Roblox
Platform · this deep dive is built from the official pages of the platform itself and of the tools that support it.
Overview
Roblox is a platform where users build three-dimensional games ("experiences") and avatar items themselves, and others play those games and buy those items. Everything revolves around the Robux currency: players buy it, developers earn it, and part of what is earned is cashed out into money.
The platform describes itself on its home page this way: "Roblox is ushering in the next generation of entertainment. Imagine, create, and play together with millions of people across an infinite variety of immersive, user-generated 3D worlds" — a statement from roblox.com. This is the company's claim about itself, not an independent assessment.
Nobody publishes posts here — what gets published is interactive applications built in the Roblox Studio editor. And a large share of the audience is under age, so the platform has a whole separate layer of rules about age, content ratings and advertising.
Who's here
The platform reports 132 million daily active users who spend an average of 2.6 hours a day in Roblox; a footnote states that the data refers to the first quarter of 2026. The same page says that users are located in more than 180 countries. Both numbers are Roblox's own statements in a marketing section of the documentation.
The platform describes the audience's age not in percentages but in account types: Roblox Kids (ages 5–8), Roblox Select (9–15) and ordinary Roblox (16+); the boundaries may differ by region, and age is determined by facial estimation. The conclusion: Roblox's audience cannot be assumed to be adult by default.
Getting started
An account is free to create; after that the requirements depend on what you want to do.
Publishing a game. The platform writes that publishing happens immediately, with no wait for approval, on iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Xbox, PlayStation and some VR devices. But "immediately" applies to a 16+ audience. For a game to be visible to users under 16, the author (or the group owner) must meet a set of requirements: an account in good standing, verification with a government document or through a linked parent account, two-factor authentication switched on, and one of two things — a Roblox Plus or Premium subscription for 2 consecutive months, or a one-off refundable fee for the game. Plus an assessment procedure: it requires 500 unique launches by "highly engaged" players over the past 60 days.
Avatar items. To upload an item to the Marketplace you must verify the account with a government document or a linked parent account and pay 80 Robux per submission; the fee is normally non-refundable if the item fails moderation.
What you can publish
The main format is a game in the Luau language. Inside it you can sell: subscriptions, paid access for Robux or in local currency, items and abilities, private servers, and also models and plugins for other creators in the Creator Store.
The restrictions come in two layers. The first layer is the maturity labels the platform assigns from the Maturity & Compliance questionnaire: Minimal and Mild are open to Roblox Kids and Select, Moderate to Select and 16+ accounts, and Restricted only to 18+ users with a confirmed age. The second layer is rules on the files themselves: realistic or excessive depictions of violence, blood, crude humour or romantic themes may be moderated regardless of the game's maturity label.
How to grow
The built-in tool is Ads Manager. The panel is created on an account with a confirmed email address, registered to a user aged 13 or older; a campaign has one objective, and targeting is configured by location, age, gender, genre and device type. Teenagers have a second route: any user aged 13 and up can convert Robux into advertising credits, with 1 credit equal to 263 Robux; the conversion is irreversible.
Path to monetization
DevEx: exchanging Robux for money
The rate is published in the documentation: the standard rate is 0.0038 per 1 earned Robux, that is, US$114 for 30,000 Robux. For balances accumulated before 5 September 2025, the previous rate of 0.0035 applies — $105 for 30,000 Robux, and it is that older balance that is cashed out first.
The eligibility conditions: being at least 13 years old, a minimum of 30,000 earned Robux, a confirmed email address, an active account in the DevEx portal, an IRS W-9 form for US taxpayers or a W-8 for everyone else, and full compliance with the platform's rules. Once the first application is approved, registration in the payment portal must be completed within a week, otherwise the application is rejected and the Robux are returned.
What does not count as "earned": buying Robux directly, subscription credits, trading and reselling items, transfers received, redeeming gift cards, and passes sold in template games with no real visits.
