The quality index is an aggregate score of how a store operates on Yandex Market. It is not about individual cards but about operations: do you ship on time, how often do you cancel orders, do customers complain. A sagging index cuts the visibility of your entire assortment — here is what it is made of and how to keep it high.
What the index is made of
Market periodically revises the exact set of metrics and their weights — check the current formula in your seller account. The core is stable:
- On-time shipments — orders handed over to delivery within the promised window. The key metric for FBS and DBS; on FBY fulfillment sits with the Yandex warehouse.
- Cancellations caused by the store — the out-of-stock message after the order has been placed. The heaviest blow to the index.
- Returns and complaints — defects, mismatch with the description, disputes. A pattern of them reads to the algorithm as a store problem, not a customer one.
What it affects
- Visibility. Products from stores with a low index sink in search results and drop off the shelves — however good the content is and whatever bid you have set in Boost Sales.
- Restrictions. If it falls critically, Market can limit orders and placement — recovery takes weeks.
- Customer trust. The store score is visible on the card and affects conversion directly.
The logic is the same as with the seller rating on WB and Ozon: the platform punishes not a one-off failure but a pattern.
How to raise the index: metric by metric
- Ship on time. Set a realistic shipping schedule matched to your capacity; better to promise a day longer and deliver than to promise tomorrow and miss.
- Zero cancellations caused by stock. Sync the stock in your account with the real warehouse; if you work across several platforms, keep a reserve for peak days — the logic is in the guide to turnover and slow movers.
- Fewer returns. Honest descriptions and photos, accurate attributes, decent packaging. Contest questionable returns — how returns work.
- Work with negative feedback. A complaint closed quickly and in the customer's favor hits the index less than a drawn-out dispute. In parallel — reviews: a steady flow of positive ratings insures you against dips.
If operations consistently fail to keep up — shipments slip, cancellations grow, the index dives — that is a sign the store needs a dedicated person or a contractor: turnkey marketplace management.
Monitoring
- Once a week — the index panel in your seller account: the trend and the contribution of each metric.
- After every failure (a missed shipment, a wave of cancellations) — check whether it registered, and compensate with a flawless week.
- Before the season — a stress test: will your current shipping schedule survive orders growing ×2–3. The general preparation logic is in the guide to sales events.
Related reading: Yandex Market penalties.
FAQ
"What is the store quality index on Yandex Market?" An aggregate score of a store's operational work: on-time shipments, cancellations caused by the seller, returns and complaints. It affects the visibility of every product the store has in search results.
"Where can I see the quality index?" In the Market Partner seller account — it also shows the breakdown by metric and the trend. The platform updates the formula from time to time.
"What damages the quality index most?" Order cancellations because the product is out of stock, and systematic missed shipping deadlines. Both are cured by syncing stock levels and setting a realistic shipping schedule.
"Does the quality index affect advertising?" Yes: with a low index the store's visibility is cut at platform level, and Boost Sales bids do not compensate for it. Operations are fixed first, advertising is switched on second.
"How quickly does the index recover after a dip?" The metrics are counted over a rolling period, so recovery takes at least a couple of weeks of flawless work. There is no quick way to reset the index.
