Crafting Targeted Queries
Crafting targeted queries is how advanced affiliate teams turn messy product feeds into clean comparison sets and deal pages. In Affiliate.com, you can search across more than thirty indexed fields and layer filters to normalize, deduplicate, and compare at the SKU level while keeping editorial control. The result is precise discovery and fewer surprises, which means faster build times and clearer decisions.
A targeted query is simply a structured search that combines fields such as name, brand, price, discount, availability, merchant, and identifiers like barcode or MPN. Use them individually, then layer for focus. Share the result via a link or promote it directly in a Comparison Set for collaboration and reuse.
Why targeted queries matter
Precise queries remove ambiguity. Titles vary by merchant, but identifiers such as barcode or MPN anchor matching so you are comparing the same item, not lookalikes. Deduplication controls decide whether to show one canonical listing with multiple offers or every offer for comparison. Cross currency and network filters keep results relevant to your program and locale.
Query patterns you can reuse
Each pattern below maps to the screenshots. Keep the images in place and reference them during implementation.
Coffee makers over two hundred from U S merchants
Layers used: name, final price, currency, merchant country.
Focus: normalize the category term, then constrain price and currency to align editorial standards.
- Name contains coffee maker
- Final price greater than two hundred
- Currency equals USD
Men’s running shoes from top brands
Layers used: name, brand list.
Focus: limit to core brands your audience expects while leaving room for style variation in names or descriptions.
- Name contains mens running shoes
- Brand in Nike, Adidas, Reebok
Products on sale at a single merchant
Layers used: merchant name, on sale, availability.
Focus: fast build for a merchant feature or an approved partner list.
- Merchant name equals The Home Depot
- On sale equals true
- In stock equals true
Outdoor gear discounted twenty percent in USD
Layers used: name, sale discount threshold, currency.
Focus: deal curation that favors real savings over full price items.
- Name contains outdoor, camping, hiking
- Sale discount greater than or equal to twenty
- Currency equals USD
Kitchen appliances under two hundred fifty at Target
Layers used: name list, currency, price ceiling, merchant name.
Focus: category curation that respects budget and partner constraints.
- Name contains blender, toaster, coffee maker
- Currency equals USD
- Final price less than two hundred fifty
- Merchant name equals Target
On sale fitness gear under one hundred fifty and in stock
Layers used: name, sale price ceiling, availability.
Focus: conversion oriented set for timely posts and alerts.
- Name contains fitness gear
- Sale price less than one hundred fifty
- In stock equals true
Field checklist for reliable results
Use this as a pre publish pass before sharing or promoting a query.
- Identifiers: barcode, SKU, MPN, ASIN for exact matching and cross merchant comparisons
- Pricing: final price, regular price, sale price, sale discount for real savings calculations
- Availability: in stock, stock quantity, availability for fewer dead clicks
- Source controls: merchant name or ID, network name or ID for approval lists and governance
- Search scaffolding: any for broad exploration, name and description for recall, brand and category for precision
- Presentation: deduplication on for clean lists, off when you want to show all merchant offers for the same product
For more information, visit https://www.affiliate.com/programmatic-apis.