Current principle

Paid placement should never be the only way for a business to appear on the site, and it should never be hidden from users.

How featured treatment should work

• featured or sponsored listings must be labeled clearly
• regular listings must still remain visible
• paid placement should not override basic quality standards
• business details still need to be clear and useful before any paid upgrade is considered

What is true right now

The current public directory does not rely on paid placement as the basis for whether a listing exists. Any paid treatment must remain clearly labeled and understandable to users.

What will require an update

If active sponsored placements, premium profiles, or ranking boosts are turned on for the rebuilt directory, this page should be updated in the same release to describe:

• where the placement appears
• how it is labeled
• whether it affects ranking or only presentation
• what baseline quality standards still apply