Your position in Finding Retreats search results comes from a composite score out of 100, recalculated on a nightly run. New hosts get their first score after their first full calibration cycle, so don't be surprised if your ranking page reads "not scored yet" for the first day or two after you list.
The composite score is a weighted sum of five categories:
Your ranking dashboard breaks each pillar down further. Expand any of the five to see the individual factors behind it, each with its own score out of 100 and a plain-language explanation of what's driving it, plus a 90-day trend so you can see whether you're moving up or down.
A handful of concrete actions carry real weight:
Finding Retreats publishes what's explicitly excluded from the ranking algorithm, because visibility here is meant to be earned rather than bought:
Your composite score maps to a visibility tier — Premier, Established, Active, New, or Inactive — each carrying a different level of placement in search results. Separately, a substantiated safety incident recorded against your account triggers a safety veto: your score is capped at 40 until the incident is resolved, regardless of what your other pillars would otherwise produce.
You can submit an appeal directly from your ranking dashboard, or through the dedicated appeal page. Describe what you believe is wrong and include supporting detail — dates, guest names, booking IDs. Appeals are reviewed by a person: expect acknowledgment within 48 hours and a decision within 5 working days.
For the complete breakdown of every pillar, tier, and factor, read the full explainer on the how-ranking-works page. The help centre also covers "Ranking page and position," "Improve ranking inputs," "Check ranking dashboard," and "Appeal a low ranking."