Scans

A scan is one execution of all your active prompts across the AI models your plan supports. Scans produce the data you see everywhere else in the dashboard.

How scans work

For each scan, SimplyRank:

1. Sends every active prompt to each supported AI model.
2. Captures the AI's response.
3. Looks for mentions of your brand and competitors.
4. Records visibility, position, and sentiment for each mention.
5. Extracts cited sources.
6. Aggregates everything into the visibility, trend, and competitor views.

A typical scan with 50 prompts on 3 models = 150 individual queries. It usually takes a few minutes — most scans finish in under 10 minutes.

Scheduled scans

Most data comes from scheduled scans that run automatically based on your plan:

You set the frequency in Settings → Organization. Scheduled scans run at roughly the same time each day or week so trends stay comparable.

Manual scans

You can run a manual scan at any time from the Scans page:

1. Open Scans.
2. Click Run scan now.
3. Pick whether to scan all prompts or a subset.

Manual scans count toward your monthly query limit, same as scheduled ones. Use them when:

• You've just added new prompts and want results today.
• A competitor launched something and you want to see if AI's mentioning it.
• You're testing a content change and want a faster signal than waiting for the weekly scan.

Scan history

The Scans page shows your full scan history:

• Status — completed, in progress, failed, stale.
• Duration — how long it ran.
• Prompt coverage — what % of prompts were successfully processed.
• Models — which AI models the scan covered.

Click into any scan to see the prompt-by-prompt results.

Statuses explained

Most stale or failed scans recover on their own. If a scan stays stuck for over an hour, see troubleshooting.

Query limits

Each scan consumes queries (prompts × models per scan). Your plan caps how many queries you can run per month:

If you hit your limit, scheduled scans pause until your next billing cycle. The dashboard shows a warning when you're at 80% of the limit. Upgrade or wait — see Changing your plan.

What counts as a query

One prompt sent to one AI model. So:

• 50 prompts × 3 models = 150 queries per scan.
• 50 prompts × 3 models × daily for 30 days = 4,500 queries per month.

This matches the Starter plan exactly. Pro adds a fourth model (Gemini, when live) and roughly triples query allowance for headroom.

What's next

• Trends and history
• Plans and pricing
• Common issues — scan stuck or failed