Since January 27, 1997, all programming on Nickelodeon has been prefaced with a rating bug at the start of each program. The rating bug's design can be used to narrow down when a program was recorded.
| Date of Use | Image | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| January 27, 1997 - Fall 1997 |  |
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| Fall 1997 - September 20, 2001 |   |
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| September 21, 2001 - May 30, 2005 (main use) May 31, 2005 - July 6, 2009 (secondary use) |
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Used after commercials after the introduction of the next rating on May 31, 2005. |
| May 31, 2005 - July 6, 2009 August 2022 (accidental use) |
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Large version used at the beginning of the program. Late 2001 rating used after commercials. Both versions stretched for Nickelodeon HD. Strangely used again in August 2022 during early airings of Trolls: World Tour. |
| July 7, 2009 - March 28, 2017 (main use) November 8, 2022 (accidental use) March 7, 2023 (TV-14 use) |
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Large version used at the beginning of the program. Small version used after commercials. After the 2017 rebrand, this rating style was only seen on TV-14 programming. Used again on November 8, 2022 during the channel premiere of Madagascar. |
| March 29, 2017 - March 7, 2023 (main use) March 7, 2023 - present (Pluto TV-exclusive use) |
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Flashes orange three times before revealing the rating in a curtain-like fashion. As of 2024, it is still used on Nickelodeon Pluto TV. Large version used at the beginning of the program. Small version used after commercials. |
| March 7, 2023 - present |   |
An orange blob zooms up to the screen to become an orange box, with the rating sliding down from the top of the box before turning transparent. Large version used at the beginning of the program. Small version used after commercials. |
| Sources |
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