Realized APY
Realized APY (annual percentage yield) is the yearly rate that a validator's stakers actually earned, calculated from rewards they received rather than from an advertised figure. On this site it covers the last 30 days and is measured after the validator's fees. It describes past results, not a promise of what you will earn.
Why it matters to you
An advertised or estimated rate is a projection. Realized APY is the result, after downtime, missed blocks and fees. Two validators with the same commission can end up with different results: one that goes offline for a few days, or misses blocks it was due to produce, pays its stakers less.
It also moves. Network rewards and MEV tips (extra income from ordering transactions) vary, and the validator's own performance varies too, so this month's number may not match next month's. Use it to compare validators over the same period, not as a forecast.
A slightly higher rate is also worth little from a validator with red flags.
Where you see it on this site
Every validator page has a Realized APY card for the last 30 days, and the list shows the same figure in its Rewards column, marked when it's above the network average. Rates change every epoch (about 1–2 days).
Questions
Not necessarily. It shows what stakers earned over the last 30 days, after fees. What you earn from here on depends on the validator's uptime and fees, and on network rewards and MEV tips, which all change from epoch to epoch. Read it as a track record for comparing validators, not as a quote.