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

# How It Works

> Understanding what GenTrackr tracks and how we collect data

## What GenTrackr Does

GenTrackr monitors your mobile app's visibility across major AI platforms by tracking two key types of mentions:

### Direct App Mentions

When AI assistants directly recommend your app by name in their responses.

<CodeGroup>
  ```text Example: Feature Query theme={null}
  User: "What's the best meditation app?"
  AI: "I recommend Headspace or Calm for meditation..."
  ```

  ```text Example: Comparison Query theme={null}
  User: "Compare budgeting apps"
  AI: "YNAB and Mint are popular choices for budgeting..."
  ```
</CodeGroup>

**Why it matters**: Direct mentions are the strongest signal of AI visibility. They indicate your app is top-of-mind for the AI model when responding to relevant queries.

### App Store Citations

When AI models reference your app store listing, reviews, or screenshots as sources - even without mentioning your app name.

<CodeGroup>
  ```text Example: Review Citation theme={null}
  AI: "According to user reviews on the App Store, this meditation app has helped thousands reduce anxiety..."
  ```

  ```text Example: Feature Reference theme={null}
  AI: "The app offers guided meditation sessions ranging from 3 to 20 minutes, based on its App Store description..."
  ```
</CodeGroup>

**Why it matters**: Citations show that AI models are using your app store presence as a trusted source of information, which can lead to future direct mentions.

## How We Collect Data

<Steps>
  <Step title="UI Scraping Technology">
    GenTrackr uses advanced UI scraping to interact with AI platforms exactly as real users do.

    Instead of relying on APIs, we automate browser interactions to:

    * Submit queries to AI assistants
    * Capture complete responses
    * Analyze mentions and citations
    * Track context and sentiment
  </Step>

  <Step title="Daily Query Execution">
    We run thousands of relevant queries daily across all tracked AI platforms.

    Queries include:

    * Feature-specific searches ("best app for X")
    * Use case queries ("app to help with Y")
    * Comparison requests ("compare A vs B")
    * Category exploration ("top apps in \[category]")
  </Step>

  <Step title="Response Analysis">
    Each AI response is analyzed for:

    * App mentions (direct and indirect)
    * Sentiment and context
    * Feature highlights
    * Competitive positioning
    * Source citations
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Why UI Scraping Instead of APIs?

<Warning>
  **API Limitations**

  Most AI platforms either don't offer public APIs or their API responses differ significantly from what users see in the actual interface.
</Warning>

### Advantages of Our Approach

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Authentic User Experience" icon="user">
    API responses often differ from what users see in the actual interface. GenTrackr captures exactly what your potential users see when they ask AI assistants for app recommendations.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Broader Coverage" icon="globe">
    Many AI platforms don't offer public APIs or have limited API access. UI scraping works across all platforms, ensuring comprehensive coverage.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Real-World Accuracy" icon="bullseye">
    We simulate genuine user queries through the same interfaces your customers use, ensuring data consistency and accuracy.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Platform Adaptability" icon="rotate">
    When AI platforms update their interfaces or models, we adapt our scraping accordingly. You don't need to worry about API changes or deprecations.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Data Collection Frequency

| Metric               | Frequency                        |
| -------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| Visibility tracking  | Daily                            |
| Competitor analysis  | Daily                            |
| New prompt discovery | Weekly                           |
| Trend analysis       | Real-time                        |
| Historical data      | 90 days (Pro), 365 days (Studio) |

<Note>
  **Custom Tracking**

  Enterprise plans can request custom query sets and increased tracking frequency for specific use cases.
</Note>

## Platforms We Track

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="ChatGPT" icon="openai">
    GPT-4, GPT-4 Turbo

    Latest models with web search capabilities
  </Card>

  <Card title="Claude" icon="robot">
    Claude 3 Opus, Sonnet, Haiku

    All current Anthropic models
  </Card>

  <Card title="Perplexity" icon="magnifying-glass">
    Perplexity AI

    AI-powered search platform
  </Card>

  <Card title="Gemini" icon="google">
    Gemini Pro

    Google's latest AI model
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Privacy & Compliance

<Info>
  GenTrackr only collects publicly available AI responses. We don't access user accounts, private data, or track individual users.
</Info>

All data collection complies with:

* Platform terms of service
* GDPR and privacy regulations
* Industry best practices for web scraping

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Data Collection Details" icon="database" href="/essentials/data-collection">
    Deep dive into our data collection methodology
  </Card>

  <Card title="AI Platforms Guide" icon="robot" href="/essentials/ai-platforms">
    Learn about each AI platform we track
  </Card>
</CardGroup>