> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://livepeerfoundation-d4522ba3.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Manage your delegation

> Claim and compound rewards, switch orchestrators, and exit — without losing avoidable rewards to bad timing.

Once you're delegated, the work shifts from opening the position to managing it well. This guide
covers claiming, compounding, redelegating, and exiting — including the timing edge case that can
silently cost you a round's rewards.

## Rewards accrue automatically

If your orchestrator stays active and keeps calling `reward()`, your pending earnings update in
protocol state on their own. You don't need to "collect every round" for accrual to happen. What you
*do* manage is **when to checkpoint** those earnings, whether to **stay**, and when to **exit**.

## Claim your earnings

From the [Explorer](https://explorer.livepeer.org): connect your wallet → open your account page →
**Claim Earnings** → sign. This calls `claimEarnings()`, moving accrued rewards into your bonded
balance.

<Warning>
  **Claim late in the round.** The protocol records `lastClaimRound` when `claimEarnings()` runs. If
  your orchestrator has **not yet** called `reward()` for the current round when you claim, you can
  skip that round's rewards and fees entirely. The Explorer may not warn you. Safe default: claim
  **after** your orchestrator has already called `reward()` for the round.
</Warning>

## Compound your position

Claiming increases your bonded balance, so future rewards are earned on a larger base. If you intend
to stay delegated, compounding is usually the default. There's no forced schedule — pick a cadence
that fits your position size and the small gas cost of acting on Arbitrum. Not claiming for many
rounds doesn't forfeit rewards, but it delays compounding.

## Redelegate to switch operators

Redelegation moves your stake to a different orchestrator **without** the full unbonding wait. Use it
when the problem is the operator:

* they start missing reward calls,
* commission terms become unattractive,
* they drop out of the active set,
* you want to move away from an over-concentrated operator.

<Warning>
  Redelegation also triggers earnings checkpointing. Moving at the **start** of a round, before your
  current operator has called `reward()`, can create the same skipped-round problem as a mistimed
  claim. Move late in the round when possible.
</Warning>

## Unbond and withdraw to exit

Full exit is a different path from switching — use it when you want **liquid tokens back**.

```
bond() → [Bonded] → unbond() → [Unbonding] → (wait the unbonding period) → [Withdrawable] → withdrawStake()
            ▲                                                                     │
            └──────────────────────────── rebond() ───────────────────────────┘
```

<Steps>
  <Step title="Initiate unbonding">
    Start unbonding from your Explorer account page. You can unbond part of your balance and leave the rest bonded.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wait the unbonding period">
    The on-chain unbonding period is currently **7 rounds** — verify the live value in
    [Protocol parameters](/network/reference/protocol-parameters).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Withdraw">
    Return once the position is withdrawable and withdraw to your wallet.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Changed your mind during unbonding? **`rebond()`** cancels the exit and returns the position to
bonded status.

## Keep an eye on your position

At a minimum, periodically check: active/inactive status, reward-call consistency, `rewardCut` and
`feeShare` changes, and any governance proposals affecting delegator economics.

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Do I lose earnings if I redelegate?">
    No — earnings are accounted against your position, not abandoned with the old orchestrator. The
    risk is timing, not loss of ownership.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I partially unbond?">
    Yes. Part of the balance can enter unbonding while the rest stays bonded and earning.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I rebond during the unbonding period?">
    Yes. Rebonding cancels the exit and returns that stake to bonded status.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is there a minimum delegation amount?">
    There's no protocol-enforced minimum. The practical question is whether the position justifies the
    gas and effort of managing it.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Protocol parameters" icon="sliders" href="/network/reference/protocol-parameters">
    Confirm the live unbonding period before you act.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Choose an orchestrator" icon="list-check" href="/network/guides/delegator-choose-orchestrator">
    Re-evaluate operators before redelegating.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>