University rankings are only as useful as the methods behind them. This section explains how Webometrics measures university web presence and how to read its Impact, Openness and Excellence indicators. It also covers what a web ranking can and cannot tell you, and how to judge the transparency and reproducibility of any university ranking.

These explainers are written for students, academics, university leaders and institutional research teams who want to understand what a ranking position actually reflects. Webometrics is a UNIRANKS project, and Webometrics.org is its public website and publication platform. For full indicator definitions, see the current Webometrics methodology.