Frequently Asked Questions

How does the default sorting work in the offers query?

When the sort parameter is not provided in the offers query, the system applies a default sorting mechanism designed to balance offer performance and visibility for new entries.

How it Works

The default sort prioritizes performance but strategically places new offers to ensure they receive exposure:

1. Primary Sort: The offers are initially ordered by their network_epc in descending order (highest EPC first).
2. New Offer Insertion: Offers marked as "New" (which typically have an EPC of 0) are removed from the bottom of the list and re-inserted starting at position 5.
3. Final Order: Existing offers that were ranked 5th and below are pushed down to accommodate these new insertions.

This approach guarantees that all offers, whether new or established, get a chance to be seen by users.

Visualization of Sorting

Below is an example illustrating how a set of offers is transitioned from the initial state to the final, displayed order.

Before Sorting (Initial Data)

This represents the raw data order before processing.

Position	network_epc	Is New?
1	0.15	No
2	0.25	No
3	0.08	No
4	0.00	Yes
5	0.19	No
6	0.00	Yes
7	0.12	No
8	0.05	No

After Initial EPC Sort

Offers are sorted strictly by network_epc (descending). New offers (EPC 0) fall to the bottom.

Position	network_epc	Is New?
1	0.25	No
2	0.19	No
3	0.15	No
4	0.12	No
5	0.08	No
6	0.05	No
7	0.00	Yes
8	0.00	Yes

Final Order After New Offer Insertion

The two "New" offers are strategically placed at positions 5 and 6, pushing the previously ranked offers (0.08 and 0.05 EPC) down to positions 7 and 8.

Position	network_epc	Is New?
1	0.25	No
2	0.19	No
3	0.15	No
4	0.12	No
5	0.00	Yes
6	0.00	Yes
7	0.08	No
8	0.05	No

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How does translation fallback work?

The translation fallback mechanism is designed to prevent failures and ensure localized fields are always returned, even if a specific translation doesn't exist. This process follows a simple, three-step hierarchy.

This is best illustrated when a language with a specific dialect, such as Traditional Chinese for Taiwan (zh-TW), is requested:

1. Specific Language and Dialect: The system first attempts to translate the field using the full language code, including the dialect (zh-TW).
2. Base Language: If the specific dialect translation is unavailable, the system automatically falls back to the base language code (zh).
3. Default Language: If the base language translation is also unavailable, the system defaults to the global fallback language, which is English (en), ensuring a value is always provided.

This multi-step approach ensures a graceful degradation of the translation, prioritizing the most specific language available.