Skip to content
Documentation
Documentation
Getting started

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Needle: Manual search and Auto Search, brands, competitor mentions, Needle Directory, Trending Problems, plans, and privacy.

Share
Summarize with AI
On this page

Short answers for the product. For the full FAQ layout, see the FAQ page on the main site. For prices and limits, use Pricing and Plans and limits.

Getting started

What is Needle for?

Search across communities your plan allows, prioritize by sentiment and intent, and use Auto Search so your brand gets scheduled passes from the setup you save. Use Manual search when you want a fresh custom query for a single run. Use Trending Problems for category-level demand. Needle Directory is where you list your product in Needle's public catalog - separate from Search.

What can I try before I subscribe?

Every new account gets a 7-day free trial with no card: full access, including recurring Auto Search for your brand and digest alerts. When it ends your leads stay readable and actions pause until you subscribe. Free utilities: Tools hub. Plans and limits: Plans and limits, Pricing.

Search, brands, and platforms

How is this different from checking Reddit (and every other site) manually?

One workflow searches the platforms your plan includes, ranks threads for sentiment and intent, and can run Auto Search on a timer - instead of opening each community in a separate tab.

Manual Search, Auto Search, and digests

Manual search is on-demand and counts toward plan limits (5 a day on Solo). Auto Search uses your brand's saved setup in Settings, runs on a schedule, and does not use manual quota - it needs the 7-day free trial or a paid plan. Optional digest alerts notify you when there are new Auto matches - channels depend on plan (Pricing).

Which networks does Search use?

Solo covers 8 networks: Reddit, Hacker News, GitHub, Stack Overflow, Lobsters, Mastodon, Bluesky, and Product Hunt. Growth adds YouTube, Tumblr, and Forums (11 networks). Scale adds X (Twitter) and LinkedIn (13 networks). See Plans and limits and Pricing.

Competitor mentions

Save competitors for your brand in Settings; Needle can flag when those names show up in a post on supported results.

Brand management

How many brands can I manage on Needle?

The Solo plan supports 1 brand profile, Growth supports up to 3 brand profiles, and the Scale plan supports up to 5 brand profiles. If you need more than 5 brands, contact us at support@useneedle.net.

Can each brand have different settings and alert channels?

Yes. Each brand profile has its own dedicated settings workspace. You can configure unique lookback windows, Auto Search phrases, target networks, and notification channels per brand. Available channels depend on your plan (for example Slack and Google Chat on Solo; Discord, Teams, and webhooks on higher plans).

How do I switch between brands in the dashboard?

Use the brand selector dropdown at the top of the dashboard or settings page. Switching the brand instantly scopes your dashboard view, Auto Search results, and configurations to that specific brand.

Does scheduled Auto Search consume my search runs quota?

No. Auto Search runs automatically in the background on your configured schedule and does not consume your manual search runs quota. Only on-demand searches run via the Manual Search tab consume your manual search limit.

Can I add competitors to my brand?

Yes. On Growth and Scale plans, you can save competitor websites and keywords. Needle will automatically flag when those competitors are mentioned in matching public posts.

Privacy and billing

Is my data private?

We work with public posts for discovery. Your workspace data is not sold for ads. Details: Privacy policy.

Plans and cancellation

The 7-day free trial needs no card and gives you full access. Paid plans are Solo, Growth, and Scale, billed immediately at the price shown. Compare plans on Pricing. Cancel from account settings (period end or immediate). See Terms and Refund Policy for billing details.

More help

Frequently asked questions

Does Auto Search run during the free trial?

Yes. Your first run starts as soon as onboarding finishes, and scheduled runs continue on the Solo schedule for the whole trial, with optional digest alerts. When the trial ends, runs pause and resume the moment you subscribe.

What is Needle Directory?

Needle Directory is Needle's public product catalog: browse listings, submit via Basics → Setup → Launch (/directory/submit), and get a shareable page. It is separate from Search. See the Needle Directory doc.

How is Needle different from checking each community by hand?

One workflow searches the platforms your plan includes, ranks threads for sentiment and buying intent, and can run Auto Search on a schedule for your brand with optional digest alerts - instead of tab-hopping site by site.

Which networks does Search include?

Solo covers 8 networks: Reddit, Hacker News, GitHub, Stack Overflow, Lobsters, Mastodon, Bluesky, and Product Hunt. Growth adds YouTube, Tumblr, and Forums (11 networks). Scale adds X (Twitter) and LinkedIn (13 networks). Forum host counts are on Plans and limits and Pricing.

How do Manual Search, Auto Search, brands, and digest alerts work?

Manual search is a one-off run you start with the query you type for that run; it streams results live and counts toward manual search run limits. Auto Search uses the saved setup for your brand in Settings (phrases, sites, schedule, lookback), runs automatically, and does not consume manual quota. Paid plans support up to 5 brand profiles depending on your tier (Solo includes 1 brand, Growth includes up to 3 brands, and Scale includes up to 5 brands). If you need more than 5 brands, contact us at support@useneedle.net. Digest alerts (optional) notify you when Auto Search finds new posts since the last digest - configure under Dashboard → Settings. Supported channels depend on plan; see Pricing.

What are competitor mentions?

When you save competitors for your brand in Settings, Needle can call out when those names appear in a post - useful for comparisons and switching intent. Only public posts are analyzed.

What are AI reply drafts? Does Needle post for me?

Draft reply offers short suggestions from your brand profile (tone and how openly you mention your product). You edit and post on the platform yourself. Needle does not auto-post or send DMs.

How do plans, trials, and cancellation work?

Every new account starts with a 7-day free trial: full access with no card and nothing charged, counted from when your first scan finishes. Paid plans are Solo, Growth, and Scale; checkout bills immediately at the price shown (no card-upfront trial). Annual billing is 33% off (about 4 months free). Limits and platform access are on Plans and limits and Pricing. You can cancel at period end or immediately; immediate cancel ends access without refund for the current period. Resubscribe from Pricing after a full cancellation.

Is Needle for B2C?

Needle works best when buyers discuss products in public communities (Reddit, Hacker News, Stack Overflow, etc.). Pure B2C brands often get stronger signal from consumer research tools. If your buyers show up in technical or founder communities, Needle can still help. See Who is Needle for?.

How is Needle different from ChatGPT or Perplexity?

ChatGPT and Perplexity synthesize answers from training data and the web. Needle finds live public threads where buyers compare tools, ranks them by intent and fit, and can monitor your brand on a schedule. Use AI assistants for general research; use Needle when you need specific conversations to join or track.