Guided search
Guided search is the default entry. Fill a form; click search. Useful when you know roughly what you’re looking for and want explicit control over every parameter.
In this guide:
- Required vs optional fields
- The fields, top to bottom
- Saving a guided search as a re-runnable preset
- Switching from guided to chat (and back)
Required vs optional
Only two fields are required to run a search:
- Marketplace (auto-set if you sell in only one)
- Either a keyword OR a category (you can use both, but at least one)
Everything else is optional. Defaults are sensible — leave them and the search still runs.
The fields
Marketplace
The Amazon regional storefront. US, UK, DE, FR, IT, ES, CA, AU. The dropdown shows only the marketplaces you’ve ticked under Settings → Marketplaces.
Keyword
A noun phrase. Examples that work well: “bamboo socks”, “reusable coffee filter”, “yoga mat strap”, “insulated water bottle 32oz”. Specific is better than vague.
Category
The Amazon category tree. Pick a leaf or a parent — Hilal will scope the search to all descendant categories.
You can use keyword + category together to scope tightly. “bamboo socks” in “Clothing → Socks” is a different search from “bamboo socks” in “Clothing”.
Fulfillment
- FBA only — only products fulfilled by Amazon.
- FBM only — only merchant-fulfilled.
- Either — both.
If your operation is FBA-only, set this to FBA-only so the SellerScore reflects products that fit your model.
Price band
Min and max sell price. Most beginners narrow to a $15–$50 band. Pricier products have higher margin headroom but slower velocity; cheaper products move fast but on thin margin.
Margin floor
A minimum net margin %. Set 25–30% if you want only profitable candidates. Hilal will exclude products whose margin sub-score is below the floor.
Competition filter
- Low — only niches with relatively few competing listings.
- Medium — moderate density.
- Any — no filtering on competition.
Custom weights
Override the default sub-score weights for this search. Useful when one dimension matters more than usual to you. → Filters & weights
Free text (optional)
A small free-text field for nuance the form fields don’t capture — “vegan only”, “avoid Chinese-brand suppliers”, “prefer 4+ star ratings”. The AI uses this when computing score reasoning and the AI brief.
Saving as a preset
Top-right of the search panel: Save as preset. Saved presets appear in a dropdown above the search form for one-tap re-use.
Presets are per-user — your teammates don’t see your presets unless they’re shared (also via the same dropdown menu).
Switching to chat
Top-right of the panel: a Chat toggle. Switches to free-text mode; same search runs, you just describe it in English. → Chat search