> ## 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.

# Delegate your first LPT

> A guided walkthrough from LPT in your Arbitrum wallet to a confirmed, reward-earning delegation.

By the end of this tutorial you'll have bonded LPT to an orchestrator through the
[Livepeer Explorer](https://explorer.livepeer.org) and confirmed a live delegator position that earns
a share of that orchestrator's rewards.

This is a **learning path**. For the decision-making behind each step — *how* to pick a good
orchestrator, or *how* to claim and compound later — follow the linked how-to guides.

## Before you start

You need all three of these to be true:

* your LPT is in a self-custody wallet on **Arbitrum One** (not Ethereum mainnet),
* you have a small **ETH balance on Arbitrum One** for gas,
* your wallet can connect to [explorer.livepeer.org](https://explorer.livepeer.org).

<Note>
  If your LPT is on Ethereum mainnet or an exchange, bridge or withdraw it to Arbitrum One first —
  see [Acquire LPT on Arbitrum](/network/guides/delegator-acquire-lpt). You **cannot** delegate from
  Ethereum mainnet.
</Note>

## Step 1 — Choose an orchestrator

Open the [Explorer](https://explorer.livepeer.org), filter to **active** orchestrators, and pick one
that is currently active, has a **reliable recent reward-call history**, and acceptable commission
terms (`rewardCut` low, `feeShare` high).

This choice matters more than any other — a great commission headline with weak reliability can earn
you less than a slightly worse commission with near-perfect reliability. Use the full checklist in
[Choose an orchestrator](/network/guides/delegator-choose-orchestrator) before committing a meaningful amount.

## Step 2 — Connect your wallet

On [explorer.livepeer.org](https://explorer.livepeer.org), click **Connect Wallet** and connect the
wallet holding your Arbitrum-side LPT.

## Step 3 — Open the orchestrator and start the delegate flow

Navigate to your chosen orchestrator's profile, confirm it still shows **Active**, then click
**Delegate** and enter the amount of LPT to bond. You don't have to bond your whole balance — you can
start partial and add more later from the same wallet.

## Step 4 — Sign two transactions

<Steps>
  <Step title="Approve">
    The first transaction authorizes the `BondingManager` contract to move the LPT amount you entered.
    No stake is bonded yet.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Bond">
    The second transaction actually bonds your LPT and attributes your stake to the orchestrator.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Both are on Arbitrum and cost a small amount of ETH in gas.

## Step 5 — Verify your position

Return to your account page in the Explorer and confirm you now see:

* a **bonded LPT balance**,
* the **orchestrator address** your stake points to,
* a **pending rewards** area that will update in later rounds.

If you delegated mid-round, don't expect immediate reward growth. First accrual typically appears in
the **next round**, after the orchestrator calls `reward()`.

## One warning before your first claim

<Warning>
  Don't claim too early. If you call `claimEarnings()` *before* your orchestrator has called
  `reward()` for the current round, you can **skip that round's rewards entirely**. The Explorer may
  not warn you. Safe default: claim **late in the round**, after your orchestrator has already called
  `reward()`. Full details in [Manage your delegation](/network/guides/delegator-manage).
</Warning>

## You're delegated

Your position is live. From here, the work shifts to managing it:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Manage your delegation" icon="gauge" href="/network/guides/delegator-manage">
    Claim, compound, redelegate, and exit — with the timing edge cases.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Understand your returns" icon="coins" href="/network/explanation/economics">
    How rewardCut, feeShare, and inflation shape what you earn.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>