A higher rate for the US
Since 8 June 2026 a rate of 0.0054 applies to Robux earned from purchases by US players who have confirmed being 18+ through facial estimation or a government document. It applies to purchases of developer products, passes, subscriptions and private servers, and only in games where the player remains a platform avatar or a custom character of a set construction for 100% of active play time, and the animation packages are R15 rather than R6. If the player can switch to R6 at even one moment, the game does not qualify.
Marketplace
The creator receives 30% on a Marketplace purchase; on a purchase inside a game the creator receives 30% and the game's owner 40%; the commission is held for 30 days from the date of sale. Within the Marketplace itself the scale is progressive: 1× the price floor gives 30%, 2× — 50%, 3× — 62%, 6× — 70%, while inside a game it is always the base 30%.
Advertising inside your own game
The eligibility thresholds: a public game, age 13+, a verified account with two-factor authentication, a completed Maturity & Compliance questionnaire and at least 2,000 unique visitors a month. Payment: for click-to-play video you are paid for a view of at least 15 seconds; for auto-playing video — per impression, which counts as a gaze of at least 0.5 seconds while occupying at least 1.5% of the screen with at least 50% of the pixels visible; for an image the gaze threshold is 1 second; for a "portal" you are paid for a completed teleport. The payout arrives on the 25th of the following month.
Tools and automation
The official programmatic access is Open Cloud: a REST interface through which you can update games, restart servers, work with data stores and manage user restrictions. Authentication is by API keys or through OAuth 2.0; the legacy cookie-based interfaces may break without warning and are not recommended for production applications. There are webhooks and limited access to the same endpoints from inside a game. Sales and advertising analytics are viewed in the creator panel.
Limits and rules
The main restrictions relate to the audience's age. The platform's own ad formats are not shown to everyone: if a user is not eligible to see advertising, a fallback image or the Roblox logo is shown instead of the ad. For rewarded video the rule is stricter: the developer must show such advertising only to users aged 13 and older, and the reward may not be given in Robux and may not be randomised.
Any brand integration outside the built-in formats counts as advertising: Roblox classifies as such any content that is published in exchange for any form of compensation in order to promote a brand, product, service, event or person — including promoting the author's own merchandise. Such material is registered in Ads Manager, labelled, and moderated before it is shown. Deception for the sake of engagement is prohibited.
On inflating the numbers it is stated outright: if you use malicious practices to inflate impressions or teleports, Roblox may deduct Robux from your payout, claw back what was obtained fraudulently and suspend the game or the account. And the platform retains the exclusive right to decide what counts as earned Robux.
Who it's for
It suits those ready to build an interactive product rather than posts: studios and solo developers, virtual clothing designers, authors of models and plugins. The economics are published — the DevEx rate, the Marketplace shares and the advertising thresholds can all be worked out in advance.
It suits brands provided they are ready to work by the rules for an underage audience: the age system and the mandatory registration of integrations mean that "just placing an ad" will not work.
It does not suit anyone looking for a platform for text and news, or anyone counting on a fast payout.
Verified data
The checked data this deep dive rests on.
About the platform
the platform describes itself as follows: «Roblox is ushering in the next generation of entertainment. Imagine, create, and play together with millions of people across an infinite variety of immersive, user-generated 3D worlds.»
Self-description: this is the platform's claim about itself, not an independent assessment
source, checked 2026-07-28
Who's here
the platform reports 132 million daily active users with an average time of 2.6 hours a day; a footnote attributes the data to Q1 2026
The platform's claim in a marketing section of the documentation, not an independent measurement
source, checked 2026-07-28
Where it is available. the platform reports users in more than 180 countries
A figure with no date, given in the same marketing block
source, checked 2026-07-28
three account types by verified age: Roblox Kids (5–8), Roblox Select (9–15), ordinary Roblox (16+)
The age boundaries may differ by region; age is determined by facial estimation
source, checked 2026-07-28
Getting started
Publishing goes through a three-step check that Roblox names as follows: a trial phase, engagement analysis and «Safety review - The game's real-time moderation reports and gameplay are reviewed for age-suitability». Before that a questionnaire must be completed: «Content maturity label and descriptors - Complete the Maturity & Compliance Questionnaire.»
