Servers
Servers provide the infrastructure to run multiple tasks efficiently and significantly enhance performance in botting. Unlike a home computer, a server offers high-speed, always-online connectivity, allowing you to scale up your botting setup without relying on your local network.
This guide will cover:
Why servers are useful for botting
The importance of bandwidth over hardware specs
Choosing the right server type
Server specifications & OS requirements
How bandwidth impacts bot performance
Best practices for optimizing server usage
Why Use Servers for Botting?
1. Enhanced Speed and Performance
🚀 Servers process tasks faster than home computers because they often have better network speeds and lower latency. Many botting-friendly servers are located close to retailer servers (e.g., Virginia), reducing request times and improving success rates.
2. 24/7 Automation
⏳ Always online – A server runs continuously without interruptions, ensuring bots remain active and ready to start tasks when a product restocks.
3. Scaling and Expansion
📈 More capacity – Servers allow infinite expansion, meaning you can run more bots and tasks than on a standard home network.
4. Running Specialized Software
🛒 Essential for freebie software – Many botters use servers to run Amazon freebie software or other automated scripts that require constant uptime and high processing power.
What Specs Do I Need for a Server?
Minimum Recommended Specs
The server specifications you need depend on how many tasks you plan to run, but here are the recommended minimums for botting:
✔ CPU: 8 cores minimum (more cores help with multitasking) ✔ RAM: 16GB minimum (higher RAM allows for more simultaneous tasks) ✔ Storage: 50GB+ SSD (ensures fast read/write speeds) ✔ Bandwidth: High bandwidth allocation is more important than CPU/RAM (see below)
🔹 Scaling Up? If you're running a larger botting setup, consider:
16 cores & 32GB RAM for more demanding tasks
16 cores & 64GB RAM for high-intensity botting
📌 Reminder: The real bottleneck isn’t CPU/RAM—it’s bandwidth. Prioritize servers with high bandwidth limits over just upgrading hardware.
The Important Factor: Bandwidth
What is Bandwidth?
Bandwidth refers to the maximum amount of data that can be transmitted over a network connection within a given period. Think of it as a highway—the more lanes (bandwidth) you have, the more traffic (bot tasks) you can handle at once without congestion.
How Bandwidth Affects Botting
🔹 More Bandwidth = More Simultaneous Tasks – Higher bandwidth allows more concurrent requests without slowing down or getting blocked.
🔹 Limited Bandwidth = Bottlenecks & Failures – Running too many tasks on low bandwidth can slow down your server, cause failed checkouts, and even crash your entire network.
🔹 Bandwidth > Hardware Specs (Most of the Time) – While CPU and RAM matter, your server’s bandwidth is usually the real bottleneck in how many tasks you can run without connection issues.
🚨 Disclaimer: While bandwidth is typically the most important factor, some bots that are poorly optimized or rely on browser-based automation may require more CPU/RAM instead.
Examples:
SNKRS botting (due to browser-based checkout flows).
Target botting (can be CPU-heavy, depending on the method used).
🔹 Solution: If running CPU-intensive bots, consider balancing bandwidth with enough CPU & RAM to support the software’s demands.
Choosing the Right Server for Botting
When selecting a server, consider both bandwidth and the right server type based on your needs.
1. Server Types
Server Type
Description
Best For
VPS (Virtual Private Server)
Shared physical resources with dedicated virtual space. More affordable, but limited in power.
Single-bot setups, small-scale botting
Dedicated Server (Baremetal)
Exclusive use of all server resources. More expensive but offers maximum speed and reliability.
Intensive botting setups running multiple bots
2. Server Sizes
📌 Server size determines processing power, but remember: Bandwidth is the limiting factor for task count!
Server Size
Specs
Use Case
8×16
8 Cores, 16GB RAM
Most common for beginners
16×32
16 Cores, 32GB RAM
Supports more demanding tasks
16×64
16 Cores, 64GB RAM
Ideal for high-intensity botting
🔹 More Cores & RAM ≠ More Tasks if Bandwidth is Limited
If your bandwidth is capped, increasing RAM/CPU won’t improve performance.
Prioritize servers with higher bandwidth allocations over raw hardware specs.
Operating System Requirements
📌 Refract and most botting software do not run on older Windows versions.
🚨 Avoid using Windows Server 2012 and earlier. These versions lack compatibility with modern botting applications and security updates.
🔹 Recommended OS Versions: ✔ Windows Server 2016 or newer ✔ Windows 10/11 if running a desktop environment
If you’re using an older server version, upgrade before setting up your bot to avoid software conflicts.
Proximity to Proxies & Server Location
📍 Where your server is located matters. Many retail websites’ servers are in Virginia.
✔ Using a server in Virginia (or close to your proxies’ location) helps reduce latency and increases the chances of successful checkouts.
Best Practices for Using Servers in Botting
✅ Distribute Tasks Efficiently – Don't overload a single server; spread tasks across multiple servers if needed. ✅ Use a Quality Server Provider – Avoid cheap or oversold VPS plans that throttle bandwidth. ✅ Pair Your Server with Reliable Proxies – Use starred proxy providers in our server for the best success rates. ✅ Test Before Major Drops – Run stress tests before big releases to ensure your server can handle the task load.
Summary
✔ Bandwidth is the most important factor – More than CPU or RAM, bandwidth determines how many tasks you can run. ✔ Too many tasks can crash your server – Overloading a low-bandwidth server leads to timeouts, failures, and bans. ✔ Use dedicated or high-bandwidth VPS servers – Choose a provider with high data limits to prevent throttling. ✔ Server location affects speed – Pick a server close to retailer servers (Virginia is ideal). ✔ Ensure your server runs Windows Server 2016 or newer – Older versions can cause compatibility issues. ✔ Pair servers with the right proxies – Using local proxies + a high-bandwidth server gives the best performance.
By choosing the right server with ample bandwidth, optimizing your task distribution, and monitoring usage, you’ll maximize your botting efficiency and success rates with Refract.
Last updated
Was this helpful?