What it means
An answer recommends the brand when it presents it as a plausible choice for the buyer's stated need; naming the brand is not enough. Formula: eligible answers that recommend the brand ÷ eligible answers × 100.
Shortlist Share is one of RecoProof's three named metrics, measured in three variants. The AI Recommendation Index reports a percentage per engine with a 95% interval, the paid audit a percentage for one brand's own question set, and the free check a count out of five answers. The variants differ in engines, questions and sample size, so a number means something only with its label.
Why it matters
Shortlist Share measures the outcome buyers act on: being put forward as a choice. It separates a brand that engines know from a brand they choose, which a mention count cannot do.
Example
Illustrative: on one engine, 40 answers to unbranded buyer questions are eligible and 12 of them recommend the brand, so Shortlist Share on that engine is 12 ÷ 40 = 30%. A published figure carries its label: source, engines, n and measurement date.
Common misunderstandings
- It does not mean the product is better or that it wins sales.
- It is not market share or buyer demand.
- It is a point-in-time measurement of past answers, not a prediction or guarantee of future recommendations.