When shoppers browse our marketplace, products aren’t shown randomly. They’re ordered using a ranking system designed to help customers discover items that best match what they’re looking for – while rewarding quality, clarity, and great service from our vendors.
This guide explains, at a high level, how that system works and what you can do to make sure your products are set up for success.
Our Goal: Showing the Right Products to the Right Shoppers
Our ranking system is designed around one simple principle:
Products that are most relevant, well-presented, and trusted should appear first.
To achieve this, we look at a combination of factors related to:
- How well a product fits its category
- How shoppers interact with it
- The overall quality and reliability of the shop behind it
No single factor determines ranking on its own – strong performance comes from doing many small things well.
The Main Factors That Influence Ranking
Each product is evaluated using several signals, which are combined into an overall ranking score. These signals fall into six main areas.
1. Relevancy (Most Important)
Relevancy measures how closely a product matches what a shopper is browsing.
This includes:
- How closely your product title matches the category or search context
- Whether your product is listed in appropriate categories
- Use of relevant tags, attributes, and product details
For example, a product titled and categorised clearly as a handmade birthday card will naturally perform better in a “Cards” category than in a more general browsing area.
Why this matters:
Shoppers are more likely to buy when products clearly match their intent. Relevancy helps us surface items that feel “right” for the page they’re on.
2. Engagement
Engagement reflects how customers interact with your product over time.
This may include:
- Completed purchases
- Reviews left by customers
Products that consistently attract interest and sales signal that shoppers find them appealing and trustworthy.
Why this matters:
Engagement helps us learn what real customers respond to — and use that insight to guide future shoppers.
3. Shop Quality
Shop quality looks at the overall completeness and reliability of your store.
This includes:
- A complete vendor profile (logo, banner, description, policies)
- Evidence of reliable order fulfilment
Why this matters:
Customers are more confident buying from shops that look established, transparent, and professional.
4. Listing Quality
Listing quality focuses on how well an individual product is presented.
Signals may include:
- Having multiple, clear product images
- Providing a detailed and helpful product description
Why this matters:
Well-presented listings reduce uncertainty and help customers make informed decisions.
5. Customer Service
Customer service reflects how satisfied buyers are after purchasing.
This may include:
- Average customer ratings
- Refund or return behaviour over recent months
Why this matters:
Positive experiences build trust — and trust is essential in a marketplace.
6. Recency
New products receive a temporary boost when they’re first listed.
This allows new listings to:
- Be discovered
- Collect early engagement and feedback
The boost naturally fades over time as longer-term signals (like engagement and reviews) become available.
Why this matters:
It helps new products compete fairly while they find their audience.
Ranking Is Context-Aware
A product doesn’t have just one fixed position across the marketplace.
Instead, its ranking can change depending on where it’s being viewed.
For example:
- A product may rank very highly in a specific category where it’s a strong match
- The same product may appear lower in a broader browsing context
This helps ensure customers always see the most appropriate products for the page they’re on.
What You Can Do to Improve Visibility
You don’t need to optimise for an algorithm — focus on creating great listings and running a reliable shop.
Best practices include:
- Choosing accurate categories and attributes
- Writing clear, descriptive titles and descriptions
- Uploading multiple high-quality images
- Completing your shop profile
- Providing fast fulfilment and good customer service
When you do these things consistently, the ranking system works in your favour.
A Fair and Consistent System
All vendors are ranked using the same signals and principles. Rankings update automatically when products or shops change, so improvements you make are reflected quickly.
Our aim is to create a marketplace where:
- Customers find what they’re looking for
- High-quality vendors are rewarded
- New products still have a chance to be discovered