How does the fanfiction.net search engine work?

[1=0]

So I'm new to the fanfiction community, and I was just wondering how exactly the search engine on the site updates.
So I know that the search engine usually updates when users upload new chapters (sometimes, at least-- it's glitched up a few times for me).
But does it update if you, say, delete a chapter and reupload it?
Does it update if you merely edit a chapter?
What else causes stories to shift position on the fanfiction search engine?

Thanks to y'all, and the reason I'm asking is so that I can better reach the audience of the Naruto fanfiction community. On that note, here is the link to my Naruto time-travel fanfic if you're interested at all:
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10198965/1/...le-in-Time

Thanks again, and I look forward to seeing your responses.
I'm not asking about information on the site; I'm a registered author there. I just wanted to know how to get stories to the front of the search engine.

[kucchi]

FanFiction.Net is an automated fan fiction archive site. It was founded in 1998 by Los Angeles computer programmer Xing Li, who also runs the site. As of 2010, FanFiction.Net is the largest and most popular fan fiction website in the world.

[KRM]

I'm going to assume that you mean the browsing feature, not the actual search feature, since the search feature sorts by keyword, meaning the date you published something isn't taken into account. (It's also mostly unhelpful and unused.)

Browse feature: https://www.fanfiction.net/book/Harry-Potter/
Search feature: https://www.fanfiction.net/search.php?ke...type=story

If you don't change any of the filters, you get stories sorted by date updated. It updates when you post a new chapter, so therefore yes it does update when you delete a chapter and reupload it, since you're still posting a new chapter on a new date. The fact that it's the same chapter doesn't matter. However, if you just edit a chapter, it's not tracked and the date updated doesn't change.

Your story will go up or down depending on the date&time you and other authors posted your works/chapters. That's it.

But that's pretty simplified, since it's only about one part of the browsing feature. You can use filters (button @ top middle) to change how the list of fic is sorted. You can sort stories by update date, publish date, reviews, favorites, and follows. You can also customize your search with all the other features, some of which may end up eliminating your story. Your rank on each filter is going to be different. Say that you publish a new story. It will be at the top of the list when you sort by update date, but at the bottom if you sort by reviews.

Honestly, there isn't much you can do to make sure your fic is found by people when it comes to the browse feature. It's better to just focus on having a good plot&SPAG, being courteous, replying to reviews, reviewing the works of your reviewers in hopes of them coming back to your works, and pimping your story to communities and rec lists.

And yes, I've read your story already. You messaged me about adding it to my comm a short time ago