This is a check of the game, not an application by the author for an invitation. Separately recorded in the database is that registration in the DevEx payment portal must be completed within a week of the invitation.
source, checked 2026-08-07
Account and access
Identity verification is compulsory and differs by audience: for players aged 16+ — «Verify your age through facial age estimation, phone number, or government ID», for audiences under 16 — «Verify your account through government ID or linked parental account» plus «Enable 2FA on your Roblox account». The account must be at least two days old: «Have an account that is in good standing and at least 2 days old»
All four quotations are verbatim. The two-day account age is the only time condition the documentation imposes before publishing.
source, checked 2026-08-07
Thirteen is the boundary named by Roblox itself for withdrawing money: «Creators over the age of 13 with at least 30,000 in Earned Robux are eligible to turn their Earned Robux into real money.» The minimum age for the account itself has not been collected
The Roblox user agreement at www.roblox.com/info/terms and en.help.roblox.com returned code 403 when requested on 7 August 2026 — this is bot protection rather than a robots.txt prohibition, and it must not be circumvented. That is why the age is recorded only for withdrawing money, where the creator documentation names it.
source, checked 2026-08-07
Advertising
the advertising panel is created on an account with a confirmed email address, registered to a user aged 13 or older
source, checked 2026-07-28
converting Robux into advertising credits is available from age 13: 1 credit = 263 Robux, minimum 1 credit, and the operation is irreversible
source, checked 2026-07-28
to show advertising in your own game: a public game, 13+, ID verification and 2FA, a completed Maturity & Compliance questionnaire, at least 2000 unique visitors a month
source, checked 2026-07-28
advertising payouts arrive on the 25th of the month following the month of the impressions
source, checked 2026-07-28
a video impression counts with a gaze of at least 0.5 seconds, occupying at least 1.5% of the screen, at an angle of up to 55 degrees and with at least 50% of the pixels visible; for an image the gaze threshold is 1 second; for click-to-play video — a view of at least 15 seconds
source, checked 2026-07-28
How the money works here
Who is admitted. The threshold for admission to audiences under 16 is measured in players rather than subscribers: «Once the game reaches a benchmark of 500 unique plays by highly engaged age-checked users within a 60-day window, it completes evaluation and becomes eligible for Kids and Select audiences.» Our translation: 500 unique plays by highly engaged age-checked players within 60 days
The threshold is claimed by Roblox and relates to the game, not to the author. For audiences aged 16+ the documentation sets no such threshold at all.
source, checked 2026-08-07
The threshold for withdrawing money is named as a figure: «Have a minimum of 30,000 Earned Robux in your account», «Be at least 13 years old», «Have a Roblox-verified email address», «Have a valid DevEx portal account», «Have either an IRS form W-9 (for U.S. taxpayers) or W-8 (for non-U.S. taxpayers) on file». There is no threshold in subscribers, visits or number of games among the conditions
The five conditions are quoted verbatim as the Roblox documentation lists them. The absence of an audience requirement means that the list does not contain one, not that Roblox has stated there is none.
source, checked 2026-08-07
A withdrawal is applied for no more often than once a calendar month: the DevEx documentation says one completed application may be submitted per calendar month — someone paid out in January submits the next no earlier than February
A paraphrase, not a quotation: the rule is set out descriptively in the DevEx documentation. This is Roblox's own statement about the frequency of applications, not our calculation.
