Browser extension for Brand Analytics

The extension lets you work without exporting and importing files. You open a topic feed in Brand Analytics, the extension collects the messages, maesense tags them with your instruction, and the result, sentiment and tags, goes back to the same feed.

The extension is in closed beta: ask your maesense admin to enable it for your account.

Where to download

In maesense open Settings (/settings/), the Browser extension block, button Download for Firefox. The current version is always there, with its version number and checksum. The link is shown when the extension is enabled for your account.

When an installed build is too old, the extension shows an "Update the extension" screen with the download link.

Install

Firefox (128 or newer): open the downloaded .xpi file in Firefox and confirm. A new version installs over the old one; you stay signed in.

Chrome (111 or newer): unpack the Chrome package, open chrome://extensions, enable Developer mode, click Load unpacked and pick the folder.

Click the extension icon and sign in with your maesense login and password. The header has four buttons: open the extension in its own window (handy next to the feed), refresh, history, and settings.

How it works

One cycle, three screens.

Main screen. The "Collecting from" line shows the topic, period and filters currently selected in the open Brand Analytics feed. The extension collects exactly what the feed shows, so set period and filters in Brand Analytics itself. Brand and instruction are picked for the topic automatically and remembered; only active instructions with tags are listed. Below, choose what to collect: messages checked in the feed, the whole page, or the first N messages of the topic, with counts taken from the open page. Collect and tag asks for an inline confirmation and starts. The arrow next to it switches to Collect only: messages are saved in maesense as a dataset without tagging, and you start tagging later from Start tagging. The choice applies to one capture.

While the extension reads the feed and the lists, pulsing gray placeholders stand in for the values. If you switched tabs or changed filters in the feed, click Refresh (the circular arrow in the header): the extension reads the feed again and reloads brands and instructions.

Progress. Two bars, collecting and tagging, with a time estimate. You can close the window: the work continues on the server, and a badge appears on the extension icon when tagging is done. If maesense has seen a similar session recently, the extension asks whether to run again.

Return to the topic. When tagging is finished, a table opens: on the left what maesense assigned, on the right where it goes in Brand Analytics. Sentiment is the first row and is written into the message's sentiment field. Then the tags that occurred in this session, with message counts. Tags with the same names in the topic are matched automatically. A row without a match is highlighted: click it to pick a topic tag from the list, create a tag with that name, or skip it. Choices are remembered per topic, so next time the table comes filled in. Return to topic applies everything in one request through Brand Analytics itself; tags already present in the topic are kept and the feed reloads.

Later postpones the return: the session stays in the history (clock icon in the header) and in the "Last capture" line, and you can come back to it.

Settings

In settings (the sliders icon in the header): account, sign-out, and a link to this help page.

Limits and notes

• Up to 10,000 messages per capture; the feed is read in batches.
• Collected messages count towards the monthly plan limit like any tagging session.
• "First N in topic" is unavailable when the page address contains parameters the extension does not understand; check messages or take the page instead.
• Thematic tags assigned by Brand Analytics itself are not changed on return.

Troubleshooting

• Brand Analytics topic feed is not open — open a topic feed, not the topic list: use Open BA in the "Collecting from" card.
• The BA tab is open, but the extension is not connected to it — this happens when the page was opened before the extension was installed or updated. Click Reload in the same card.
• Update the extension — the server requires a newer build; download it from maesense Settings.
• Plan limit — the capture is larger than what is left on your plan this month.
• Session expired — sign in again from the extension window.
• The "what to collect" counts did not refresh — click Refresh in the extension header.