How Not Human Search Ranks Sites — and Whether Payment Affects Placement

Not Human Search ranks indexed sites by machine-readable readiness, not by payment. The site states directly that "Organic rank is based on readiness, never payment," and its scoring model is built from seven agentic signals (llms.txt, ai-plugin, OpenAPI, API, AI bots, Schema.org, MCP). If you want to know whether a listing's position reflects genuine agent-readiness or a paid boost, the answer from the source is: readiness only.

What "readiness" means in the ranking

Readiness is a composite of the seven agentic signals the site checks. Each indexed service shows which signals it has, and the score (0–100) is derived from those signals. In the listings shown on the homepage, top-scoring entries display the full signal set and a score of 100, with visible point contributions such as "+25 llms.txt" and "+20 ai-plugin."

This matters for credibility: a site can't buy its way to a higher position, because position is tied to the same signals anyone can inspect on the listing itself.

Public data points that support the claim

The homepage surfaces aggregate figures that let you sanity-check the index:

An average score of 38 across thousands of sites is consistent with a readiness-based ranking rather than a pay-to-rank model — if placement were sold, you'd expect the distribution to skew toward paying sites rather than reflecting a low average.

How to judge a listing's trustworthiness

Because ranking is readiness-based, you can evaluate any entry yourself:

• Check the signal badges. A listing showing llms.txt, ai-plugin, OpenAPI, API, AI bots, Schema.org, and MCP is maximally machine-readable.
• Compare score to signals. A high score should correspond to more signals present. If it doesn't, treat the listing with caution.
• Use the category and protocol filters. You can search by category, protocol, or the job your agent needs to complete, so results are organized by function rather than by sponsorship.

What this means for you

If you're deciding whether to trust the rankings: the stated policy is that organic rank reflects readiness alone, and the visible per-listing signal breakdown lets you verify that claim on any individual entry. If you're deciding whether to list your own site: improving your score means adding the machine-readable signals the index checks, not paying for placement. The site offers a free instant score and a "Score Your Site" path to see where you stand.