The audit · 100 points
Score the sheet before you trust the row.
Most "best spreadsheet" lists are affiliate rankings with no method. This one is a rubric you can run on any sheet — including this site.
Freshness
Stamp within 45 days, changelog visible
Weight data
Packed grams, not item grams
QC evidence
Photo set per variant, pending is labelled
Link health
Three random rows resolve to live variants
Disclosure
Affiliate relationship stated in plain words
Mobile speed
Usable under 2 s on a mid-range phone
The rubric
Six criteria, one score
Weights are deliberate: freshness and weight data decide whether the sheet is usable at all. Disclosure is pass/fail in spirit.
| Criterion | Points | Pass condition | Fail signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freshness | 30 | Date within 45 days + changelog | “Updated daily” with no date |
| Weight data | 20 | Packed grams on every row | Only “approx. weight” |
| QC evidence | 20 | Photo set tied to variant | Seller marketing images |
| Link health | 15 | 3/3 random rows live | Redirect to homepage |
| Disclosure | 8 | Affiliate note above the fold | Hidden in footer legal |
| Mobile speed | 7 | Usable under 2 s | Horizontal scroll traps |
Run it yourself
The five-minute sequence
Date first
No date, no score. A sheet without a date is a screenshot with ambitions.
Three random rows
Skip the featured ones. Featured rows are maintained; random rows reveal the truth.
One weight, one QC
Check one packed weight and one photo claim. If either is vague, subtract fast.
Read the disclosure
The link between a sheet and a seller should be visible, not buried.
Worked example
How this index scores on its own rubric
We run the same audit against litbuy.bar so the standard is not theoretical.
What passes
- Review date on every page and in the footer.
- Packed weight on all 30 sample rows.
- Affiliate disclosure in the footer, the about page and every CTA's rel attribute.
- Mobile layout tested at 360 px with no horizontal scroll in the content column.
What we mark down
- QC coverage: 2 of 30 rows are pending, so the category is capped at 15/20 rather than 20/20.
- Live pricing: the index is a reading layer, so prices lag the catalogue. That costs points we cannot honestly recover.
- Batch verification: we can show the seller and the photo, but not the factory.
The point of the audit is not a badge. It is a habit: date, weight, evidence, disclosure. Run it on any sheet and the ranking usually sorts itself out.
FAQ
Scoring questions
What score should a good litbuy spreadsheet get?
Above 80 out of 100 on this rubric. Between 60 and 80 is usable with caution. Below 60, treat it as a discovery list rather than a buying reference.
Can a sheet score well without QC photos?
It can reach the mid-70s if weights and freshness are strong, but the QC criterion caps the total. Without evidence, the best you can do is guess.