Spotlight is a clearly labeled, separate shelf on Tavlee's browse pages and homepage that features members of the pilot partner program — local contractors who claimed and verified their business and pay to support Tavlee's development. It sits apart from search results and is never mixed into them.

Does Spotlight change rankings or ratings?

No. Rankings can't be bought. Spotlight placement never affects a contractor's position in search results, their rating, or the written read on their page — those reflect the evidence only.

Does Tavlee accept payment from contractors?

Yes, honestly and in one place: pilot partners pre-purchase Spotlight credits at a founding discount. That money funds Tavlee's research and never buys a ranking, a rating, or a word of the written read.

How does a contractor get into Spotlight?

By claiming and verifying their business on Tavlee, then joining the pilot partner program. Every Spotlight member has passed the same identity and authority review as any other verified owner.

How can I tell Spotlight apart from search results?

The shelf is visually set apart, labeled Spotlight, and carries a "Why am I seeing this?" note explaining the program. Everything below it is ranked purely on the evidence.

Spotlight and pilot partners

What the Spotlight shelf is, how contractors join Tavlee's pilot partner program, and why Spotlight never affects rankings, ratings, or the written read.

Last updated: July 7, 2026

Tavlee's core promise is that rankings can't be bought: search results, ratings, and the written read on every contractor page reflect the evidence — never payment. Spotlight is how Tavlee funds that work without breaking the promise, and this page explains exactly how it operates.

What Spotlight is

Spotlight is a clearly labeled, visually separate shelf that appears above the results on browse pages and on the homepage. It features members of Tavlee's pilot partner program — local contractors who claimed their business, passed the same identity and authority verification as any other owner, and pay to support Tavlee's development. The shelf carries a “Why am I seeing this?” note wherever it appears, so it's never mistaken for a search result.

What Spotlight never does

Spotlight placement never changes a contractor's position in search results, never raises or lowers a rating, and never alters a word of the written read. Those are synthesized from the evidence Tavlee gathers — reviews weighed across every source, licenses verified against the official state registry — and no payment can touch them. A Spotlight member with a thin track record still shows a thin track record on their page.

How the pilot partner program works

During Tavlee's pilot, contractors who have claimed and verified their business can join as founding partners: they pre-purchase Spotlight credits at a founding discount, and in return they rotate through the Spotlight shelf and get first access to the business tools Tavlee releases. Details and current terms live on the partners page.

Common questions

What is Spotlight?: Spotlight is a clearly labeled, separate shelf on Tavlee's browse pages and homepage that features members of the pilot partner program — local contractors who claimed and verified their business and pay to support Tavlee's development. It sits apart from search results and is never mixed into them.
Does Spotlight change rankings or ratings?: No. Rankings can't be bought. Spotlight placement never affects a contractor's position in search results, their rating, or the written read on their page — those reflect the evidence only.
Does Tavlee accept payment from contractors?: Yes, honestly and in one place: pilot partners pre-purchase Spotlight credits at a founding discount. That money funds Tavlee's research and never buys a ranking, a rating, or a word of the written read.
How does a contractor get into Spotlight?: By claiming and verifying their business on Tavlee, then joining the pilot partner program. Every Spotlight member has passed the same identity and authority review as any other verified owner.
How can I tell Spotlight apart from search results?: The shelf is visually set apart, labeled Spotlight, and carries a "Why am I seeing this?" note explaining the program. Everything below it is ranked purely on the evidence.