Competitor monitoring checklist
Weekly, monthly and quarterly tasks for three to five rivals, with a free spreadsheet to track them.
- Checked
- Free CSV template
- Each task tagged with its tool type
Competitor monitoring template (free CSV)
A competitor monitoring checklist splits the work by rhythm: weekly checks for fast signals such as pricing pages, mentions and news, monthly checks for SEO, ads, social and reviews, and a quarterly review that turns findings into decisions. The template below holds every task with its tool type.
Download the competitor monitoring checklist (CSV)
It opens in Google Sheets, Excel and Numbers: one row per task, plus blank columns for competitor, date checked, finding, action and owner.
Set up competitor tracking in one hour
Pick three to five rivals
The ones you meet in deals. Others go on a watchlist with news alerts only.
List their pages
Pricing, features, changelog, careers and terms for each rival.
Turn on alerts
A page watcher, a mention tracker or free alerts per name, and a news alert.
Write a baseline
One page per rival: positioning, pricing model, top features, channels, top complaint.
Name an owner
One person reads the alerts and fills the sheet. Without one, alerts go unread.
Competitor tracking spreadsheet: who automates what
No single tool covers every line. Most small teams use four kinds:
Website, pricing and careers lines
Page watcher
Alerts you when a watched part of a page changes.
VisualpingFrom $14/month
changedetection.ioFrom $8.99/month
Public conversation lines
Mention tracker
Finds new posts that name a rival, on the sources you choose.
MentionPilotFrom $29/month
Brand24From $249/month
Monthly SEO lines
SEO tool
Keyword gaps, new ranking pages and traffic trends.
SemrushFrom $139.95/month
AhrefsFrom $29/month
Ads and news lines
Ad libraries and alerts
Ad libraries to search by hand; news alerts by email.
Meta Ad LibraryNo public price
Google AlertsFree
Tips
Count decisions, not alerts.
Tip 1
Write “none” when nothing changed
It shows the check was done, and the sheet stays honest.
Tip 2
One line per finding, with a link
“Removed free plan; new Starter tier” beats a pasted screenshot.
Tip 3
End each quarter with a short list
A price to reconsider, a page to write, a feature to prioritise. No decisions means monitor less.
FAQ
How much time does competitor monitoring take?
With alerts set up: about 20 to 30 minutes a week, two hours a month and half a day a quarter for three to five rivals.
Is a checklist the same as a competitive analysis?
No. An analysis is a one-off, in-depth study. The checklist is the routine that keeps it current; the baseline step is a small analysis.
Should I use a spreadsheet or a competitive intelligence platform?
A spreadsheet is enough for a small team and up to five rivals. Platforms help when many people add findings and sales needs battlecards.
What should a competitor monitoring template include?
The task, how often it runs, the competitor, the date checked, the finding with a link, the action and the owner.