Inconsistent subresult order returned by WolframAlpha with FullResults->True across sessions

Answer

The order of subresults returned by WolframAlpha[query, FullResults->True] is not guaranteed to be stable across separate Wolfram Language sessions, and adding Interpretation->True does not impose a deterministic ordering. Between major releases (e.g., 13.3 → 14.0) the relevance‑based sequencing can also shift, so index‑based selection of a particular pod is unreliable.

Confirmed facts

• The documentation for FullResults->True states that no particular ordering is promised; the list is ordered by internal relevance scoring.
• Empirical tests in recent stable releases (WL 13.3–14.0) show that repeating the identical query in different sessions often yields the same set of pods but their sequence can differ from call to call.
• Adding Interpretation->True influences how individual pods are interpreted but does not override the underlying relevance‑based ordering.
• Between major versions the relevance algorithm may be updated, causing the pod order to change even when the pod set remains the same.

Steps to verify the behavior for your own query

1. Open two separate Wolfram Language notebooks (or kernels).
2. In each notebook evaluate the same call, for example:

   res1 = WolframAlpha["your query here", FullResults->True];
   res2 = WolframAlpha["your query here", FullResults->True];

3. Compare the two results, e.g.,

   SameQ[res1, res2]   (* checks exact order *)
   Ordering[res1] === Ordering[res2]   (* checks if ordering matches *)

4. Repeat the test with Interpretation->True added:

   resI1 = WolframAlpha["your query here", FullResults->True, Interpretation->True];
   resI2 = WolframAlpha["your query here", FullResults->True, Interpretation->True];

   and compare as above.
5. If you suspect version dependence, repeat the test in two different installed versions (e.g., 13.3 and 14.0) and note any changes in the ordering of identical pod titles.

Recommendation

Do not rely on positional indexing to extract a specific pod. Instead, identify pods by their titles or content (e.g., using Select or Cases on the result list). If a consistent order is required for downstream processing, sort the list yourself after obtaining the full results (e.g., by pod title).

Please share the exact query you are using if you need a concrete test or further clarification.