> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.vectorlint.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Density Scoring

> How VectorLint scores content when reviewing for discrete issues.

Density scoring is the method VectorLint uses when reviewing content for discrete issues: banned phrases, structural errors, or missing elements. The rule defines what the LLM should look for; VectorLint counts what the LLM finds and calculates a score.

## Why it exists

A raw issue count treats every document the same. One banned phrase in a 100-word release note and the same phrase in a 1,000-word spec would lose the same points. Density scoring measures issues **per 100 words** instead, so an error weighs more in a short document than in a long one. The score reflects proportional quality, not absolute count.

## How it works

VectorLint calculates **error density** (violations per 100 words) then subtracts a penalty scaled by that density and the rule's strictness:

```text theme={null}
density    = (violations / wordCount) * 100
rawScore   = clamp(0, 100,  100 - density * strictness)
finalScore = rawScore / 10
```

The final score is on a 0–10 scale. The full expression in one line:

```text theme={null}
score = (100 - (violations / wordCount * 100 * strictness)) / 10
```

`strictness` is a multiplier (default **10**) set in the rule's frontmatter. See [Strictness](/strictness).

## Key properties

With the default `strictness = 10`, one violation scores differently depending on document length:

| Violations | Word count | density                | rawScore              | Score   |
| ---------- | ---------- | ---------------------- | --------------------- | ------- |
| 1          | 100        | `(1/100) * 100 = 1.0`  | `100 - 1.0 * 10 = 90` | **9.0** |
| 1          | 1,000      | `(1/1000) * 100 = 0.1` | `100 - 0.1 * 10 = 99` | **9.9** |

The same error costs more in the short document because it represents a higher proportion of the content.

A score below **10** means VectorLint found at least one issue. It reports the score at the rule's configured severity; a severity of `error` causes a non-zero exit code and fails CI.

## Constraints

A score of **0** means `rawScore` was clamped at the floor. The error density was high enough to exhaust the entire penalty budget.

## Related

* [Rubric scoring](/rubric-scoring): the method used when reviewing quality on a spectrum instead of counting issues
* [Strictness](/strictness): the multiplier in the formula and how to set it