How we rank vehicles

What we consider

OpenMatch balances several signals. We publish the categories so you know ranking is about the listing, not advertising spend. We do not publish the exact formula or weights.

• Listing quality

  Clear photos, a real description, and complete specs help shoppers evaluate a vehicle. Thin listings rank lower.

• Price fairness

  We compare asking price to similar vehicles in the OpenDealer network. Stronger deals score higher. Sparse markets are not punished for a thin comps set.

• Freshness

  Newer listings get a lift. Strong, fairly priced cars that have been listed longer are not buried solely because of age.

Not pay-to-play

Dealers cannot buy a higher spot in marketplace browse results. Featured placement on a dealer's own storefront page is that dealer's choice for their inventory only; it does not purchase marketplace rank over other dealers.

Location and distance

The OpenMatch score does not change based on where you are. When you enter a ZIP or use location on search, we use that to show inventory within your radius and to support distance sorting. Nearby preference is applied at search time, not as a hidden score component.

Recommended sorting

Browse pages will use Recommended as the default order, powered by OpenMatch. You can still sort by price, mileage, year, best deal, or distance. A planned AI Demand Signal may join the score later; it is not part of today’s score.

Questions

Does OpenDealer charge dealers for better ranking?

No. OpenMatch does not sell placement. Dealers cannot pay to outrank other inventory. Featured slots on a dealer’s own page remain that dealer’s choice for their lot only.

What is OpenMatch?

OpenMatch is OpenDealer’s name for how we score and merchandise live inventory: listing quality, price fairness versus our network, and freshness. It is the engine behind Recommended sorting when that default is enabled on browse pages.

Does distance affect the OpenMatch score?

The OpenMatch score itself does not include distance; every shopper sees the same score for a VIN. When you set a ZIP or location, we filter or prefer nearby inventory at search time, and you can sort by distance explicitly.

What about Best Deals and similar vehicles?

Best Deals still prioritize how far below network market a price sits. Similar vehicles still prefer peers of the same model family. OpenMatch can refine order inside those sets without replacing their job.