# Affinities

Affinities capture visitor interests in categories, brands, and products. Use affinities to understand what visitors care about and personalize their experience.

<figure><img src="/files/Wk6NHYjJiJOHbIXB4zOM" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## 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

<figure><img src="/files/W3b4kPfJwSKAD8carWdW" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Color affinities

Interest in color preferences. Useful for:

* Fashion retailers
* Home decor sites
* Any visual commerce

<figure><img src="/files/PIbE6m3IsGsurguM7Sa8" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Custom affinities

Define your own interest areas:

* Specific product lines
* Content topics
* Price ranges

<figure><img src="/files/gJwomdfvDSQVvemPu3uc" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## 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

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

### **Open affinities**

Go to `Core` > `Affinities` and select the **Category** tab.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### **Create new category**

Click **Create New Category**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### **Name the category**

Use clear category names:

* "Running shoes"
* "Cookware"
* "Mystery novels"
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}

### **Define detection rules**

Set how AdaptiveCX identifies interest:

* URL patterns: `/products/running-shoes*`
* Page content keywords
* Product category mapping
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}

### **Save and activate**

Click **Save** to start tracking affinity.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Create a custom affinity

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Select custom tab**

Go to `Core` > `Affinities` and click **Custom**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Click Create New Custom Affinity**
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Name your affinity**

Describe the interest area:

* "Budget-conscious shoppers"
* "Premium product seekers"
* "Sale hunters"
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Set detection criteria**

Define what indicates this interest:

* URL patterns
* Price ranges viewed
* Specific product attributes
* Behavior patterns
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Save the affinity**
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## 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.


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