Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about Periscop
How do I create a Periscop account?
Go to /inscription. Creation takes 2 minutes: an invitation code, your email, your company name. You immediately receive 100 free credits to get started, with no credit card.
Why is an invitation code required?
Periscop is currently in controlled access, the time to stabilize the platform and calibrate load on third-party AI models. The code is sent on request to hello@periscop.ch or via the contact form.
What are the 100 free credits for?
More than enough to seriously test the platform: configure your first project via the wizard, run ~5 prompt measurements on one AI model, or generate a recommendations pack. If you want to go further, you can top up at any time from your account.
Which AIs are tracked?
Periscop queries ChatGPT (OpenAI), Claude (Anthropic), Perplexity, Gemini (Google), Mistral and Google AI Overviews (AI Overview, captured via DataForSEO).
Does Periscop track Google AI Overviews?
Yes. In addition to conversational assistants, Periscop measures your visibility in the AI overviews Google displays at the top of its search results. Note: Google does not display an AI overview for every query — informational searches trigger them the most, purely local or commercial searches much less. The tracking therefore reflects the reality of your sector.
How do business prompts work?
They are typical questions your potential customers would ask an AI. For example: "dentist open saturday moudon" or "toothache emergency vaud". Periscop sends them regularly to the AIs and analyzes the responses. See the full methodology.
How are prompts generated?
Via a 5-step wizard — identity, client brief, brand terms, prompts, competitors — where the AI analyzes your site, suggests a structured brief (personas, USP, area, positioning), then generates ~20 tailored prompts. You validate or adjust at each step. Count 5 to 10 minutes for a complete project.
Why not use classic "polite" prompts?
Because real users don't type "What is the best dental practice in the Moudon area?". They type "dentist moudon" or "good dentist near payerne open saturday". If you measure with overly formal prompts, you measure a fictional reality. Periscop reproduces real user searches.
How do credits work?
1 credit = 1 CHF. You buy in packs (Starter 100, Pro 500, Volume 1,000) or at a custom amount, in multiples of 10. Each consuming action debits your balance: 20 credits for a prompt measurement, 100 credits for a monthly report, 250 credits for an AI recommendations pack. See full details on the Pricing page.
Do credits expire?
No. Your credits remain valid indefinitely. However, they are not refundable once purchased.
What happens if my balance is insufficient?
Consuming actions are blocked as soon as the balance is insufficient. An email alert is sent when 100 credits remain, then at 0. You can top up at any time from the "My credits" page.
What happens if a measurement fails?
If a scheduled action fails before producing a result (e.g. an AI model outage), credits are automatically refunded to your balance, with a record in your transaction history.
How does billing work?
Each payment automatically triggers the issuance of a PDF invoice, with sequential numbering (PER-YYYY-NNNN). It is attached to the confirmation email and downloadable anytime from your "My credits" page.
Is VAT applied?
For Swiss customers, VAT 8.1% is included in the displayed price and itemized on the invoice. For EU B2B customers with a valid VAT number, the reverse charge mechanism is applied automatically. For non-EU customers or non-EU individuals, the service is invoiced outside the scope of Swiss VAT.
Can I pay by bank transfer?
Self-service payment is by credit card via a secure online payment system. For an IBAN transfer or a large volume, contact us at hello@periscop.ch — we issue a pro forma invoice and credit your account upon receipt.
What is hallucination detection?
AIs can invent information about your brand: wrong opening hours, fake products, phone numbers that don't exist, made-up addresses. Periscop detects these suspect claims and suggests corrective actions on your public sources (Google Business, schema.org, etc.).
How is sentiment calculated?
An analysis AI assesses whether the mention of your brand is positive, neutral, negative or mixed in the context of the response. You see the breakdown by model, by prompt, and its evolution over time.
How are competitors detected?
You enter your main competitors in the wizard, and Periscop automatically detects competing brands mentioned in AI responses — including those you had not listed initially.
How often are measurements performed?
On demand (you run them whenever you want) or scheduled (weekly, monthly). Scheduled measurements are disabled by default on each new project — you turn them on when you are ready to consume credits regularly.
Is my data secure?
Yes. All data is hosted in Switzerland at Infomaniak. API keys are encrypted (libsodium), access is strictly isolated per client (multi-tenant), and payments are processed by a PCI-DSS level 1 certified provider.
Who publishes Periscop?
Periscop is developed by Ergopix Sàrl, based in Vevey, Switzerland.
What is "Share of Model"?
Share of Model is the AI-era version of advertising's "share of voice": across all the questions your customers ask an AI, it's the proportion of mentions that go to your brand versus your competitors. Periscop tracks it continuously, model by model (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Mistral) and over time, so you can see exactly where you lead and where a competitor is gaining ground.