Groups & communities
How group ranking and the flame badge work
Last updated
Where your group appears on the Groups page depends on a specific order of factors, not just how many members it has.
The ranking order
Orbit ranks groups first by recent activity, then by member count, and finally by how recently the group was created. A smaller but genuinely active group can rank above a larger, quieter one.
The flame badge
Groups with a recent burst of conversation display a flame badge, which signals to browsing users that there's something happening right now. It's a strong draw for people deciding which group to check out.
- Ranking factors, in order: activity, members, recency
- The flame badge appears on groups with recent bursts of activity
Keeping activity up
Regular conversation, timely responses to new members, and features like voice rooms or AI companions that keep chat moving all help sustain the activity signal that ranking relies on.
Frequently asked questions
- Does paying for a plan improve my group's ranking?
- No. Whether a group is free or paid has no bearing on ranking; only activity, member count and recency matter.
- How long does the flame badge stay on a group?
- It reflects recent activity, so it fades once conversation slows down and reappears when activity picks back up.
- Can I see my group's rank directly?
- There's no numeric rank shown, but you can see roughly where your group sits by browsing the Groups page yourself.
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