Why use prompt variations?
AI engines don’t always respond the same way to different phrasings of the same question. For example:| Original prompt | Variation |
|---|---|
| ”What is the best CRM for startups?" | "Which CRM tools are recommended for startup companies?" |
| "Best running shoes 2025" | "Top-rated running shoes this year” |
- Measure phrasing sensitivity — see if your brand visibility changes with different wordings
- Discover blind spots — find phrasings where competitors outperform you
- Improve coverage — understand how LLMs interpret different versions of similar queries
- Get more robust data — reduce the impact of any single phrasing on your metrics
How it works
When a crawl is triggered for a prompt:- The system checks if prompt variations are enabled for the brand (or organization)
- Based on the configured variation rate, a random check determines whether to use a variation
- If a variation is selected, the system either picks from existing variations or generates a new one using AI
- The response is analyzed and tagged as a variation in your analytics
Variation results are clearly tagged in your data, so you can always distinguish between original prompt results and variation results.
Configuration hierarchy
Prompt variation settings follow a hierarchy:| Level | Priority | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Brand (domain) | Highest | Overrides organization settings for a specific brand |
| Organization | Default | Applies to all brands unless overridden |
Configuring at the organization level
Organization-level settings apply as the default for all brands.Set the Variation Rate
Use the slider to set the percentage (5%–100%). For example, at 25%, roughly 1 in 4 crawls will use a rephrased prompt instead of the original.
Configuring at the brand level
You can override the organization default for individual brands. This is useful when:- You want to test variations on one brand before rolling out to all
- A specific brand needs a higher or lower variation rate
- You want to disable variations for a particular brand while keeping them on elsewhere
If you disable the override, the brand will revert to using the organization-level settings.
Defaults
| Scenario | Variations enabled | Variation rate |
|---|---|---|
| New organizations | Off | 25% (pre-configured for when you enable) |
| New brands | Inherits from organization | — |
| Existing organizations (before this feature) | On | 25% |
Viewing variation results
Variation results appear throughout your analytics:- Response Analysis — variation responses are tagged with a variation indicator
- Prompt detail view — see results for both original and variation phrasings
- Exports and API — variation metadata is included in data exports
Best practices
| Tip | Details |
|---|---|
| Start at 25% | Enough data for insights without overwhelming your original prompt tracking |
| Test on one brand first | Use brand-level overrides to pilot before organization-wide rollout |
| Review after 2–4 weeks | Allow enough crawl cycles to gather meaningful variation data |
| Compare original vs variation | Look for significant differences in brand visibility or citations |
| Increase rate for research | Temporarily boost to 50–75% when doing deep phrasing analysis |
FAQ
Do variations count toward my prompt quota?
Do variations count toward my prompt quota?
No. Variations are generated automatically from your existing tracked prompts. They do not create new prompt entries or affect your quota.
Can I see which variation was used for a specific response?
Can I see which variation was used for a specific response?
Yes. Each response in the analytics is tagged with whether it used the original prompt or a variation, along with the exact variation text.
How are variations generated?
How are variations generated?
The system uses AI to create natural rephrasings that preserve the original intent. It may also reuse previously generated variations to ensure consistency over time.
Will enabling variations change my existing metrics?
Will enabling variations change my existing metrics?
Variation results are tracked separately from original prompt results. Your existing metrics remain unaffected. When viewing aggregated data, both original and variation results contribute to the totals.
Can I edit or delete individual variations?
Can I edit or delete individual variations?
Currently, variations are managed automatically by the system. You control whether they are enabled and at what rate, but individual variation texts are generated and selected by the AI.