# Votex Quick Start Guide

## ⚙️ The Vault Gauge System

This guide gives validators a practical understanding of how The Vault Gauges work and how to use them effectively with Votex in under five minutes.

***

### ⏱️ What You Need to Know in 5 Minutes

Gauges allow validators to receive stake through a weekly voting mechanism. Validators acquire voting power, votes are cast, and stake is distributed for the following epoch. This process repeats weekly.

***

### 🧭 What Are Gauges?

Gauges are a vote based stake allocation system.

* Validators acquire voting power
* Votes are cast for a specific epoch
* Stake is distributed based on vote share
* Votes expire after one week and must be renewed

This creates a predictable, transparent way to attract stake through market pricing.

***

### 📊 Key Numbers at a Glance

* Voting epochs last 7 days
* A minimum commitment of 2 to 3 weeks is recommended
* The stakebot runs every 3 hours
* Initial impact is visible after one week when using Votex
* Delta updates appear within 3 hours of a new epoch starting
* Full stake distribution typically completes within 6 to 8 days

***

### 🔁 The Quick Process

#### Step 1

#### Buy Votes

* Visit:\
  <https://votex.so/daos>
* Confirm voting is open\
  Voting is available six days per week and closes on the final day of the epoch
* Purchase votes for your validator\
  Any wallet can be used and it does not need to remain consistent week to week

***

#### Step 2

#### Wait for the Next Epoch

* Check the epoch countdown at:\
  <https://tribeca.so/gov/vault/gauges>
* Votes always apply to the next epoch after purchase
* Example\
  Votes purchased during Epoch 20 apply to Epoch 21

***

#### Step 3

#### Check Your Delta

* Visit:\
  <https://thevault.finance/validators>
* Locate your validator and review the delta column
* Deltas typically appear within three hours of the new epoch starting

***

#### Step 4

#### Wait for Stake Distribution

* Stake is processed through a priority queue
* First time or large stake allocations may take slightly longer
* Continue monitoring your validator page for updates

***

#### Step 5

#### Repeat Weekly

* Votes only last one week
* To retain or grow stake you must vote again for the next epoch
* Most validators see the strongest results after two to three consecutive weeks

***

### 💰 Budget Planning and ROI

#### Estimating Returns

```
Expected earnings =
Stake amount × Commission rate × APY ÷ 52

Cost =
USDC spent on votes

If expected earnings exceed cost the strategy is profitable
```

***

#### Understanding Voting Power

```
Your voting power =
Your spend ÷ Total spend for the epoch

Example
$1,000 ÷ $1,200 total spend = 83 percent of voting power
```

***

### ⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

* Only voting for one week and stopping before results compound
* Expecting instant stake distribution
* Forgetting to vote again when a new epoch begins
* Confusing Solana epochs with gauge voting epochs
* Assuming the same wallet must be used every week

***

### 🔗 Quick Links

Buy votes\
<https://votex.so/daos>

Check epoch timing\
<https://tribeca.so/gov/vault/gauges>

View validator deltas\
<https://thevault.finance/validators>

Stakebot transparency data\
<https://github.com/SolanaVault/stakebot-data>

Analytics dashboard\
<https://dune.com/kagren0/the-vault-validators>

***

### 🏁 Stake Priority Rules

Stake is processed in the following order.

* First priority\
  Direct stake combined with gauge stake
* Second priority\
  Undirected stake
* Within each priority tier validators with larger deltas are processed first.

***

### 🗓️ Example Timeline

Day 0 Monday\
Votes are purchased during Epoch 20

Later on Day 0\
Votex casts votes on your behalf

Day 7 Monday\
Epoch 21 begins

Within 3 hours\
Your delta appears on the dashboard

Day 7 to Day 13\
Stakebot distributes stake across validators

Day 14\
Votes must be renewed for Epoch 22

***

### 🤝 Need Help?

For deeper explanations review the [Gauge documentation](https://docs.thevault.finance/about/gauges).\
If you still need assistance reach out to our Discord support directly.

***

### ✅ Ready to Start?

Visit\
<https://votex.so/daos>

Purchase your first votes and begin participating in the gauge system.


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