How I write a 1-page competitor snapshot with a source log (template included)

Description and use

A strict 1-page competitor snapshot format where every fact is sourced with URL and access date, unknowns are listed separately, and AI-generated content is held to the same sourcing standard, reducing fabricated numbers.

Problem

Most competitor research reads confidently but becomes untraceable three weeks later, especially as AI tools summarize everything without source provenance.

Outcome

A strict 1-page competitor snapshot format where every fact is sourced with URL and access date, unknowns are listed separately, and AI-generated content is held to the same sourcing standard, reducing fabricated numbers.

Workflow

• Start with one sentence decision question that defines the page's purpose.
• Write 2–4 sentences answering the question with explicit confidence level (High/Medium/Low).
• Build a key facts table with columns: #, Fact (neutral wording), Source title, URL, Accessed (date).
• Apply three rules: neutral wording, primary sources first, always record access date.
• List unknowns and open questions for unverified or potentially stale information.
• Add next actions as process steps only, not recommendations dressed as facts.
• Maintain a source log at the bottom or in a shared CSV for every claim, title, URL, access date, and notes.

Evidence

Most competitor research I've seen (including mine) has the same problem: it reads confidently, but three weeks later nobody can tell which line came from the vendor's pricing page and which came from someone's memory.

So I switched to a strict 1-page format. The rule is simple: every fact gets a source URL and the date I checked it. If I can't source it, it goes under 'unknowns', not 'facts'.

Three rules I follow: Neutral wording. 'The pricing page lists X', not 'X is cheap'. Primary sources first. The vendor's own docs, changelog, or filing beat a blog post about them. Access date always. Pricing pages change. The date tells the reader how stale the fact might be.

Five facts is usually enough for one page. If you need fifteen, you probably have two decisions, not one.

I still use AI to draft and summarize. The difference is that the template forces a check: if the model gives me a 'fact', it doesn't go in the table until I've opened the source and filled in the URL and date. That one habit catches most of the made-up numbers.