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Hackrate is an ethical hacking platform that bridges the gap between skilled security researchers and organizations that need their systems tested. As a researcher, Hackrate gives you a structured, legal, and rewarding way to put your skills to work: you find real vulnerabilities in real products, report them through a managed process, earn bounties or reputation points, and build a verified track record that opens doors to more exclusive opportunities. The platform operates across two types of programs. Public programs are listed openly in the Program Catalog and are accessible to any registered researcher. Private programs are invite-only — they don’t appear in the catalog, and you can only participate after receiving or requesting an invitation. Private programs often involve higher bounties and more sensitive targets, and access to them is typically earned by demonstrating consistent, high-quality work on public programs first.

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Your researcher journey at a glance

Every researcher on Hackrate moves through roughly the same lifecycle, from creating an account to receiving payment for a valid finding.
1

Register and set up your profile

Create your account and configure your public researcher profile. Choose a unique nickname (up to 16 characters) — this is what program owners and the leaderboard will display. Add a bio, your country, social links, and a profile picture to build credibility with program owners.
2

Complete identity verification

Before you can receive bounty payouts, you must verify your identity through Hackrate’s ID verification process. Verification also unlocks a verified badge on your public profile, which signals trustworthiness to program owners managing private programs.
3

Explore programs and understand scope

Browse the public catalog, read program descriptions and policies, and carefully review each program’s scope. Every program lists its in-scope targets — the systems you are authorized to test. Only submit reports for assets that are explicitly in scope.
4

Find a vulnerability and submit a report

Test in-scope targets within the permitted testing window and according to the program’s rules. When you find a valid issue, write a clear, reproducible report and submit it through the platform. Each report should cover exactly one vulnerability.
5

Earn bounties and build reputation

Valid reports earn you reputation points and, on bounty programs, a monetary reward. Reputation affects your standing on the leaderboard and your chances of being invited to private programs.

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Key concepts for researchers

Quickstart Guide

Get up and running on Hackrate in minutes. Step-by-step instructions from registration through your first report submission.

Program Catalog

Browse all publicly available bug bounty and VDP programs, read program details, and find your first target.

Setting Up Your Profile

Configure your nickname, bio, country, social links, profile picture, and notification preferences.

Understanding Scope

Learn how to read target lists, identify in-scope assets, understand tier-based bounty implications, and avoid out-of-scope findings.

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Reputation and stats

Your Hackrate profile tracks three key metrics that reflect your effectiveness as a researcher:
  • Reputation score — accumulated points awarded when your vulnerability reports are accepted and validated. This is the primary metric used by the leaderboard and by program owners evaluating researchers for private program invitations.
  • Vulnerability Rate — a score reflecting the quality and impact of the vulnerabilities you have discovered.
  • Hacking Rate — a broader metric of your overall activity and contribution across programs.
These metrics are visible on your public profile and on the leaderboard, which lets you compare your performance against researchers from around the world, filtered by time period or country.

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Identity verification and payouts

Identity verification is required before Hackrate can process any monetary bounty payout. You can participate in programs and submit reports without being verified, but payment will be held until verification is complete. Begin the verification process early so it doesn’t delay your first payout.
Verification uses a third-party identity check service. You will be asked to provide a valid government-issued ID document and a live photo. Once verified, your profile displays a verification badge that increases your credibility with program owners and may accelerate invitations to private programs. Verification is periodically renewed to maintain the integrity of the platform.

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Hackrate Elite Club

The most trusted and high-performing researchers on the platform may be selected for the Hackrate Elite Club. Elite membership represents the highest level of trustworthiness on the platform and typically results in priority invitations to the most exclusive private programs.