SMM Panel Start Time Explained: Promised vs Measured, and Why the Median Matters
What SMM panel start time means, why a measured median beats a promised range, why new services show Measuring, and how to use start time to pick a service.
SMM panel start time is how long an order waits before delivery begins. Most panels print a promised range, such as 0 to 1 hour, written by hand. A measured start time comes from real orders instead. Orbismm shows each service's median start time over the last 30 days, which tells you what a typical order actually did.
Start time is the number resellers look at first and trust least, because a promise is easy to write. This guide explains what the figure measures, why the median is the right summary, what Measuring means on a new service, and how to use start time when you pick a service for a client.
What does start time measure?
Start time runs from the moment an order is placed to the moment delivery begins, when the status changes to In progress and the start count is recorded. It is not the time to finish. How quickly the rest arrives is a separate figure, speed, which Orbismm shows per 1,000.
| Figure | What it tells you | What it doesn't |
|---|---|---|
| Start time | How long until delivery begins | How long the whole order takes |
| Speed per 1,000 | How fast units arrive once it runs | When it will start |
| Refill honoured rate | Share of refill requests actually delivered | How much will drop |
What's the difference between a promised and a measured start time?
| Promised start time | Measured start time | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it comes from | Written into the service description | Calculated from the panel's own orders |
| Period covered | None stated | A stated window, such as the last 30 days |
| When it changes | When someone edits the text | As new orders start |
| What happens when a supplier slows down | Nothing; the text stays the same | The figure moves |
| Can you check it? | Only by testing | Yes, and it updates as orders run |
A promised range isn't necessarily wrong. It is often copied from a supplier's catalogue and was true at some point. The problem is that nothing forces it to stay true, so it can't tell you whether this week's orders are starting on time.
Why use the median instead of the average?
Start times are lopsided. Most orders start within a similar range, and a few wait much longer because of a queue, a private link or a supplier pause. An average lets those few pull the number up. The median, the middle value when all orders are sorted, doesn't. For example, with ten hypothetical orders:
| Order start times in minutes | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 360 | 43.6 minutes | 8.5 minutes |
| 5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14 | 9.0 minutes | 8.5 minutes |
One six-hour wait turns a 9-minute average into 44 minutes, and neither figure describes a typical order. The median stays at 8.5 in both rows. That is why it is the better summary of what your next order is likely to do.
The median hides the slow tail on purpose, so ask what happens to the slow orders. On Orbismm, an order that misses its service's start window is cancelled at the supplier and moved to a backup line; see stalled SMM order rerouting.
Why does a new service show Measuring?
A median from three orders is mostly luck. Orbismm shows Measuring on a new service until 30 orders have started, and only then publishes its median start time. Until that point, treat the service like any untested one: place a small order, note when it starts and compare it with similar services that already have a figure. Measuring is not a warning sign. It simply means the service is new on the panel, and a figure published too early would be more misleading than no figure at all. Once the 30th order has started, the median appears and keeps updating as more orders run.
How should you use start time when choosing a service?
| Situation | What to weigh most |
|---|---|
| A launch timed to a release or a live event | Start time first, then speed per 1,000 |
| A follower package the client checks for weeks | Refill window and refill honoured rate first; start time second |
| A monthly plan delivered with drip-feed | Speed and retention; drip-feed spreads delivery on purpose |
| A large wholesale order | Speed per 1,000, so you know how long it will run |
| A new service showing Measuring | Your own small test orders |
- Quote clients the median as a typical start, never as a promise. Some orders will be slower.
- Recheck before a big campaign. A 30-day median moves when a supplier changes.
- Don't choose on start time alone. A fast start on a service that drops without refill still costs you, as the real cost of a cheap SMM panel shows.
How can you measure start times yourself?
You don't have to take any panel's figure on trust, ours included. If you order regularly, you can keep your own median per service:
- Record the time each order is placed.
- Record when it moves to In progress. In the panel, the order log shows it; through the API, poll the v2
statusaction and note when the status changes andstart_countappears, or listen for theorder.startedwebhook in API v1. - Keep the gap in minutes per order, grouped by service.
- Once you have a meaningful number of orders for a service, sort the gaps and take the middle value.
- Compare your median with the published one. A small difference is normal; a large and lasting one is worth a question to the provider.
Your own figures also show something a site-wide number can't: how a service performs on the kind of links and quantities you actually order.
How does Orbismm measure and publish start times?
Each service shows its median start time measured on Orbismm's own orders over the last 30 days, plus speed per 1,000 and the refill honoured rate. Site-wide numbers are rebuilt hourly. Through the API, the v1 services endpoint carries measured start times alongside rates and refill windows, so an integration can pick services by data rather than by name. The panel evaluation checklist shows how to check any panel's figures with test orders.
From Orbismm order data
From Orbismm order data: the site-wide median start time over the last 30 days is still being measured, measured on still being measured orders. For the ten most-ordered services it is still being measured.
Compare measured start times service by service on the [services](/services) page.
Frequently asked questions
- What is start time in an SMM panel?
- The time between placing an order and the first delivered unit, when the order moves to In progress. It is separate from how long the whole order takes.
- Why is my order slower than the start time shown?
- A median describes the middle order, so about half of orders start later than it. Queues, private links and supplier pauses all add time.
- Why is the median better than the average for start time?
- A few very slow orders pull an average far up, while the median stays at the typical order. It is a more honest guide to what your next order will do.
- What does Measuring mean on a service?
- The service is new and fewer than 30 orders have started, so there isn't enough data for a reliable median yet.
- Is a faster start time always better?
- No. For followers a client checks for weeks, the refill window and refill honoured rate usually matter more than a few minutes at the start.