# How vLex Library Ranks Search Results

### Summary

vLex Library sorts your search results by **Relevance** by default to ensure the most important information appears at the top. This ranking is calculated by a smart algorithm that considers multiple factors beyond simple keyword matching.

### Why This is Important

Understanding how results are ranked builds confidence in your **vlex legal research**. It clarifies why certain documents appear first, assuring you that the ranking is based on legal authority and relevance, not just random keyword hits.

### Factors That Determine Result Ranking

Our relevance algorithm is a blend of several key factors:

* **Textual Ranking:** How closely the text of the document relates to your search terms.
* **Legal Ranking:** The authority of the source. For example, a Supreme Court decision will rank higher than a lower court decision.
* **Citation Frequency:** Documents that are cited more often by other authoritative sources are ranked higher.
* **Social Ranking:** The algorithm learns from how users interact with documents. Highly visited and utilized documents gain relevance.
* **Personal Ranking:** The system considers your followed **SmartTopics** and documents, giving a slight boost to content that matches your stated interests.
* **Editorial Ranking:** For very common searches, our legal editorial team may manually curate the top results to ensure quality.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="English Interface" %}

<figure><img src="/files/JSJ82v3JsNWJfEngRRCX" alt=""><figcaption><p>vLex Library uses a multi-factor algorithm to determine the most relevant results.</p></figcaption></figure>
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Interfaz en Español" %}

<figure><img src="/files/qOUq8BWb85EcLxRoxAkG" alt=""><figcaption><p>vLex Library utiliza un algoritmo multifactorial para determinar los resultados más relevantes.</p></figcaption></figure>
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

{% hint style="info" %}
**You Can Influence Your Rankings
:** The system learns from your behavior. The more you use vLex Library and personalize your experience by following topics, the better your personal ranking factor will become.
{% endhint %}

### How to Change the Sort Order

While **Relevance** is the default, you can change the sort order to fit your needs. Use the dropdown menu located at the top-right of the central results column to sort by:

* **Most cited**
* **Most recent**
* **Oldest**
* **Most visited**

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="English Interface" %}

<figure><img src="/files/yVeUGx8nV37xqBKNHMBw" alt=""><figcaption><p>Sort results by relevance, most cited, most recent, or most visited.</p></figcaption></figure>
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Interfaz en Español" %}

<figure><img src="/files/OOIOYLLJHivlIjRSMlwM" alt=""><figcaption><p>Ordena los resultados por relevancia, más citados, más recientes o más visitados.</p></figcaption></figure>
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

### Best Practices & Pro Tips

* **Start with Relevance:** For most research tasks, trust the default **Relevance** sorting to bring the most authoritative documents to the top.
* **Use "Most Recent" for Current Awareness:** When you need to see the very latest developments on a topic, switch the sorting to **Most recent**.

### Related Articles

* [Navigating the Document Viewer in vLex Library](/vlex-library/vlex-library-home/getting-started/navigating-the-document-viewer-in-vlex-library.md)
* [Personalizing Your vLex Library Experience](/vlex-library/vlex-library-home/getting-started/personalizing-your-vlex-library-experience.md)
* [How to Research Case Law in vLex Library](/vlex-library/vlex-library-home/content-and-document-types/how-to-research-case-law-in-vlex-library.md)

**What's Your Next Step?**

| **New to** vLex Library **?**                                                                                                                                                                                   | **Already a** vLex Library **Customer?**                                                                                                                   |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [See how vLex Library can transform your practice. **Request a personalized demo**.](https://vlex.com/book-a-demo?utm_source=website\&utm_medium=organic\&utm_campaign=web_trial_homepage\&campaign_id=4270741) | [If you still have questions or need help with a specific feature, our team is here to assist. **Contact our Support team**.](https://vlex.com/contact-us) |


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