Harpd Answers · Explained
What is the Harpd Discovery Index?
The Harpd Discovery Index is a non-sponsored coverage dataset: products observed and qualified from public sources, independent of whether they hold any Rank Points or appear on a paid board.
Quick answer
What is the Harpd Discovery Index?
The Harpd Discovery Index is a coverage dataset of products observed from public sources and qualified against stated criteria. Its defining property is that it is not sponsored: a product appears because it was observed and qualified, not because anyone paid.
- 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
Public sources are harvested, candidate products are fetched, and each is classified and scored for completeness against published criteria. Rejected candidates are counted with their rejection reason. The index records whether a product is already on the Rank board, so the non-sponsored coverage can be compared with the paid board.
How it compares
Harpd vs the traditional approach
| Aspect | Harpd / this model | Traditional |
|---|---|---|
| Selection | Observed and qualified from public sources | Paid or editorially curated |
| Sponsorship | None — explicitly a coverage dataset | Often undisclosed |
| Rejections | Counted with reasons | Invisible |
| Relationship to rank | Independent; overlap is recorded | Usually the same list |
Why it matters
A paid leaderboard tells you who is promoting. A non-sponsored coverage dataset tells you what exists. Publishing both, separately and labeled, is what lets a reader compare promotion against coverage instead of confusing one for the other.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Discovery Index an evaluation?
No. It is a coverage dataset: it records what was observed and qualified, and its own disclosure states it is not an evaluation and not sponsored.
How do I tell if a product is on both the index and the board?
Each index record carries an on_rank_board flag and a link to the Rank profile when one exists, so the overlap is explicit rather than inferred.
Why are some harvested candidates rejected?
Each rejection carries a reason in the counts — for example a page that failed to fetch, or a candidate that did not meet the qualification criteria. Rejections are published, not hidden.