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TDC Signal

Getting Started

Set up tracking for your website in four steps. TDC Signal reads your site, suggests your competitors and questions, then runs your first check.

Before You Start#

You need:

  • A TDC Signal account. Select Log In at the top of this site. Sign in with Google, GitHub or a sign-in link sent to your email.
  • Your website address.
  • A few minutes to review your brand, competitors and questions.

Create a Workspace#

A workspace tracks one website. Create one workspace per brand, or one per client if you're an agency.

  1. 1

    Open the new workspace form

    After your first sign-in, TDC Signal opens Create Your Workspace. Later, open the workspace menu at the top of the app and select Create Workspace.

  2. 2

    Name it

    Enter a Workspace name, usually the brand or client you track. TDC Signal fills in the Slug for you.

  3. 3

    Create it

    Select Create Workspace. TDC Signal opens Set Up Tracking.

Every new workspace starts on the Free plan. One person can own up to 3 workspaces. See Workspaces and Team.

Step 1: Add Your Website#

Enter your domain or any page on your site in Website address, then select Read Website.

TDC Signal reads your site. It checks your robots.txt and sitemaps to find up to 500 pages, then reads your homepage and up to 8 key pages, such as About and Pricing. From them, it suggests:

  • Your site type.
  • Your brand name, a short description and key facts.
  • Your competitors.
  • 20 to 40 questions buyers ask.

The progress list shows each stage as it finishes. When the read is done, select Continue.

If Your Site Blocks the Reader#

Some sites block automated readers, often through bot protection such as Cloudflare. The read then stops with a message that your site blocks automated readers.

You have two options:

  • Select Continue Without Suggestions and enter your brand, competitors and questions yourself.
  • Allow our reader, then select Retry.

Our reader identifies itself as TDCSignalBot. The TDCSignalBot page shows its user agent and the steps to allow it on Cloudflare.

Step 2: Confirm Your Brand#

Check how AI engines should recognize you, then select Save and Continue.

  • Brand name: the name buyers know you by.
  • Name variations: other names AI engines might use, such as short forms or product names. Press Enter after each one.
  • Your domains: citations of these domains count as yours.
  • Site type: Marketing Site, Content Site or Online Store. Online Store adds product and catalog tracking.
  • What you do: two or three sentences. Question suggestions and fix drafts use it.
  • Key facts: one fact per line, such as prices, policies or locations. TDC Signal checks answers against these facts to catch wrong statements.
  • Competitors: up to 7 brands you compete with, each with an optional domain.

Step 3: Connect Your Catalog#

This step appears only when your site type is Online Store. Connect Shopify, WooCommerce or a Google Merchant feed so TDC Signal can match the products AI engines recommend. See Online Stores.

You can also select Skip, Track My Brand Only and connect a catalog later.

Step 4: Choose Questions#

Pick the questions to ask each engine, and where and how often.

  1. Review the suggested questions. TDC Signal selects as many as your plan allows. Select the pencil icon to edit a question.
  2. Add your own under Add your own, with an optional topic.
  3. Under AI engines, choose the engines to track. Engines outside your plan show Upgrade.
  4. Under Locations, add the countries you sell to. In the United States, you can also pick a state.
  5. Under Check frequency, choose Daily or Weekly.

The Each Month summary shows how many answers your choices add up to.

Start Tracking#

Select Start Tracking. TDC Signal saves your choices and starts your first check at once. Answers arrive over the next few minutes, and Overview fills in as they do.

After that, checks run on your schedule. You can change every choice later in Settings.

Next Steps#