source, checked 2026-08-07
the standard DevEx rate is 0.0038 per 1 earned Robux (US$114 for 30,000 Robux)
The rate is published in the creator documentation
source, checked 2026-07-28
for balances accumulated before 5 September 2025 10:00 PT the rate of 0.0035 applies ($105 for 30,000 Robux); the older balance is cashed out first
source, checked 2026-07-28
the minimum for cashing out is 30,000 earned Robux; age from 13; a confirmed email address; an account in the DevEx portal; a W-9 or W-8 form
The documentation says «including but not limited to»; the full list is in the closed Terms
source, checked 2026-07-28
registration in the payment portal must be completed within a week of the invitation, otherwise the application is rejected and the Robux are returned
source, checked 2026-07-28
a higher rate of 0.0054 for Robux earned from purchases by US players with a confirmed age of 18+; in force since 8 June 2026
Requires R15 animations and a ban on R6 in the game for 100% of active time
source, checked 2026-07-28
the creator receives 30% on a Marketplace purchase; on a purchase inside a game the creator gets 30% and the game's owner 40%; the commission is held for 30 days
source, checked 2026-07-28
progressive scale in the Marketplace: 1× the price floor — 30%, 2× — 50%, 3× — 62%, 6× — 70%
Inside a game it is always the base 30%
source, checked 2026-07-28
Where it is available. The DevEx documentation gives no list of available countries; the only distinction by country in the requirements is the tax form: «either an IRS form W-9 (for U.S. taxpayers) or W-8 (for non-U.S. taxpayers)»
It follows from the W-9/W-8 distinction that participants are not only from the USA, but the page gives no list of countries and refers to the separate DevEx Terms of Use without setting them out. We have not read the full DevEx terms.
source, checked 2026-08-07
Pricing
Publishing a game for audiences under 16 is paid or requires a subscription: «Publishing fee or subscription - Meet one of the following requirements: Maintain an active Roblox Plus or Roblox Premium subscription for 2 consecutive months. Pay a one-time, refundable fee.» Our translation: either an active Roblox Plus or Roblox Premium subscription for two consecutive months, or a one-time refundable fee
The size of the one-time fee is not named on the page itself — it carries the link «a one-time, refundable fee» with no figure. We do not supply a figure. The fee is not refunded if the game is permanently taken down for breaching the community rules: «the publishing or expedited review fee will not be refunded».
source, checked 2026-08-07
The review can be sped up for money, and the figure is named: «you can secure an expedited review for Roblox Kids and Select accounts by paying a one-time, refundable fee of 100,000 Robux per game». Our translation: a one-time, refundable fee of 100,000 Robux per game
The figure is claimed by Roblox itself in its creator documentation. The fee is described as refundable, but it is not refunded if the game is taken down for breaching the community rules.
source, checked 2026-08-07
the fee for uploading an item to the Marketplace is 80 Robux per submission; verification with a document or a parent account is required
The fee is normally non-refundable if moderation rejects the item
source, checked 2026-07-28
Restrictions
rewarded video advertising may be shown only to users aged 13 and older
The key rule about advertising to minors
source, checked 2026-07-28
the reward for watching an ad must be a developer product; giving out Robux and randomising the reward are prohibited
source, checked 2026-07-28
any brand integration outside the built-in formats counts as advertising and requires registration in Ads Manager, labelling and moderation before it is shown
Including promoting the author's own merchandise
source, checked 2026-07-28
Minimal and Mild are available to Roblox Kids and Select; Moderate to Select and 16+; Restricted only to 18+ users with a confirmed age
source, checked 2026-07-28
for an audience under 16, ID verification, 2FA, a Roblox Plus/Premium subscription for 2 consecutive months or a one-off refundable fee are required, plus an assessment: 500 unique launches by highly engaged players over 60 days
The size of the fee is not stated on this page
source, checked 2026-07-28
if impressions or teleports are inflated, Roblox may deduct Robux from the payout, claw back what was obtained and suspend the game or the account
source, checked 2026-07-28
API access
the official REST interface Open Cloud: updating games, restarting servers, working with data stores, managing user restrictions; authorisation by API keys or OAuth 2.0; webhooks are available
The platform does not recommend the legacy cookie interfaces for production applications
source, checked 2026-07-28
Languages
the interface language of the home page: en; declared language versions: ar, de, en, es, fr, hi, id, it, ja, ko, pl, pt and 3 more
The language is taken from the markup attribute, the versions from hreflang. The "and N more" figure is OUR count of the remaining hreflang links in the markup, not a claim by the source: that number does not appear on the page.
source, checked 2026-07-28
the database records «en; declared versions ar, de, en, es, fr, hi, id, it, ja, ko, pl, pt and 3 more»; on our check the home page confirms the set of language versions in the hreflang markup
source, checked 2026-07-28
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