Methodology
How the ghost-job score works.
The ghost-job score estimates how likely a posting is to be stale, evergreen or not tied to a real opening. It adds up signals, shows you every one, and never calls a company dishonest.
Last updated 22 October 2026
How it adds up
Each warning sign adds points and each sign that the role is live takes points away. The total, from 0 to 100, sets the risk: high at 45 and above, medium from 20, and low below that. A high risk turns an Apply verdict into a Stretch.
Warning signs
The wording of the posting itself can add more:
Reasons to trust it
Where the signals come from
- The posted date and closing date come from the page itself or, for Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby and SmartRecruiters links, from the employer's hiring system.
- For those systems we also ask whether the role is still open, which is the strongest single check.
- Reposts come from the listing itself, and in the full app from tracking roles at companies you watch.
- Wording signs come from an AI model reading the posting text, told to note only what the text says and never to speculate beyond it.
- Layoffs and signs of active hiring come from web research, which only the full app runs.
Where pay ranges are required
We flag a missing range in these places (reviewed October 2026, often only for employers above a certain size; not legal advice):
Washington, DC · California · New York · Washington State · Colorado · Illinois · Maryland · Minnesota · New Jersey · Massachusetts · Hawaii · Vermont · Maine · British Columbia · Ontario
More detail in our guide to pay transparency laws.
What it can't tell you
These are signals, not proof. A posting can look stale and still be real: some roles take months to fill, and some are kept open for an internal candidate. We can't see inside the company. When in doubt, apply through the employer's own site and ask the recruiter whether the role is actively being interviewed for.
Try it on any posting with the free ghost job checker, or read how to spot a ghost job.