> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://oodlz-ai-studio.gitbook.io/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://oodlz-ai-studio.gitbook.io/docs/inbound-agent/the-brain/brand-ranked-results.md).

# Brand-Ranked Results

Vector search results pass through a deterministic re-ranking layer — duplicates removed, exact matches first, featured brands prioritised, remainder sorted by cashback rate.

> **The user sees the best offer first — not whatever order the vector store returned.**

Raw vector search returns a list of brands in whatever order the vector store happens to return them. No deduplication. No relevance boosting. No cashback rate sorting. The best offer might be 5th on the list. The Oodlz inbound agent runs every brand result set through a deterministic re-ranking layer before it reaches the user.

## How It Works

The brands tool returns up to 8 candidates per query. Before the result reaches the agent's reply, the re-ranking layer applies these passes in order:

1. **Deduplicate** by brand name — no two cards for the same merchant.
2. **Promote exact name matches** to the top — if the user asked for Nike, Nike is at position 1.
3. **Prioritise featured brands** within each group — sponsored or curated brands surface above general results in the same tier.
4. **Sort the remainder by cashback rate descending** — highest cashback first.

The output is formatted as clean markdown brand cards: brand name, cashback percentage, description, categories, and a direct deeplink to the offer. The same ordering rules apply on every channel.

## What You Get

* Most relevant offers first — exact matches always win position 1.
* No duplicate cards in a single reply.
* Featured brands rewarded with placement, but never at the cost of relevance.
* Cashback rate as the tiebreaker — no random ordering when relevance is equal.
* Same ordering rules everywhere — the user gets the same answer regardless of which channel asked.