Trend Scanning
Configure automated trend scans to monitor specific topics, industries, competitors, and keywords across all your data sources.
Trend Scanning Overview#
Trend scans are the foundation of Trend Analysis. Each scan defines what to look for (keywords, topics, entities), where to look (which sources), and when to look (scheduling). Well-configured scans surface relevant trends while filtering out noise.
You can create multiple scans for different purposes: one for competitor monitoring, another for technology trends, and another for regulatory developments. Each scan operates independently and can have its own alert settings.
Scan Limits
Creating Scans#
Follow these steps to create a new trend scan:
Navigate to Trend Scans
Click Create New Scan
Name your scan
Define keywords and topics
Configure filters
Set schedule
Save and activate
Scan Configuration#
Keywords & Topics#
Keywords are the core of your scan configuration. Trend Analysis supports several types of keyword matching:
| Match Type | Syntax | Example | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exact Match | "phrase" | "artificial intelligence" | Only exact phrase |
| Any Word | word1 word2 | AI machine learning | Either term anywhere |
| All Words | word1 AND word2 | AI AND healthcare | Both terms must appear |
| Exclusion | -word | AI -gaming | AI but not gaming |
| Wildcard | word* | automat* | automation, automated, automatic |
| Proximity | "word1 word2"~5 | "AI regulation"~5 | Terms within 5 words |
Keyword Strategy
Beyond keywords, you can track specific entities:
Companies
Track specific companies by name, ticker symbol, or domain. Includes aliases and subsidiaries.
Products
Monitor products, brands, or services with intelligent matching for variations.
People
Track executives, influencers, or key figures with name disambiguation.
Industries
Select from our industry taxonomy to track sector-wide trends.
Filters#
Filters narrow your scan to the most relevant data:
| Filter | Options | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Source Types | News, Social, Research, Patents, Jobs, etc. | Focus on specific content types |
| Geography | Countries, regions, or global | Regional market focus |
| Language | 40+ languages supported | Native language content |
| Date Range | Real-time, 7d, 30d, 90d, 1y, custom | Historical or recent trends |
| Sentiment | Positive, Negative, Neutral, All | Filter by tone |
| Credibility | High, Medium, Low, All | Source quality threshold |
Geographic Filtering
Focus on specific markets by selecting countries or regions. Multi-select available for international coverage.
Advanced Filters
Combine multiple filters with AND/OR logic for precise targeting of your ideal content.
Scheduling#
Choose when and how often your scan runs:
| Schedule | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time | Continuous monitoring, instant detection | Breaking news, crisis monitoring, urgent topics |
| Hourly | Scans every hour, batched results | Active monitoring without information overload |
| Daily | Once per day at specified time | Regular trend reviews, daily briefings |
| Weekly | Once per week at specified day/time | Strategic trend analysis, less time-sensitive topics |
| Custom | Define specific days and times | Aligned with meeting schedules or reporting cycles |
Real-time Considerations
Scan Templates#
Jumpstart your trend monitoring with pre-built scan templates:
Competitor Monitoring
Pre-configured scan for tracking competitor activity, announcements, and market moves.
Technology Trends
Monitor emerging technologies, startups, and innovation in your industry.
Industry Watch
Track overall industry developments, market shifts, and sector news.
Regulatory Tracking
Monitor regulatory changes, policy developments, and compliance requirements.
To use a template:
Select "Create from Template"
Browse templates
Customize settings
Save as your scan
Managing Scans#
After creating scans, you can manage them from the Scans dashboard:
Pause/Resume
Temporarily pause a scan without deleting its configuration. Resume anytime.
Edit Configuration
Modify keywords, filters, or schedule for any active scan.
Run Now
Trigger an immediate scan outside the regular schedule.
View History
Review past scan results and trend detection history.
Scan performance metrics help you optimize:
- Results Count: Total items captured per scan run
- Trend Detection Rate: Percentage of results classified as trends
- Relevance Score: AI assessment of how well results match your intent
- Alert Frequency: How often the scan triggers alerts
- Coverage: Distribution across sources and geographies
Best Practices#
Optimize Your Scans
| Practice | Why It Matters | How to Implement |
|---|---|---|
| Start broad, then refine | Avoid missing relevant trends initially | Begin with general keywords, add exclusions over time |
| Use exclusions liberally | Reduce noise and irrelevant results | Add -keyword for terms that generate false positives |
| Create focused scans | Easier to manage and analyze | One scan per topic area rather than one giant scan |
| Review and tune regularly | Trends and language evolve | Monthly review of keyword performance |
| Balance real-time vs batch | Avoid alert fatigue | Real-time only for critical topics |
| Leverage entity tracking | More precise than keywords alone | Track companies and products directly |
Example of a well-structured scan configuration:
{
"name": "AI Healthcare Trends",
"keywords": [
"\"artificial intelligence\" AND healthcare",
"\"machine learning\" AND (medical OR clinical)",
"AI diagnostics",
"healthcare automation",
"-gaming -entertainment"
],
"entities": {
"industries": ["Healthcare", "Pharmaceuticals", "Medical Devices"],
"companies": ["Epic Systems", "Cerner", "Tempus"]
},
"filters": {
"sources": ["News", "Research", "Patents"],
"geography": ["North America", "Europe"],
"languages": ["English"],
"dateRange": "30d"
},
"schedule": "daily",
"alertThreshold": "significant"
}