How We Rank Agencies
AgencySlate evaluates thousands of eCommerce agencies across multiple platforms using data signals from a variety of verifiable sources. Every top list is also reviewed by our editorial team to ensure the rankings are objective and represent the true state of each platform’s partner ecosystem. No pay-to-play, no inflated scores.
Core Principles
Verifiable Data Only
Every signal we use can be traced to a public, authoritative source. We do not accept self-reported metrics from agencies or factor in pay-to-play arrangements.
Platform-Specific Models
Each eCommerce platform has its own scoring model calibrated to the data that platform makes available. Signals are weighted based on their relevance and reliability for that ecosystem.
Continuously Updated
Scores are recomputed periodically as new data becomes available. Partnership changes, new certifications, and fresh reviews are reflected in rankings automatically.
What We Evaluate
Our composite score draws from six independent signals. Not every signal is available for every platform—when data is unavailable, the model redistributes weight to the remaining signals rather than penalizing agencies.
Partnership Status
Platform vendors assign partnership tiers based on their own qualification criteria, which typically reflect demonstrated expertise, revenue thresholds, and customer outcomes. We treat official partnership tier as a strong credibility signal and map each tier to a normalized score.
Certifications
We evaluate both the total number of platform certifications an agency holds and, where available, the depth of certification across their team. An agency with deeply certified developers signals stronger technical capability than one with surface-level credentials spread thinly.
Client Portfolio
We analyze each agency’s known client roster, factoring in the number of clients as well as client quality indicators. Agencies that have earned the trust of recognized enterprises receive additional credit, as these engagements typically demand higher standards of delivery.
Reputation & Reviews
Public reputation matters. We incorporate Google Business Profile ratings and review volume as a proxy for consistent service quality. For platforms that maintain their own review ecosystems, we evaluate marketplace ratings and review depth separately, giving agencies credit for strong platform-specific feedback from verified clients.
International Presence
Agencies with offices across multiple cities and countries demonstrate operational maturity and the ability to support clients across regions and time zones. We evaluate both the number of offices and geographic diversity.
Growth Trajectory
Sustained business growth is a strong signal of market confidence and operational health. We track inclusion in recognized growth indices, with emphasis on recency—an agency that appeared on a recent growth list carries more weight than one with only historical appearances.
How Scores Are Computed
Each signal is scored independently on a 0–100 scale using defined thresholds and caps calibrated to each platform’s data. The individual signal scores are then combined into a weighted composite score, also on a 0–100 scale.
The weighting for each signal varies by platform and reflects two factors: how reliably the signal indicates agency quality, and how much meaningful variance exists in the data. A signal with clear differentiation across agencies receives higher weight than one where most agencies cluster at similar values.
The scoring logic is deterministic—given the same input data, the same score is produced every time. Our editorial team then reviews each top list to catch data anomalies and ensure the final rankings accurately reflect the competitive landscape.
Data Sources
We aggregate data from multiple authoritative, publicly verifiable sources—including official platform partner programs, public review platforms, recognized growth indices, and agency portfolios. By cross-referencing signals across these sources, we minimize the risk of any single data point skewing results.
Agencies do not need to register or submit information to be ranked—if you hold an active partnership with a platform we cover, you are automatically included.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can agencies pay to rank higher?
No. Rankings are computed from objective data signals and reviewed by our editorial team. There is no paid placement, sponsored ranking, or premium listing tier. Every agency is evaluated using the same model.
Why does my agency rank lower than expected?
Rankings reflect the data we can verify from public sources. If your agency has certifications, clients, or offices that are not reflected in official platform directories or public records, they may not be captured in your score. We are continuously expanding our data coverage.
How often are rankings updated?
Scores are recomputed periodically as underlying data sources are refreshed. Partnership tier changes, new certifications, and review updates are incorporated on an ongoing basis.
Do you rank agencies across all platforms on a single scale?
No. Each platform has its own scoring model and rankings. A Shopify agency is only compared against other Shopify agencies, an Adobe Commerce agency against other Adobe Commerce agencies, and so on. Cross-platform comparison would not be meaningful given the different data signals and partnership structures.
I found an error in my agency’s data. How do I report it?
We take data accuracy seriously. If you believe there is an error in your agency’s profile or score, please contact us and we will investigate. Corrections are applied to the underlying data and reflected in the next scoring cycle.