronie serwisu» — 250 zloty including VAT a day for placement on the front page
The only price published; the other formats are discussed by email
source, checked 2026-07-28
the official formats: «Wykop sponsorowany» (a native format in the feed of finds), banner advertising with contextual targeting by category, «Wykop Poleca» for portals, and product campaigns
The page gives no prices for these formats
source, checked 2026-07-28
Restrictions
a spam account is taken to mean: advertising for financial gain, links to online auctions and referral links, inflating clicks and points, selling promo codes and illegal goods, and links to sites impersonating other organisations or to phishing
The «Konto spamerskie» section
source, checked 2026-07-28
users must refrain from actions manipulating the content and the results of finds, and from spam; voting for the same find from several accounts is called fraud
The rules and the «10 nie» list in the good practices
source, checked 2026-07-28
Legal
the rules currently in force are the version «Obowiązuje od 11.05.2026 r.»; withdrawal from the contract within 14 days without giving a reason is provided for
The date in the document's heading
source, checked 2026-07-28
the company may block the addition of content and moderate what has been posted; the standards are published separately; the user is notified of any restriction applied, with a justification, and an appeal is provided for; automated detection is permitted
The section on the company's responsibility
source, checked 2026-07-28
API access
the official «Wykop API v3.0» is built on REST, with responses in JSON and access through a developer panel; the full reference is published at doc.wykop.pl
The page for programmers
source, checked 2026-07-28
Languages
the interface language of the home page: pl-PL
The language is taken from the markup attribute, the versions from hreflang
source, checked 2026-07-28
Catalogue section: all similar See also: catalogue index · region: Central and Eastern Europe · scheduler comparison · find by situation · platform restrictions