TrackPricesPro Documentation & User Guide
Welcome to TrackPricesPro. Learn how to import your product catalog, connect the Map-It Chrome extension, link competitor product URLs, and monitor automated 24/7 price intelligence.
Quick Start Guide
Follow this 4-step workflow to get full automated price tracking running for your store in under 5 minutes:
Use the Chrome extension (recommended — we will auto-update your prices too), or upload an Excel (.xlsx) / CSV spreadsheet in bulk on the Catalog page.
Go to Catalog →Navigate to Settings and generate your personal API key. Copy it immediately — for your security, only a cryptographic hash is stored.
Generate Key in Settings →Install the official TrackPricesPro Competitor Link extension from the Chrome Web Store and paste your API key to authenticate your account.
Install Extension from Chrome Web Store →Visit any competitor product URL. Click the extension, match it to your SKU, and confirm. No copy-pasting URLs — our backend tracks prices 24/7.
View Dashboard →Catalog Management: 3 Ways to Add Your Products
Your catalog defines the store products and baseline prices you want to monitor. You can choose the method that best fits your workflow:
Chrome Extension
The fastest way to populate your catalog with zero spreadsheet formatting. Browse to any product page on your own store, open the extension, and click "+ Add My Product". The title, price, and currency are auto-detected instantly.
Excel Spreadsheet (.xlsx)
Ideal for bulk initial catalog setup (20+ items). Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) files are easy to edit and eliminate common CSV delimiter, comma, or quotation errors.
CSV Spreadsheet (.csv)
Standard comma-separated format. Best for automated exports from your existing warehouse, ERP, or inventory management system.
Spreadsheet Columns (for Excel & CSV)
If uploading via Excel or CSV, your file must include these three required headers:
Chrome Extension: TrackPricesPro Competitor Link
The browser extension connects directly to your merchant account and turns any competitor storefront into an interactive price-mapping interface.
1. Installation
Install the extension directly with 1-click from the Chrome Web Store:
Install Extension from Chrome Web Store →2. Authentication (API Key)
Open the extension popup in your browser. Paste your API key from the Settings page and click Save. The extension will sync your SKU catalog immediately.
3. Adding Products from Your Own Storefront
When viewing your own store's product page, open the extension and switch to the "+ Add My Product" tab. The extension auto-detects the title, price, and currency, allowing you to assign a SKU and add it to your catalog with zero spreadsheet formatting.
Linking Competitor Products & Visual Element Picker
Linking a competitor product teaches the background engine where to look and how to track competitor price movements.
Automatic Metadata Detection
The extension automatically scans the competitor's page using structured JSON-LD, Schema.org microdata, and OpenGraph product tags. In most stores (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, Amazon), title and price are instantly pre-filled.
If a competitor uses custom JavaScript rendering or dynamic price tags, click "🎯 Pick on page" in the extension popup:
- Hover over the page: price elements highlight in real time.
- Click directly on the price: the extension captures the exact CSS selector.
- The stable selector is saved and used by our server-side crawlers for all future automated price checks!
Unlinking & Managing Mapped Products
To unlink a competitor, either click Unlink on the Dashboard table row, or open the extension while on the competitor page and click Unlink.
Dashboard Intelligence & Price Status
The dashboard compiles all your linked products into an actionable market intelligence overview:
Your price is lower than the competitor's price. Highlighted with a green row.
Competitor has a lower price than you. Highlighted with a red row so you can adjust strategy.
Both prices are identical. Neutral status.
Out of stock: Losing alerts are muted so you don't discount needlessly. Broken link: Flagged if competitor URL returns 404 or stops loading.
Scrape Freshness & Health Monitoring
Each competitor listing displays a relative timestamp (e.g., "checked 2h ago"). Hovering over the indicator reveals the exact timestamp of the last attempt and consecutive scrape status.
FAQ & Troubleshooting
Why do I need the Chrome extension?
Pure convenience! Instead of manually copying and pasting URLs, product titles, and prices between different browser tabs, the extension lets you add your own products and link competitor prices with 1 click directly while browsing.
Why do I need an API key?
Your API key is a private security token generated in your Settings that authenticates the Chrome extension with your personal dashboard account so your saved products sync directly to your store.
Do I need to leave my computer on or browser open?
No! The Chrome extension is only used once to link a product. After linking, our automated server-side scraping engine checks prices continuously in the background using proxy rotation and anti-bot mitigation.
Why is my API key masked in Settings?
For your store's security, we only store a salted SHA-256 cryptographic hash of your API key in the database. When you generate a key, copy it immediately. If lost, simply click "Generate new API key" to issue a new one.
What happens if a competitor redesigns their website?
If our crawlers detect multiple failed attempts, the dashboard displays a yellow "Broken link" badge. Simply navigate to the competitor's updated product page in Chrome, open the extension, and use the 🎯 Visual Element Picker to capture the new price selector in seconds.
Can I link multiple competitor stores to the same SKU?
Yes! You can link as many competitor URLs to a single SKU as you want (e.g. Amazon, BestBuy, Walmart). Each competitor appears on its own row in the Dashboard, letting you compare prices across the entire market.