> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://knovel-protocol.gitbook.io/knovel/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://knovel-protocol.gitbook.io/knovel/community-and-discovery/community-discovery.md).

# Discovery, Trending & Search

Knovel's discovery system is built around genuine reader engagement. This section explains how trending works, how the author and follower system is structured, and how search operates.

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## How Trending Works

Trending on Knovel is calculated from real engagement signals over a rolling 30-day window. The three signals are:

**Finishes** A reader marks a book as complete. This is the highest-weight signal — it means a reader cared enough to read to the end.

**Likes** A reader likes a book or chapter. Lower weight than a finish, but still meaningful as an expression of active engagement.

**New Followers** A reader follows the author after engaging with their work. Signals that the book created a lasting connection, not just a one-time read.

Trending is recalculated on a rolling basis, so a book published two years ago can trend if it experiences a new surge of engagement. There's no age penalty.

**What doesn't influence trending:**

* Number of total readers (only engagement quality, not volume)
* Ad spend or platform promotions
* Number of published books by the author

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## Genre Categories

Knovel organizes books into genre categories including:

Literary Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Horror, Historical Fiction, Non-Fiction, Self-Help, Poetry, Young Adult, and more.

Authors assign up to three genre tags when publishing. Genres serve as browsing filters and help the recommendation system surface relevant books to readers who've engaged with that genre before.

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## Author Profiles and the Follower System

Every author on Knovel has a public profile page showing their published works, bio, and follower count.

**Following** an author means:

* Their new releases appear in your home feed
* New chapters of ongoing works appear in your feed
* You receive notifications when they publish (if enabled in your notification settings)

**For authors,** your follower count is a measure of your readership on Knovel. It's the core metric of what the platform is designed to help you build.

There is no mutual-follow requirement — following is one-directional, like most publishing platforms.

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## How Search Works

Knovel's search indexes:

* Book titles (full and partial match)
* Author display names and usernames
* Genre tags

Search results are ranked by relevance first, then by engagement signals. A book with high completion rates will rank above an equally relevant book with low engagement.

**Filters available in search:**

* Genre
* Publication status (Complete / Ongoing)
* License type (All Rights Reserved / Non-Commercial / Commercial Remix)
* Language (when translation features are more widely adopted)

Search does not index chapter content — only titles, descriptions, and metadata.