FAQ
Questions about Wantscope
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What is Wantscope?
Wantscope is a free weekly report of what shoppers are asking to buy. It counts public posts where someone asks which product to buy, in 20 shopping categories, and shows which categories are rising.
Who is it for?
Anyone who decides what to sell: Shopify and Etsy shops, Amazon and eBay sellers, dropshippers, buyers for small stores, and marketers planning where to spend on ads.
Where do the numbers come from?
From public posts on Hacker News, and on Bluesky when it's switched on. We search them every hour for people asking for recommendations, like "which headphones should I buy?". We don't use Reddit or X.
How do you know a post is someone wanting to buy?
An AI model reads each post and gives it a buying-intent score from 0 to 1. Only posts that score 0.6 or higher count as an ask. Posts from people selling, sharing news or just chatting score low and are left out.
Why does a category say "still counting"?
A category shows numbers once it has 5 asks in the last 7 days. Below that, a few posts could swing the numbers too much to be useful, so we wait.
How often is it updated?
The numbers update every hour. Each category is searched every 3 hours, and the report always covers the last 7 days against the 7 before.
Is it really free?
Yes. The report, the category pages and the CSV download are free, with no account. A paid Pro plan at $29 a month is coming, with extra features for sellers who want more. The free report will stay free.
What's in Pro?
Pro will add counts for your own products and keywords, alerts when a category starts rising, a daily update instead of a weekly one, and full history. It isn't ready yet. Join the list and we'll tell you when it opens.
Do you share or sell shoppers' posts?
No. We link to public posts but never copy their text or keep anyone's name. We never send shoppers' posts to sellers, and no one is contacted because of what they posted.
Can I use the numbers in my own work?
Yes. You can use the numbers and the CSV for your own business, and quote them if you name Wantscope as the source.
How is this different from search trend tools?
Search tools estimate how many people typed a word. Wantscope counts people who actually wrote "which one should I buy?". That's a smaller number, but it's much closer to someone about to spend money.
How do I get the Monday report?
Enter your email in any of the sign-up boxes. The Monday email is coming soon, and you'll get the first one as soon as it starts.
Get the report every Monday
One email with what shoppers asked for most, what's rising and what's cooling off.