Network/Register/Entity Search Relevance And Ranking Signals
Gap Register
G-063Public

Entity search relevance & ranking signals

Tier 2 — Structurally thin, not launch-blocking
Status
Open — not started
Owner
Creator
Why now
Discoverability is existential (G-055), yet there is no entry defining how on-platform entity search ranks results. The signal choice is also a values decision: ranking by raw engagement would recreate the Fandom hellscape OLN exists to displace.
Related
Entry 032, Entry 030, G-055, G-010, G-026, G-059

Define the entity-search relevance model: which signals rank results (citation strength, Fact consensus, freshness, completeness) versus which are forbidden (raw engagement/watch-time), plus the anti-gaming rules and change governance.

Why this matters

G-010 covers recommendation and G-055 the external AEO strategy, but neither defines on-platform search ranking — and there is no search on the site today. The signal choice is load-bearing for both quality and values. Open decisions:

  • Permitted signals — citation strength (Entry 020), Fact consensus level (G-060), freshness/recency (a stated edge over Fandom, Entry 030), graph completeness, contributor standing (G-051).
  • Forbidden signals — raw engagement, click-through, watch-time; the explicit line that prevents recreating engagement-optimized ranking.
  • Anti-gaming — defenses specific to search: citation-padding, consensus-gaming, edit-spam to boost freshness (ties to anti-flood, Entry 024, and data quality, G-026).
  • Change governance — whether ranking changes ship unilaterally, are published, or are constitutional-tier; and how they're A/B-evaluated (G-064) with quality guardrails (G-059).
  • Infrastructure — relationship to the OpenSearch/discovery layer named in the storage architecture (Entry 023).

Related

  • Entry 032 — the bridge strategy that surfaces this gap
  • Entry 030 — discoverability posture (freshness as an edge)
  • G-055 — discoverability moat & migration (the strategic parent)
  • G-010 — discoverability & recommendation (the sibling rec surface)
  • G-026 — Fact-graph data quality (the signal substrate)
  • G-059 — gamified contribution (quality guardrails for ranking A/Bs)