UserPoints supports two forms of user recognition: ranks (also called levels), which are tiers users advance through as they accumulate points, and medals (also called badges), which are one-off achievements awarded for specific milestones.
Both are managed from Components → UserPoints → Level Rank.
A rank defines a tier in your points hierarchy. Users are automatically assigned the highest rank for which they qualify based on their current point total.
Click New. The Type field at the top of the form determines whether you are creating a rank or a medal; all other fields are the same for both.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The title displayed to users (e.g. "Bronze Member", "Top Contributor"). |
| Description | A short internal description of the rank or medal. Not shown to users. |
| Category | An optional Joomla content category to group this rank or medal. Useful if you manage a large number of entries. |
| Type | Rank or Medal — see below for the difference. |
| Points | The point threshold at which this rank is held or this medal is awarded. |
| Attach to a Rule | Optionally link this rank or medal to a specific rule. When set, only points earned through that rule count towards the threshold. Leave blank to count all earned points. |
| Icon | A small icon (16 × 16) shown inline next to the rank or medal name. Select from the predefined icon files installed with UserPoints. |
| Image | A larger badge image displayed on the account page. Select from the predefined image files installed with UserPoints. |
To upload your own icon or image files, use the Upload File panel at the bottom of the edit page. Files are stored in the component's assets/images/awards/icons/ (icons) and assets/images/awards/large/ (images) folders and become available in the dropdowns immediately.
Publication state (published/unpublished) is controlled from the list view using the toolbar Publish and Unpublish buttons, not from the edit form.
A rank represents the user's current level. A user holds exactly one rank at a time — the highest rank whose Points threshold is at or below their current balance. When the user's balance changes, their rank is re-evaluated automatically.
A medal is a cumulative achievement. Once a user's point balance reaches the medal's Points threshold, they are awarded the medal permanently. They keep all medals they have ever earned, even if their balance later falls below the threshold.
Ranks and medals are evaluated automatically whenever a user's point balance changes. No administrator action is required. When a user crosses a threshold and advances to a new rank or earns a new medal, the notification_rank_medal plugin (if installed and published) can send them an email notification.
The user's current rank and all earned medals are shown on their frontend account page. You can also retrieve them via the UserPoints API: UserPoints::getUserInfo($referrerid)->rank.
The Email Notification tab on the rank/medal edit form lets you configure a notification email sent when a user achieves this rank or medal. Fields are identical to the rule notification fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Email Notification | Enable or disable email notification for this rank or medal. |
| Subject | The email subject line. |
| Body | The email body. Supports HTML. |
| Format | Plain text or HTML. |
| BCC Admin | Send a copy to the site administrator. |
Alternatively, use the bundled notification_rank_medal plugin for generic rank/medal notifications without configuring each entry individually.
The notification_rank_medal plugin handles email notifications for rank changes and medal awards. Install and publish it from Components → UserPoints → Plugins. It sends a notification email to the user when they advance to a new rank or are awarded a new medal. No additional configuration is needed beyond publishing the plugin.