When readings happen
BotSay takes a reading every week at 05:30 UTC. A reading asks your whole set of questions once on every engine, and the two Google engines arrive the next day. Setup, Readings shows the last five readings and the next one.
What is a reading? #
A reading is one weekly measurement: BotSay asks every question you are asking on all six engines, once. Every reading asks the same set in the same way, so the change from one reading to the next is a fair comparison.
BotSay then reads each answer for which brands were named, in what position, and which links were given. Those results become the figures on This week. Which AI engines BotSay asks lists the six engines.
When do readings happen? #
Readings happen every week. BotSay updates once a day at 05:30 UTC, and a reading starts with the update on your reading day.
The two Google engines answer with the next daily update, the day after, so the week is complete the day after your reading day. Your own days are on Setup, Readings: the line under the title says how many questions each reading asks and on which days readings are booked. Days and times there are UTC.
What does Setup, Readings show? #
It shows the readings engine by engine, with the number of answers BotSay could read from each. The page is titled Readings, and a table captioned "Readings, engine by engine. Days are UTC." has one row per engine and one column per reading day.
- The columns are up to five past readings, then the next one, marked next.
- Each past cell shows how many answers were read.
- Earlier readings pages back five at a time. Latest readings returns to the newest.
Under the table, Last reading gives the date and a line such as "897 of 900 answers read.", then one sentence for each engine that fell short.
What do the cell colours mean? #
Green means every question was answered, grey means the reading fell short, and red means nothing could be read. The key under the table reads: "Green: every question answered. Grey: fell short, with the count. Red: nothing we could read."
Colour is never the only signal. Each cell also has a state word and a sentence for screen readers and tooltips. A cell prints the number of answers read for Answered, Fell short and Reading, and the word itself for every other state.
What do the state words mean? #
Each state word says how far a reading got for one engine.
- Answered. Every question came back.
- Fell short. Fewer answers came back than were asked, so that reading is a smaller sample.
- Reading. The answers arrived and BotSay has not finished reading them.
- No answers. The reading finished, but no question came back with a readable answer.
- Errored. Every answer errored.
- Did not finish. The reading did not finish.
What do the waiting words mean? #
A waiting word says why a cell has no result yet, or why there will not be one.
- Running. In progress now, so its figures can still change.
- Collecting. Asked on this day. The answers come back with the next daily update, and the cell's sentence gives the date. This is normal for the two Google engines.
- Late. The answers were due back and have not arrived.
- No run. No reading ran for that engine on that day, and the sentence gives the next reading.
- Planned. Booked for this day, not yet happened.
- Not yet on. The engine was not being asked yet on that date.
- Turned off. The engine is off, so nothing is asked of it. Its past readings stay.
Why can a week be incomplete? #
A week can still move for five reasons.
- The two Google engines answer the day after your reading day.
- Answers have arrived but are still being read. Reading a large set can take longer than a day.
- An answer that failed is asked again later, which can move a figure a little.
- A reading stopped part way. Its figures still show, over the smaller sample, with a note.
- An engine fell short: it is missing more than 2% of its questions, and one missing answer is always allowed.
While a week is still moving, the top line says "Figures marked provisional may still change". For a short week, This week says "This week is missing answers" and adds "so a lower figure may not be a fall." Why a number is blank or shows a range covers both.
Why is no reading booked? #
BotSay books no reading until three things are in place, and the screens name what is missing.
- "We do not know which brand is yours." Mark your brand in Setup, You and your rivals. See Set your brand, sites and rivals.
- "You have not added a question yet." Add questions in Setup, Questions.
- "No AI engine is turned on." See Which AI engines BotSay asks.
An unpaid or inactive subscription also stops readings, and the screens say so. Until your first reading, Setup, Readings shows Your first week of readings and when the page fills.
Which country are my questions asked as? #
Your questions are asked as the United States until you choose another country. The Country card on Setup, Readings sets the market, and it appears only when your workspace offers the choice.
An admin picks a country under Ask my questions as and chooses Save. BotSay answers "Saved. The next reading asks as" followed by the country. A member sees "Your questions are asked as" followed by the country.
Gemini cannot be pointed at a country, so it answers for everywhere. The card says so.