How we sort
Bota orders places by fixed rules, not by money. Here is what they are, as they apply in the app today.
Search
With a search term, what counts is how well a place matches it: matching text and a similar name. If places match equally well, the nearer one comes first. Without a search term, results are sorted by distance – from your location or from the centre of the selected city. You can also sort by distance only. Ratings and popularity do not change the order of search results.
Map
The map shows the places in the visible area that match your filters, with no ranking. If there are very many, it takes 500: with a search term the best matches, otherwise the nearest to your location or to the centre of the selected city.
Recommended for you
The basis is a place’s rating: the average, weighted by the number of reviews. If you have saved places, added them to trips or reviewed them, the categories you like count as well: 60 % your preferences, 40 % the rating. Newer signals count more than older ones. We leave out places you already know, and no more than two from one category come first. We don’t recommend everyday places such as pharmacies, ATMs, supermarkets, petrol stations or hotels – you’ll find them through search and the categories.
Popular
Counts how often a place was saved, added to trips and reviewed. Newer signals count more (half-life of 30 days). While there is too little data for this, the rating counts. Here too, no more than two from one category come first. Everyday places such as pharmacies or supermarkets don’t appear here either.
Collections and categories
Collections are put together by hand by the Bota editors, in their order. Category rows on Discover are alphabetical, “Near you” is sorted by distance.
Paid placements
Today nobody can pay to be ranked higher. If paid placements are added later, each one will be visibly marked “Ad”. The “Verified” badge only means that the business maintains its own listing. It cannot be bought and does not change the order.