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Weekly Top 5 vs your dashboard: what arrives when
Published October 18, 2026 by the Job Start List team. Times are US Central (CT).
Job Start List gives you two things for free: a weekly Top 5 email and a dashboard on the web. They use the same jobs and the same ranking, but they update on different clocks. This page explains both.
At a glance
| Weekly Top 5 email | Your dashboard | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Your inbox | jobstartlist.com/me, from the link in any of our emails |
| When it updates | Once a week, Monday morning (7:00 AM CT) | Every morning, after we pull each city's permits (6:00 AM CT) |
| What it shows | The 5 highest-scored jobs for your city and trade from permits issued in the last 7 days | This week's Top 5 recalculated that morning, the count of jobs this week, and up to 10 jobs added since yesterday (first seen in that morning's 6:00 AM CT pull) |
| Searches | Your main city and trade | Your main search plus up to 5 saved city and trade searches |
| Cost | Free | Free |
Right now we are holding the first weekly emails until our accuracy check is verified. Your dashboard works as soon as you confirm your email.
Questions
Will I get an email every day?
No. By default you get one email a week, the Top 5 on Monday. An optional daily alert email is opening soon; you can turn it on from your dashboard now and it starts automatically when it opens. Until then, check your dashboard for the jobs added in each morning's pull.
Why is a job on my dashboard missing from my Top 5 email?
The email is a snapshot taken Monday morning. The dashboard is recalculated every morning, so a permit issued on Tuesday can appear there first. Freshness is worth up to 40 of a job's 100 points and drops to zero after 7 days (how scoring works), so the order also shifts during the week.
Why do I see fewer than 5 jobs?
Some cities and trades have fewer than 5 matching permits in a week. We say "Only N matching jobs this week" rather than pad the list with jobs that don't fit. Saving a second trade or a nearby city on your dashboard gives you more to work with.
What do "Added since yesterday" and "New" mean?
Added since yesterday lists jobs that first showed up in our data in the latest 6:00 AM CT pull; those cards carry a grey Added today tag. It is the fastest way to see fresh work; open it each morning before you start calls. The New dot on a card is about the permit itself: the city issued it in the last 2 days. Cities publish late, so a permit issued last week can still be added today.
What does "this week" mean?
Permits issued in the last 7 days, counted from the morning's pull, not a calendar week.
A job in my list is wrong. What do I do?
Tap Not a fit on the dashboard and pick a reason. The job is hidden for you, and every answer goes into our accuracy work.
I lost my dashboard link.
Email yourself a new one. There is no password.
How do I stop the emails?
Use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email, or stop emails from your dashboard. You can also delete your account and data from the dashboard.