Story rankings FAQ

What is a story ranking?

A story ranking is a way to give great stories the recognition they deserve. It also helps readers discover new content on Wattpad. With story rankings, stories are able to rank on multiple Hot Lists at the same time, and writers can see their "Most Impressive Ranking" at the very top of the story rankings page. 

Remember to tag your stories to be eligible to rank!

Why can't I rank in a popular tag?

It's important to note that ranked tags will only appear if you’re in the top 1000 stories. So for tags attached to fewer stories, it’s much easier to get in the top 1000 stories. A more frequently used tag will have more stories to compete with, sometimes in the thousands to millions, meaning it's much easier to gain a ranking in a tag that has fewer overall stories attached to it. 

For example, #romance has 1.7 million stories, meaning your story must be trending in the top 1000 of those 1.7 million, whereas #paranormalromance has just under 1.8k stories to compete with. You will definitely have a better chance of getting a ranking with #paranormalromance. Remember that if readers are searching with multiple tags that you have assigned to your stories you will also be more likely to appear in search results (such as searching for #enemiestolovers and #romance, your story will appear if it has both, which is why it's beneficial to still add that genre tag.)

Adding a genre tag is also a good way to gauge if your story is trending higher for when you eventually do get on that top 1000 ranking. We also have a lot of different resources on how to build your audience, as the hot lists are just one strategy. Here are some helpful resources: Promoting your story, How to get your story promoted by Wattpad?, Building your audience on Wattpad.

Can mature stories have story rankings?

Absolutely! However, please be aware that underage users are not able to see mature stories on Wattpad, be it in the search results or in a Hot List.

If your story does not appear in any story rankings, it may have been flagged by our internal systems. All stories uploaded to Wattpad must follow our Content Guidelines, which ensure that our community is a safe and positive environment.

How are story rankings determined?

We use an algorithm that takes into account factors such as the popularity, trendiness, and user engagement of a story, plus the relevance of the tags used and when the story was last updated by the author.

We take the accuracy of the tags that you use to describe your story into consideration as well, so be sure to use tags that describe the kind of story you are writing so that readers can find it when searching.

Do story rankings change my story’s visibility?

Yes! If your story is ranked, you’ll see it on the Hot List for that tag. Since stories can rank on multiple Hot Lists, you’ll have many chances to get discovered.

How should I tag my stories?

There is a maximum of 25 tags per story. You can rank in just some of them or rank in all of them if your story makes each of the Hot Lists, so choose your tags wisely. Try to add the tags that best describe your story and are most relevant so that readers can find it when searching. If you'd like to know more about how to tag your story, please check the article Adding tags to a story. 

What is the "Most Impressive Ranking"?

The "Most Impressive Ranking" is always shown at the very top of your ranking list. This is the best current ranking achieved based on how many stories are also on the list.

Example: #5 out of 500 stories is listed as more impressive than #1 out of 50 stories

What if my rankings aren't working?

Sometimes rankings may not update, or certain tags will disappear from your story. These occur when there's a data issue in our system, and usually resolves in 3-5 days.