> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.superlines.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Prompt Variations

> Control how prompt variations are used during crawling and testing to understand how LLMs respond to different phrasings.

**Prompt variations** are rephrased versions of your tracked prompts. When enabled, Superlines will occasionally use a slightly different wording of the same question during crawls — helping you understand how sensitive AI responses are to phrasing.

## 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"*                      |

Prompt variations help you:

* **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:

1. The system checks if prompt variations are **enabled** for the brand (or organization)
2. Based on the configured **variation rate**, a random check determines whether to use a variation
3. If a variation is selected, the system either picks from **existing variations** or **generates a new one** using AI
4. The response is analyzed and tagged as a variation in your analytics

<Info>
  Variation results are clearly tagged in your data, so you can always distinguish between original prompt results and variation results.
</Info>

## 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              |

If a brand has its own variation settings configured, those are used. Otherwise, the organization-level settings apply.

## Configuring at the organization level

Organization-level settings apply as the default for all brands.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to Organization Settings" />

  <Step title="Find the Prompt Variations section" />

  <Step title="Toggle Enable Prompt Variations">
    Turn on to allow variations across all brands in your organization.
  </Step>

  <Step title="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.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save your settings" />
</Steps>

<Tip>
  A **25% variation rate** is a good starting point — it gives you meaningful variation data while keeping the majority of crawls on your original prompts.
</Tip>

## 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

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to Brand Settings for the specific brand" />

  <Step title="Find the Prompt Variations section" />

  <Step title="Enable Override Organization Setting">
    This activates brand-specific variation controls.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Toggle Enable Prompt Variations and set the rate" />

  <Step title="Save your settings" />
</Steps>

<Note>
  If you disable the override, the brand will revert to using the organization-level settings.
</Note>

## 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%                                      |

Existing organizations retain their previous behavior (variations active at 25%) to avoid disrupting ongoing tracking. New organizations start with variations **disabled** so you can opt in when ready.

## 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

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="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.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="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.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="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.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="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.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="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.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>