# Affinities
Affinities capture visitor interests in categories, brands, and products. Use affinities to understand what visitors care about and personalize their experience.
## What affinities do
Affinities track visitor interest levels in different areas. AdaptiveCX calculates affinity scores based on:
* Pages viewed
* Time spent
* Interaction depth
* Recency of activity
## Affinity types
### Category affinities
Interest in product or content categories. Examples:
* Electronics
* Women's clothing
* Home & garden
* Sports equipment
### Brand affinities
Interest in specific brands. AdaptiveCX detects brands automatically from:
* Product pages visited
* Brand pages viewed
* Brand searches
### Color affinities
Interest in color preferences. Useful for:
* Fashion retailers
* Home decor sites
* Any visual commerce
### Custom affinities
Define your own interest areas:
* Specific product lines
* Content topics
* Price ranges
## Active vs suggested affinities
* **Active affinities** - Categories and brands you've confirmed for tracking
* **Suggested affinities** - Affinities AdaptiveCX detected from visitor behavior
Review suggested affinities to discover interest areas you might not have considered.
## Create a category affinity
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{% step %}
### **Open affinities**
Go to `Core` > `Affinities` and select the **Category** tab.
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### **Create new category**
Click **Create New Category**.
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### **Name the category**
Use clear category names:
* "Running shoes"
* "Cookware"
* "Mystery novels"
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### **Define detection rules**
Set how AdaptiveCX identifies interest:
* URL patterns: `/products/running-shoes*`
* Page content keywords
* Product category mapping
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### **Save and activate**
Click **Save** to start tracking affinity.
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## Create a custom affinity
{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Select custom tab**
Go to `Core` > `Affinities` and click **Custom**.
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**Click Create New Custom Affinity**
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{% step %}
**Name your affinity**
Describe the interest area:
* "Budget-conscious shoppers"
* "Premium product seekers"
* "Sale hunters"
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**Set detection criteria**
Define what indicates this interest:
* URL patterns
* Price ranges viewed
* Specific product attributes
* Behavior patterns
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**Save the affinity**
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## Affinity scores
Each visitor receives an affinity score for each tracked area:
* **0-20%** - Low or no interest
* **21-50%** - Moderate interest
* **51-80%** - Strong interest
* **81-100%** - Very strong interest
Scores update in real-time as visitors browse.
## View affinity analytics
Each affinity shows:
* **Visitor percentage** - Portion of visitors with affinity
* **Visitor count** - Number of visitors
* **Trend** - How affinity popularity changes
## Use affinities
### In audiences
Create segments based on interests:
* Visitors interested in "Electronics"
* Visitors interested in "Nike" brand
* Visitors interested in multiple categories
### In adaptive experiences
Personalize based on affinities:
* Show relevant products in carousels
* Highlight preferred brands
* Filter search results by interest
* Tailor content recommendations
### In predictions
Include affinities as prediction features:
* Visitors interested in premium products more likely to convert
* Brand affinity predicts purchase category
## Affinity best practices
### Start with categories
Category affinities provide the broadest value:
* Cover major product areas
* Work for most sites
* Easy to align with navigation
### Add brands strategically
Don't track every brand. Focus on:
* Top revenue-driving brands
* Brands with loyal customers
* Brands you actively promote
### Review suggestions regularly
Suggested affinities reveal visitor interests you might miss. Check monthly to find new opportunities.
### Keep categories distinct
Avoid overlapping categories that confuse affinity detection:
* Good: "Men's shoes" and "Women's shoes"
* Avoid: "Shoes" and "Running shoes" (overlap)
## Confirm suggested affinities
To add a suggested affinity to active tracking:
1. Go to **Suggested Affinities** tab
2. Find the affinity in the list
3. Click **Add** to confirm it
AdaptiveCX moves it to active affinities and starts calculating scores for all visitors.
