# Category hubs

URL: /workflows/plays/category-hubs · Id: `play:category-hubs`

> Category hubs are owned directories that rank every product in a category by one published rule and route each Visitor to the best fit.

Category hubs are owned directories that rank every product in a category by one published rule. Each [Visitor](/business/nouns/visitor) goes to the best fit, even when that is not a sibling.

## Ratings
| Dimension | Rating | Reads |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Scalability | 4 of 5 | high: higher grows further with spend or automation |
| Cost | 1 of 5 | very low: lower costs less per Customer |
| Latency | 4 of 5 | high: lower answers sooner |

## Budget
| Property | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tier | $0 |
| Minimum effective budget | $0 a month |

## How it runs
The [Studio](/business/nouns/studio) builds a hub where the [Portfolio](/business/nouns/portfolio) holds several sibling [Startups](/business/nouns/startup) in one category. Every [Page](/business/nouns/page) discloses the ranking rule and the common ownership. Answer engines cite a hub because its rule is public and its data is current.

## Processes
Runs as [Content marketing](/workflows/processes/content-marketing), accountable to the [Marketing Team](/agents/marketing).

## Fits
| Fits | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Family | demand |
| Shelf | Compound: builds an engine that keeps growing (Grow) |
| Moves | [Organic share](/agents/marketing#organic-share) |
| Motions | [b2b](/business/motions/b2b), [b2c](/business/motions/b2c), [b2a](/business/motions/b2a) |
| Venues | [Google Search](/workflows/plays#google-search), [Bing](/workflows/plays#bing), [ChatGPT](/workflows/plays#chatgpt), [Perplexity](/workflows/plays#perplexity), [Gemini](/workflows/plays#gemini), [Claude](/workflows/plays#claude), [Google AI Overviews](/workflows/plays#google-ai-overviews) |
| States | [Repeatable](/business/lifecycle/states/repeatable), [Scale](/business/lifecycle/states/scale) |

## Loop
| Step | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Hypothesis | A hub ranked by one published rule earns more organic first touches than a sponsored list. |
| Measure | [Organic share](/agents/marketing#organic-share) over 90d, at least 100 observations |
| Learn | The learn step reads the Readout, records Evidence and a Decision, and drafts the next Variant. |

## Example
A hub for e-signature tools ranks 34 products on price per envelope and audit-trail depth. Two siblings appear at their measured rank, and the hub sends 900 Visitors a month across all 34.