Harpd Answers · Explained
What is the Harpd methodology and why does it matter?
The Harpd methodology is the written rule set behind every published number: how products enter the board, how Rank Points are created and ordered, what is measured and what is explicitly not. It is public and machine-readable.
Quick answer
What is the Harpd methodology and why does it matter?
The Harpd methodology is the published rule set that produces every number on the site. It states how a product is submitted and approved, how Rank Points are created and ordered, how visit signals are counted, what a category share means, and — importantly — what Harpd does not measure.
- Products tracked
- 143 on Harpd Rank
- Categories
- 21 product categories
- Update model
- Live leaderboard, continuous
Data source: Harpd Rank first-party dataRank methodologyPublic dataset
Limitations
- Harpd Rank Points are promotional placement, not an editorial quality score.
- Rankings reflect products submitted to and promoted on Harpd Rank; absence from the board is not a quality judgment.
Data source: Harpd Rank first-party data
How it works
The mechanics, plainly
Each measurement family has its own methodology page: ranking at /rank/methodology/, model pricing at /methodology/model-pricing/, benchmarks at /methodology/benchmarks/, and cost per successful task at /methodology/cost-per-successful-task/. The rules are also published as data at /data/methodology.json, so an automated system can read them without parsing prose.
How it compares
Harpd vs the traditional approach
| Aspect | Harpd / this model | Traditional |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Public pages + machine-readable JSON | Undisclosed or vague |
| Specificity | Exact ordering rules and thresholds | "Our proprietary algorithm" |
| Limitations | Stated explicitly on each page | Usually omitted |
| Versioning | Rule changes are recorded | Silent changes |
Why it matters
A number without a method is an assertion. Publishing the rules is what lets a reader decide whether a figure answers their question — and lets a critic check the work rather than take it on faith. It is also what makes Harpd data usable by someone who has never visited the site.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the ranking methodology?
/rank/methodology/ for the written rules and /data/methodology.json for the machine-readable version. The board rules specifically are at /rank/rules/.
Does the methodology explain the limitations?
Yes. Each methodology page states what the measurement does not cover — for example that category share means share of Harpd Rank participation, not share of the global market.
Is the methodology versioned?
Rule changes are recorded on the methodology pages and in the changelog, so a figure quoted from an older report can still be interpreted against the rules that produced it.