Ferry – Job Setup

A job is a collection of inputs Data Scout uses to retrieve data from a target website. Data Scout searches a website much like a consumer does. If a target site requires a consumer to enter origin and destination ports with specific spelling or language specific translations, Data Scout must submit the same fields. This section teaches you how to create a job and add inputs to the job. After creating jobs, they can be edited and re-used.

The Jobs tab houses your library of jobs in a table. The table gives you insight into the number of inputs the job has, when the job was created, when the job was last executed, and the quality of the last run. The Jobs tab also has filters you can use to narrow your jobs by keywords, job type, or dates of when the job was created, last run, finished, or updated.

Creating a Job

How to Create a New Job:

1. Select the Jobs tab.
2. Click New Search in the top left corner of the page.
3. Enter the name of your job.
   • Be descriptive with job names. This helps when contacting QL2 Support. Do not use special characters.
4. Choose your vertical.
5. Click Configure.
6. If you would like to add inputs to the job now, add them in the form that pops up. If not, you can click the X in the corner and add the inputs later.
7. Click Submit.

 
Once the job is created, you can access the information on your job. There are three sections on the Job Details page: Inputs, Schedule, and Results. Inputs are where you will build your job.

There are two methods for building jobs:

1. Wizard – Add single entries via a form directly in the platform.
2. Upload – Use CSV-formatted spreadsheets to upload several input line items at once.

 

Wizard

Wizard is a convenient way to add inputs to a job. The platform contains a form that formats your inputs automatically. Using Wizard to add inputs to a job is useful when you have a small number of edits. Each input is added individually, therefore, large jobs should be built using the Upload Method.

How to Add Inputs to the Job Using Wizard:

1. In the Jobs tab, select a job.
2. In the Inputs section of the page, click Add Inputs.
3. Fill out the form that pop-ups with the inputs you would like to add to the job.
   • For help with a field, hover your mouse over the question mark next to the field name. This will give you a description of the field and sample inputs. You can also use the Spreadsheet Input Format table at the bottom of the page for help.
4. Click Submit.
5. Click View Advanced Options.
   • Advanced Options exist to help refine or expand the search parameters. Some advanced options have default values. You may request to have these values altered permanently by contacting QL2 Support or your QL2 Customer Success Manager.
6. Change the advanced options to target the results of your search.
7. Click Submit.

Upload Method

Uploading a spreadsheet allows you to add a number of inputs to a job at one time. As well, after creating spreadsheets, they can be saved and reused or edited.

The first step is to perform the tasks for building a spreadsheet. Each cell of the spreadsheet must contain a specific type of data to successfully perform a job.

How to Add Inputs to the Job with the Upload Method:

1. Open a spreadsheet application.
2. Using the Spreadsheet Input Format table as a reference, enter the parameters for the keywords, product numbers, or paths you wish to add to the job into the spreadsheet you opened.
3. Save the spreadsheet as a CSV file.
4. Return to the Jobs tab of Data Scout to incorporate the spreadsheet into the job.
5. In the Inputs section of the page, click Upload.
6. Click Browse to locate the CSV spreadsheet you saved.
7. Click Upload.