VISIBILITY,
NOT RANK.
HostList is an independent directory ranked by HRI. A capped roster of partners gets labeled placement on high-intent pages, measured first-party delivery, and founder-made content. Rank is never for sale.
HOW THE PROGRAMME WORKS
Fewer partners, treated better. The structure is the product.
PLACEMENT MAP
Explore where each inventory type sits on the page. Dashed boxes are sponsor zones, always outside the ranked grid.
Demo layout: dashed boxes show sponsor inventory only
Beside the guide intro and stats rail, never inside the ranked table.
- Marked Sponsored on every unit
- Never alters HRI or rank order
- Outbound links use
rel=sponsored - Disclosed on this page when inventory goes live
Available inventory
- Category sidebarContextual unit beside the guide intro on a specific /best/[slug] page.
- Category footerFull-width banner below the ranked table, before methodology copy.
- Best hub stripSingle strip on the /best category index.
- Operator offers panelOffers rail inside claimed-host dashboards, seen by verified hosting operators.
- State of Web Hosting title sponsorFlagship only. Presented-with credit on the annual industry report and everywhere it travels.
- Enhanced profileVisual upgrades on a host’s own profile page: logo, cover, richer layout, verified badge.
- Founder videoA WP Legends-style founder interview filmed and hosted on the profile.
- Editorial featureA curated write-up by Gautam Khorana, marked as sponsored editorial, never a ranking change.
What we refuse
- Rank position (#1–#N) on any list
- Editorial category-leader pins
- HRI component boosts
- HostMatch recommendation priority
- Inclusion in “top 3 by HRI” citation leads
Our highest-traffic pages are the ranked lists and comparison pages. Partner logos never appear on them. That restraint costs us real money, and it is exactly why partnership here is worth something: nobody can accuse you of buying your position.
FAQ
Can a host pay to rank higher?
No. HRI is computed from public signals only. Advertising inventory is rendered outside ranked tables and never changes sort order.
Are sponsored units live on the site today?
Yes. Active campaigns render in labeled sponsor zones outside ranked tables. Each unit shows Sponsored plus “Does not affect HRI or ranking order.”
How is sponsorship disclosed?
Every banner shows Sponsored plus “Does not affect HRI or ranking order.” Links use rel=sponsored. We publish active placements on this page.
How is delivery measured?
First-party and bot-filtered: impressions count only human traffic, a viewable means half the unit on screen for a full second, and clicks are counted server-side so ad blockers cannot hide them. Every partner gets a live dashboard with these numbers, and we walk through a demo of it on the first call.
What terms do partnerships run on?
Quarterly or annual, invoice-billed. There is no monthly option. The roster is capped at six active partners with one flagship per category, so placements stay scarce and exclusive.
Why is there no price list?
Deliberately. Every partnership is scoped to the company: which categories, which deliverables, which term. Publishing one number would misprice most of them. Pricing is the first thing covered on the call.
How do I enquire?
Use the form on this page: name, company, and what you are interested in. Gautam reads every partner enquiry personally and replies within one business day.
START THE CONVERSATION
Tell us who you are and what you care about. No rate card, no checkout: partnerships are scoped per company on a short call. Prefer email? [email protected] reaches the same inbox.
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