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Start here · 4 of 412 min read · Beginner · Updated Sep 2026

How reputation is calculated

A CitePep reputation is three numbers and a level, computed only from work publishers accepted. This guide shows how each is calculated, how they change over time, and what they are built from.

Earnedonly from accepted work
Publicevery formula is published
Unbuyablescores are earned through work

1Three numbers

ScoreAnswersRange
Contribution scoreHow much accepted work have you done?0 upwards
Trust scoreHow often is your work accepted?0–100%
Topic authorityHow deep is your record in this subject?0–100 per topic

2Contribution score

Each accepted contribution adds points by role, so a full review counts for more than a single citation.

RolePoints
Authored+10
Reviewed+7
Corrected+6
Edited+3
Sourced+1

Example: Reviewer has 19 reviews, 14 corrections, 9 authored pages and 5 sources accepted: 19×7 + 14×6 + 9×10 + 5×1 = 312.

3Trust score

Trust is the share of your work that publishers accepted, out of everything they have decided on. Work still waiting is counted once decided. It is shown only after five decisions, and while your history is short it starts near 50% and moves toward your real rate as decisions build up, so one early result, good or bad, can’t define you.

47 accepted of 49 decidedTrust score 96% · 14 months of history, so full weight
4 accepted of 4 decidedShown after five decisions, once the rate is meaningful.

4Topic authority

Authority is earned per topic, from 0 to 100, from accepted work on pages in that topic. Recent work counts more: each contribution loses half its weight every 18 months, so authority reflects what you know now. Ten corrections on climate pages raise your climate authority, not your finance authority. Publishers use it to decide whom to invite.

What raises it fastest
  • Accepted reviews on pages in the topic
  • Corrections with primary sources
  • Consistent work over months, rather than a single burst

5Levels

Contributor1 accepted
Trusted10 accepted, trust ≥ 80%
Verified25 accepted, identity checked
Expert40 accepted, trust ≥ 90%, authority ≥ 70 in a topic

6What a score is built from

UnchangedWhy
Payment, plans or partnershipsReputation must mean the same thing on every site.
Declined contributionsThey affect trust only through the ratio.
Paid review verdictsReviewers are paid the same whatever they conclude.
Followers, likes or viewsAccuracy is measured by accepted work.

The complete method, with every weight and threshold, is versioned on the reputation method page.

7Common questions

The short answer first, then what it looks like on a profile.

Can my contribution score go down?It only grows

Declined work leaves authority as it was. The one exception: a contribution removed for breaking the editorial standards.

JunJulDeclinedAug
Why is my trust lower than my acceptance rate?Your history is still short

Until you have about 30 decisions or 12 months, trust is pulled toward 50%. It catches up as you do more.

Acceptance rate100%Trust after 6 decisions62%
Can I lose a level?Only after three months

If your trust stays below your level’s threshold for three months running, you drop one level. Meet the threshold again and it comes straight back.

BelowJulBelowAugBelowSepLevel −1Oct
Does paid work count more?Same points

Paid and unpaid work earn identical credit on every plan.

+7Paid review+7Unpaid review
Try your own numbersThe calculator uses exactly these weights and thresholds.Open →
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