Define the target
Write the shelf before browsing
A practical shelf statement might read: “Lightweight black shoulder bag, approximately 25–30 cm wide, visible interior and strap details, ten-unit test range, packed dimensions still required.” It defines what belongs without pretending the unanswered fields are known.
A fast catalog filter
Screen in four passes
Identity
Confirm product type, code or stable title, variant, and whether the page appears to describe one item.
Evidence
Check the angles, measurements, material context, included parts, and category-specific details you need.
Questions
List only the commercial or logistics fields still missing: price basis, minimum, lead time, packed weight, or destination limits.
Stop
Remove the result when identity remains ambiguous or the missing evidence would require too much guesswork.
Comparable item record
Keep the fields that make two items comparable
| Field | Record | Do not assume |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Title, code, category, and saved URL. | Similar photos mean the same item. |
| Variant | Color, size, material, configuration, and included parts. | The displayed price covers every option. |
| Evidence | Useful photo angles, measurements, labels, or test views. | More photos automatically mean better evidence. |
| Quantity | Requested quantity and the unit to which a minimum applies. | A low number applies to every style and color. |
| Price context | Currency, unit, quantity basis, date, and included or excluded costs. | A visible number is a complete landed cost. |
| Packing | Unit weight, packed weight, dimensions, carton count, and restrictions if known. | Item weight and chargeable shipment weight are the same. |
| Open question | The next specific fact needed to keep or remove the item. | A general inquiry will fill every gap. |
Price context
A product list is not a price list
A catalog may show an item without a current price, or show a price that applies only to one quantity, variant, date, or channel. Save price with its basis. If the basis is missing, label it “unconfirmed” and ask for the exact combination you are considering.
- Currency and unit of sale
- Exact variant covered
- Quantity tier or minimum
- Sample or test-order difference
- Packaging included or excluded
- Taxes, delivery, service, and payment terms controlled by the responsible party
- Date the answer was received
Protect your attention
Use a two-sentence shortlist rule
Keep
“The page identifies the exact item and shows the measurements and detail views I need. The remaining question is the packed weight for a ten-unit test.”
Remove or pause
“The item looks promising, but I still cannot identify the variant, measurement method, source, or the next specific fact to request.”
Five-question pause
Before opening an external catalog
- I know the product type and the evidence that matters for it.
- I have a short target statement and at least one exclusion.
- I will save the exact external URL and access date.
- I will keep quantity, price, and packing questions separate.
- I will not treat catalog presence as seller, stock, or product verification.
Before you continue
Keep one item record complete
A large catalog can help you find possibilities, but each saved item still needs its code, variant, measurements, source, price basis, packing context, and unanswered questions.
If those fields cannot stay attached to the item, the shortlist is growing faster than your ability to compare it.
