FAQ and troubleshooting

How often are competitor prices updated?

Whenever a price check runs: when you start one, or on your schedule. A schedule is switched on for you, and you can change it under Settings → Scheduling. A schedule can run as often as your plan allows (every 2 days on Basecamp, every day on Vantage, every hour on Summit) and as rarely as once a week. On the free plan (Scout) prices are checked once a week, and you can also start up to 5 checks a month yourself.

A scrape returned zero products. What now?

A few common causes:

• The store URL was wrong. Double-check it loads in your browser.
• The competitor recently changed platforms. Re-add them so VantageDash re-detects the platform.
• The store turns away automated visits. Most stores don't, but a few do. On a paid plan they are read another way, a few pages at each price check. On every plan the first read of such a store is free; after that, on the free plan, you can add the store's main products yourself.
• The store is wholesale-only or requires a login. VantageDash only scrapes pricing that's visible to the public.

Why don't I see any matches after matching with AI?

Usually one of:

• The competitor sells in a different category from yours.
• Your matching profile is too narrow. Open Settings → Matching Profile and broaden the category list or search terms.
• The competitor uses brand-specific naming that doesn't share standard terms with your catalog. Try Manual Match on the Comparison page instead: pick a few pairs yourself, and they're kept across future matching runs.

Can I match products manually?

Yes. On the Comparison page, click Manual Match, choose one of your products and a competitor, then pick their product from the searchable dropdown. Manual matches are preserved across re-runs of AI / Fuzzy matching.

I don't sell on Shopify. Can I still use VantageDash?

Yes. VantageDash works with any online store. Sync from URL on the Products page reads your catalog from your store's web address, or you can add products by hand. You can also skip product matching entirely and use VantageDash purely for competitor catalog tracking and price history.

Will competitors know I'm scraping them?

VantageDash respects standard rate limits and uses a normal browser user agent. From a competitor's perspective, traffic looks like ordinary public visitors browsing their store. We don't bypass paywalls, log in to private areas, or access anything that isn't already public.

How accurate is the AI matching?

Accuracy varies by industry. For well-covered verticals (packaging, cosmetics, supplements, electronics) typical results are good enough to be useful out of the box. For niche or brand-name-heavy verticals you'll get more value by tuning the matching profile or using manual matching for hero SKUs. See How matching works for details.

Can I export my data?

Yes. The Products, Comparison, and Analytics pages all have an Export button for CSV and PDF. For a full copy of everything, email support@vantagedash.io at any time.

How do I cancel?

Settings → Billing → Cancel Subscription. Your account stays active through the end of the billing period, then downgrades to the free Scout plan. Your data is kept, so you can resume any time.

I have a feature request

Use the in-app Feedback button at the bottom of the sidebar. It's the fastest way to get to us. We read every message and ship features based on what real customers ask for.

I think I found a bug

Same button. Include a screenshot if you can. We'll respond within one business day.

How do I get help?

Everything you need is built into the app, at the bottom of the sidebar (on a phone, in the menu):

• Help opens two options. Documentation is this guide; start with Troubleshooting for common issues. Email support is for anything longer or with attachments.
• Feedback, just below it, sends us a quick message. It reaches us directly and you'll get an email acknowledgement.

We're async and email-only by design, which lets us keep prices low and reply thoughtfully. Expect a response within one business day.

How do I stop the getting-started emails?

A new account gets a few emails in its first days: a welcome, and some pointers on what to try. Every one of them has an Unsubscribe link at the bottom. Open it, press Stop these emails, and no more are sent. Many mail apps also show their own Unsubscribe button beside the sender's name, and it does the same thing.

This only stops the getting-started emails. Emails about your account (confirming your address, a password reset) and the price alerts you set up yourself still arrive. Price alerts are switched off on the Alerts page.

Is my data secure? Who can see it?

Your data is isolated to your workspace, and other customers cannot see it. Stored credentials are encrypted, and every account is scoped so users only ever see their own workspace's data. See our Security page for more.

How do I delete my account and data?

If you want a copy first, use the Export button on the Products, Comparison or Analytics page. Then email support@vantagedash.io and we'll delete everything for you: your account, products, competitors, and history.

Can I change plans? What happens if I downgrade?

Yes. Change plans any time from Settings → Billing. Upgrades take effect immediately. If you downgrade, you keep access to your current plan through the end of the billing period, then move to the lower tier. Your data is never deleted on a downgrade. If you're over a lower plan's limits, your existing data stays intact; you just can't add beyond the new limit until you're back under it.

Something's broken: where do I look first?

Start with Troubleshooting. It covers empty scrapes, missing prices, no matches, Shopify, alerts, and billing, with a fix for each.

Is VantageDash down?

Check the live status page. It shows in real time whether the website, API, and database are operational. If everything's green there but something still isn't working for you, the issue is likely specific to your account or data, so start with Troubleshooting.