Rules
The board follows the published rules below. Rank is the bid. A new listing starts at $5, the listing placed first wins an equal-bid tie, and a raise charges only the difference.
Ranking
| Rank is the bid | Within each city and category, providers are ordered by bid from highest to lowest. Reviews, clicks, recency, and editorial preference do not affect rank. |
|---|---|
| Whole dollars | Bids use whole US dollars. The step is $1. |
| Minimum | A new listing starts at $5 or more. |
| Maximum | A bid or raise cannot exceed $999,999. |
| Below #1 still lists | A bid below the current leader still appears at the rank that amount can take. |
| Equal bids | The listing placed first keeps the higher rank. |
| Listing identity | A business is identified by its cleaned website, category, and city. Reusing that combination during an active placement is a raise, not a duplicate. |
| Raise | The new total must be at least $1 higher. The original payer is charged only the difference between the current and new bid. |
| Listing ownership | A different business cannot take over an existing listing for the raise amount. It submits its own listing and pays the full bid. |
| Payment claims rank | Rank changes only after payment is confirmed. An incomplete or abandoned checkout never appears on the board. |
Rolling seven-day window
Each paid placement remains eligible for seven days from confirmation. The board does not reset for everyone at Monday midnight. When a placement expires, it leaves the live ranking; the business may return with a new full bid.
Website links
- Use a secure, public business website.
- Tracking, referral, and affiliate parameters are removed.
- Link shorteners, chat invitations, and adult content are rejected.
- Private, local-only, credentialed, or otherwise unsafe destinations are rejected before checkout.
Public clicks go to the cleaned website and never affect ranking.
Licenses and removals
Dentists and immigration lawyers must provide a visible license identifier. The board presents it as information supplied by the business, not as independent verification. Visitors should confirm credentials with the relevant licensing authority before hiring.
A listing may be removed for an unverified professional claim, impersonation, a specific written complaint, adult content, prohibited links, or another documented policy concern. Removed listings leave the public ranking and cannot raise while hidden. Removal does not automatically create a refund or a replacement #1.