FAQ: Platform Fundamentals

What Analytic Index tracks — and what it doesn't

Analytic Index is a retailer search intelligence platform. It captures what happens inside retailer search — what shows up when a shopper types a keyword on Amazon, Walmart, Target, or Kroger. It does not capture:

• Traffic arriving at a PDP from outside the retailer (Google, social, direct links)
• Consumer behavior on the PDP itself (scrolls, add-to-cart, purchase)
• AI-generated or voice search behavior
• Any data that isn't surfaced in search results or BSR lists

If a question involves what happens after a shopper clicks a result, that requires 1P data (Vendor/Seller Central). If a question involves search behavior outside the retailer, Analytic Index doesn't cover it.

Data collection — frequency and geography

Search crawl: Once per day, typically during US business hours (Mountain Time). Data is generally available the following day. Analytic Index cycles through IP addresses across multiple zip codes during crawls — results reflect a randomized geographic sample across the US, not a single location. It is not possible to restrict the crawl to a specific zip code or region.

Best Seller Rank (BSR): Captured daily from each retailer's published BSR list. Top ~100 items per category per retailer.

Search volume estimates: Updated weekly. Not exact counts — modeled estimates using keyword frequency rank data, known volume inputs, and external ecommerce search data. See the Data Dictionary for the full definition.

International markets: Crawled during local daytime hours. Same once-daily cadence as US retailers.

Dynamic Catalog — why items and keywords disappear

Analytic Index uses a Dynamic Catalog. Data is only collected for items and keywords that meet active performance thresholds. If an item or keyword is missing or disappears from reports, it almost always means it fell below those thresholds — not a data error.

Thresholds for inclusion:

• Items: Must rank in the top 100 BSR for their category, OR appear on page 1 or page 2 of search results for a tracked keyword
• Keywords: Must meet minimum search volume thresholds. Most top keywords are tracked. Custom keyword tracking is available — contact the account manager.

What this means in practice:

• A new product launch may not appear until it gains enough search traction or BSR rank
• A product that goes out of stock or drops in rank will disappear from reports
• Niche or low-volume keywords may not be tracked at all
• Data gaps at the item level on specific days are normal — the item simply didn't meet thresholds that day

When a user says "I can't find my product" or "this keyword isn't showing up," the Dynamic Catalog threshold is almost always the explanation. Suggest they verify the item's BSR rank or search presence before concluding there's a data issue.

Item variations

Analytic Index tracks items as they appear in search results — not as they exist on the PDP. When a retailer surfaces a product in search, it shows one version of the item (typically the highest-performing variation). That is the item Analytic Index captures.

This means:

• Variation-specific data (e.g., a specific size or color) may not be captured if that variation isn't the one surfaced in search
• Item-level sales share estimates may be attributed to the surfaced ASIN rather than distributed across all variants
• Treat item-level data as directional, not exact, especially for products with many variations

Search volume — what it is and isn't

Search volume in Analytic Index is a modeled estimate, not an exact count pulled from retailer systems. It is built using:

• Keyword search frequency rank data
• Known volume data points for a subset of keywords
• External ecommerce search data

How to interpret "no data" or empty reports

When a report returns no results or very sparse data, work through this checklist before escalating:

1. Filter too narrow? Conflicting Department/Category filters (e.g., Department = "Grocery" + Category = "Headphones") always return empty. Check for mismatched filter combinations.
2. Category string incorrect? Category Tree requires the exact internal taxonomy string. Run Category List first to confirm the right node — this is the most common reason category-filtered reports return empty.
3. Brand name casing? Brand filters require ALL CAPS. "Sony" will not return results; "SONY" will.
4. Item below threshold? The item may not currently rank in the top 100 BSR or appear on page 1–2 of search. Check the item's current BSR before concluding data is missing.
5. Keyword not tracked? Low-volume or niche keywords may not be in the tracked set. Custom keyword tracking is available via the account manager.
6. Date range too narrow? Very short date windows (1–2 weeks) for trend reports may not return enough data points to display.
7. Known outage? Check knowledge.analyticindex.com for any published data outages affecting the retailer or category.

If none of the above resolves it, direct the user to support@analyticindex.com with the report name, retailer, filters applied, date range, and a screenshot if possible.