Directory Analytics Scraping

Pull performance metrics, category rankings, and competitive intelligence from software directories. This fundamental covers both API-based analytics retrieval and structured scraping for directories without robust analytics APIs.

G2 Analytics API

Profile performance

Endpoint: GET https://seller.g2.com/api/v1/products/{product_id}/analytics

Headers:
  Authorization: Bearer {G2_API_TOKEN}

Query parameters:
  period: "30d"  # Options: 7d, 30d, 90d, 12m
  metrics: "views,clicks,comparisons,reviews"

Response:

{
  "period": "30d",
  "metrics": {
    "profile_views": 1245,
    "comparison_views": 387,
    "clicks_to_website": 89,
    "review_count": 3,
    "average_rating": 4.6,
    "category_rank": 12,
    "category_total": 156,
    "satisfaction_score": 92
  },
  "daily": [
    { "date": "2026-03-01", "views": 42, "clicks": 3 },
    { "date": "2026-03-02", "views": 38, "clicks": 2 }
  ]
}

Category ranking position

Endpoint: GET https://seller.g2.com/api/v1/products/{product_id}/rankings

Query parameters:
  category_id: "category-123"

Returns your product's position on the G2 Grid (Leader, High Performer, Contender, Niche), satisfaction score, market presence score, and rank within each quadrant.

Competitor comparison

Endpoint: GET https://seller.g2.com/api/v1/products/{product_id}/competitors

Returns list of products frequently compared to yours, with their review counts, ratings, and relative ranking positions.

Capterra Analytics (Gartner Digital Markets)

Campaign performance

Endpoint: GET https://api.gartnerdigitalmarkets.com/v1/campaigns/{campaign_id}/performance

Headers:
  Authorization: Bearer {CAPTERRA_API_TOKEN}

Query parameters:
  date_from: "2026-03-01"
  date_to: "2026-03-31"

Response:

{
  "impressions": 8500,
  "clicks": 127,
  "ctr": 0.015,
  "spend": 508.00,
  "avg_cpc": 4.00,
  "conversions": 12,
  "cost_per_conversion": 42.33
}

Listing performance (organic)

Endpoint: GET https://api.gartnerdigitalmarkets.com/v1/products/{product_id}/analytics

Returns: organic views, organic clicks, review count, average rating, category position.

Product Hunt Analytics

Post performance via GraphQL

{
  post(slug: "your-product") {
    id
    name
    votesCount
    commentsCount
    reviewsCount
    dailyRank
    weeklyRank
    featuredAt
    createdAt
    topics { edges { node { name } } }
    makers { id name }
  }
}

Historical performance (requires Pro plan)

{
  post(slug: "your-product") {
    analytics {
      views
      clicks
      weeklyVotes
      referralTraffic
    }
  }
}

Clay-Based Competitive Monitoring

For directories without robust APIs, use Clay to monitor competitors.

Set up competitive tracking table

1. Create a Clay table with columns: directory, competitor_name, competitor_url, rating, review_count, last_checked
2. Add rows for each competitor on each directory
3. Use Claygent to scrape competitor profiles:

Claygent prompt:

Visit {competitor_url} on {directory}. Extract:
- Current star rating
- Total review count
- Most recent review date
- Category position/ranking if visible
- Key features listed
- Pricing shown
Return as JSON.

1. Schedule the table to refresh weekly via Clay's scheduling feature or n8n trigger

Track ranking changes

Create a separate Clay table tracking your own rankings over time:

• Columns: directory, category, rank_position, rating, review_count, date_checked
• Append a new row weekly (do not overwrite)
• This builds a time series for trend analysis

n8n Analytics Aggregation Workflow

Build an n8n workflow that pulls analytics from all directories into a single dataset:

1. Trigger: Weekly cron (Monday 8am)
2. HTTP Request nodes: One per directory API (G2, Capterra, Product Hunt, TrustRadius)
3. Merge node: Combine all responses into a unified schema:

{
  "directory": "g2",
  "date": "2026-03-30",
  "views": 1245,
  "clicks": 89,
  "reviews_new": 3,
  "avg_rating": 4.6,
  "rank_position": 12,
  "rank_category_size": 156
}

1. PostHog node: Send aggregated metrics as directory_analytics_weekly event
2. Attio node: Update the campaign record with latest metrics
3. Slack node: Post a summary to the marketing channel

Error Handling

• Analytics lag: Most directories update analytics with a 24-48 hour delay. Do not query for today's data.
• Scraping blocks: If Clay scraping gets blocked, reduce frequency and rotate user agents. Prefer official APIs when available.
• Missing metrics: Not all directories expose all metrics. Track what is available and note gaps.
• API changes: Directory APIs change frequently. Pin API versions when possible and monitor for deprecation notices.