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How we discover, recommend, and rank content — and why our approach is different.
Last updated: February 7, 2026 · We publish all changes to our algorithm on this page.
Most platforms optimize for engagement — keeping you scrolling, clicking, and watching as long as possible. We optimize for understanding.
Our algorithm is designed with three commitments:
Engagement velocity × Recency
Content with growing readership in the last 7 days. Newer content gets a recency boost that decays over 90 days.
trend_score = sessions × (1 + avg_engagement) × recency_boostView count + Likes
All-time most-viewed content. Simple and transparent — the pieces that resonated most with readers.
rank = view_count × 1.0 + like_count × 0.5Multi-factor score (0-100)
Content scored on 5 dimensions: engagement quality, verification status, creator reputation, freshness, and completeness.
quality = engagement×0.25 + verification×0.30 + creator×0.20 + freshness×0.10 + completeness×0.15New content + Early engagement
Published in the last 14 days with strong early readership. Designed to surface promising new content.
rising = engagement_score (published < 14 days)Category + Tags + Title similarity
Related articles shown at the end of each piece. Uses category match (40pts), shared tags (up to 30pts), same author (20pts), and keyword overlap (10pts).
score = category(40) + tags(30) + author(20) + keywords(10) + depth(10)TF-IDF fuzzy matching
Full-text fuzzy search across titles (2x weight), excerpts (1.5x), tags (1.3x), categories (1.2x), and body content (0.5x).
Fuse.js with threshold=0.4, ignoreLocation=trueWe believe great journalism shouldn't require a large following. Creators with fewer than 100 followers receive a 1.5× discovery boost in quality rankings.
| Follower Count | Discovery Boost | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 0 – 99 | 1.5× | Quality score multiplied by 1.5 in discovery rankings |
| 100 – 999 | 1.2× | Moderate boost for growing creators |
| 1,000+ | 1.0× | No boost — established creators don't need algorithmic help |
Has the content been fact-checked? Verified content with cited sources scores highest.
Not just clicks — we measure completion rate, scroll depth, and time spent reading.
Based on the creator's track record of quality content, verification rates, and community feedback.
Does the article have an excerpt, featured image, proper word count, cited sources?
Recently updated or published content gets a small boost. This prevents evergreen content from being permanently buried.
✕ No personalization bubbles
Everyone sees the same content rankings. No filter bubbles, no echo chambers.
✕ No user tracking
We don't track individual reading behavior for recommendations. No cookies for personalization.
✕ No pay-to-rank
No content gets boosted because someone paid. No sponsored placements in discovery feeds.
✕ No engagement bait
Click-through rate doesn't influence rankings. Clickbait titles don't get rewarded.
✕ No infinite scroll
Content is paginated. We don't trap you in an endless feed.
✕ No autoplay
Videos never autoplay. You choose what to watch.
We're actively discussing these topics with our community. If you have thoughts, use the feedback widget or visit our governance page.