Platform policy
Organic ranking and matching policy
A provider's subscription level does not improve its organic match score. Paid features are software tools and clearly labelled advertising — not hidden influence over who students see first. This page explains the exact factors that determine organic results, what providers can and cannot pay for, and how match reasons are communicated.
The core principle
Vianorr monetises software, facilitation, and clearly disclosed promotion — not hidden influence. The student who searches for an adviser in Toronto at the undergraduate level should see the best fit for their situation, regardless of which providers have paid for premium subscriptions.
Two-stage matching
Every search result runs through two stages. Providers who fail Stage 1 do not appear, regardless of their subscription tier or review score.
Hard eligibility filters
Providers who do not pass every filter are removed from results entirely.
Requested service
Provider must offer the category the student selected.
Education level
Provider must serve the student's level (undergraduate, graduate, K–12).
Destination coverage
Provider must cover the province, city, or institution the student is exploring.
Language
Provider must offer service in at least one language the student selected.
Student age
K–12 providers are only shown for minor applicants; adult providers for adults.
Online or in-person
Provider must match the student's session-format preference.
Current availability
Provider must have an open consultation slot in the student's requested window.
Provider status
Provider must be in Active or standard Screened status — not restricted or suspended.
Relevant restrictions
Any active restrictions (e.g. service-scope limits from Stage 6 screening) are enforced.
Configurable relevance score
Eligible providers are scored. Weights live in configuration — not hardcoded across the UI.
| Factor | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Service match | 25% | How closely the provider's active service offerings match what the student needs. |
| Education-level expertise | 15% | Proportion of verified consultations at the student's education level. |
| Destination and institution fit | 15% | Verified institution relationships or experience at the student's target schools or region. |
| Language and time-zone fit | 10% | Match between provider counsellor languages and the student's selected language; time-zone proximity. |
| Price preference | 10% | Alignment with the student's stated budget or fee-model preference (student-paid vs. commission). |
| Availability | 10% | How soon the provider can offer a consultation relative to the student's stated urgency. |
| Verified consultation quality | 10% | Aggregate dimension scores from verified reviews — communication, clarity, timeliness, and others. |
| New-provider exposure and diversity | 5% | New providers receive a small exposure allocation to prevent entrenchment of early joiners. Applied fairly across all new providers — not paid for. |
| Total | 100% | These are launch-hypothesis weights. They are reviewed and adjusted as platform data accumulates. |
How match reasons are communicated
Every provider card in search results shows the specific reasons it appeared for this student. Reasons are factual statements about the match — not scores or probability claims.
Example — "Why this match" on a provider card
Each chip is a fact Vianorr can verify. No chip is a prediction, a score, or a marketing claim.
What providers cannot pay for
A stronger verification badge
A higher quality score or relevance boost
Hidden search preference
Removal of legitimate negative reviews
False institution-affiliation treatment
A higher organic match rank for any service category
What provider subscriptions cover
More team seats and counsellor listings
Better scheduling and calendar tools
Consultation analytics
CRM functionality and response templates
Custom intake forms
Integrations and exports
Clearly labelled and separated advertising placements
Subscription tier details and pricing are on the business model page.
Sponsored placements
Paid placement is available as advertising — entirely separate from organic results.
- →Appear in clearly separated modules, not within the organic result list
- →Carry a visible 'Sponsored' label on every display
- →Identify who paid for the placement
- →Do not alter the sponsoring provider's verification status
- →Do not suppress non-paying alternatives from organic results
- →Do not affect the sponsor's organic relevance score