Smart ordering
List Pilot keeps your shopping list in aisle order using two layers:
- Category aisle order — the global sequence you set (onboarding and Settings). Every list uses the same category order.
- Item order within a category — learned from how you check items off on that list.
Category aisle order
On first launch you drag categories into the order that matches your usual path through the shop. Change it anytime under Settings → Reorder categories. Updates apply immediately to every shopping list.
Category headers stay stable while you shop — checking off an item does not reshuffle categories.
Item learning within a category
Each time you check off an item, List Pilot records the event for that list. Over multiple shopping trips it computes median item ranks within each category, ignoring bulk checkout taps (when you check several items within a couple of seconds at the end of your shop).
After three or more trips, items within a category reorder to match your usual habit.
Sort order uses a composite key: category rank × 10000 + item rank × 100 + a small name tie-break. Lower ranks appear earlier on the list. Category rank comes only from your aisle order.
See learned item ranks
To inspect (and correct) within-category order for a list:
- Open the list.
- Tap the ⋮ menu in the app bar.
- Select See learned item ranks.
The screen lists catalog items that have rank stats for that list, including:
- Computed median rank and sample count
- Whether the rank is active yet (needs 3+ samples)
- Any manual override
Tap a row (or the edit icon) to set an override rank. Overrides are used for sorting immediately — even if sample count is below three — and are not overwritten when ranks are recomputed from later shopping trips.
Use Undo override to clear a manual value and return to the live computed median.
Resetting learned item order
If you want to start fresh for item order on one list:
- Open the list.
- Tap the ⋮ menu in the app bar.
- Select Reset learned item order.
This clears learned item ranks and overrides for that list only. Category aisle order is unchanged.
Ordering diagnostics
In Settings → Features, enable Ordering diagnostics to show rank details on the shopping list itself:
- Category headers show the aisle-order category rank and its contribution to the sort key
- Each active item shows category/item ranks, sample counts, override markers, and the full sort key
Diagnostics mode is off by default.
Trip detection
A new shopping trip starts automatically after 4 hours of inactivity on a list. Check-off events within the same trip contribute to learning; events from separate trips are weighted equally (except bulk checkout taps, which are down-weighted).
Within-category smart ordering needs a few shopping trips to kick in. Set your aisle order once, then shop normally — item order adapts without further setup.