# Content groups and topic clusters

> How you define content groups and topic clusters in MeasureScale, how their rules match pages and queries, and what is not available yet.

A **content group** is a named set of pages on a Search Console property, such as every page under /blog/. A **topic cluster** is a named set of search queries, such as every query that contains "pricing". You define both with simple text rules. MeasureScale stores them in your account. It never writes them to Google.

You can create, list, rename and delete groups and clusters. You can also replace their rules. A list shows each group or cluster of a property with its rules.

## How to read the answer

- A good answer lists each group or cluster with its rules, in the order they claim pages and queries.
- A page belongs to the first group that matches it. A later group never sees that page.
- Rules compare text exactly. A rule for /blog/ does not match the page /blog.
- Groups do not carry their own traffic figures. Do not expect clicks or sessions for a group.
- Next, ask your assistant to list your groups and check that a sample page lands in the right one.

## What it answers

- Which site sections and search themes have you defined for a property?
- Which rules decide whether a page or a query belongs to a group?
- In which order do the groups claim pages and queries?

## Rules

Each group or cluster holds 1 to 50 rules. A rule has two parts:

- **How to compare.** The text can start with, end with, contain or equal the value.
- **The value.** This is the text to compare with, 1 to 255 characters.

The comparison ignores case. MeasureScale also removes blanks at either end of the value. Rules use plain text only. They do not accept regular expressions.

### What a rule compares

- A content group rule compares the page's URL path in lower case. The host, the query string and the fragment are removed. A bare host becomes /.
- A topic cluster rule compares the query text in lower case, with blanks removed at either end.

| Page URL | Compared path |
|---|---|
| https://www.example.com/Blog/SEO/?utm_source=x#top | /blog/seo/ |
| https://example.com | / |
| https://example.com/blog | /blog |

### Which group a page or query belongs to

A group matches a page when any of its rules matches. A page belongs to the **first** group that matches it, in creation order. Groups created at the same moment keep a fixed order. The same rule applies to topic clusters and queries.

Each page or query therefore belongs to one group at most. A page that no group matches stays ungrouped.

For example, a property has two groups, created in this order:

1. Blog, with a rule that the path starts with /blog/
2. SEO, with a rule that the path contains "seo"

The page /blog/seo-tips belongs to Blog. It matches both groups, and Blog came first. An update keeps a group's place in the order. To move a group to the end, delete it and create it again.

## Creating and changing

You need write access to create, change or delete a group or cluster. Listing needs only read access. [Read and write tools](/concepts/read-and-write-tools/) explains write access.

1. **Create.** Name the property, the group or cluster, and its rules.
2. **Update.** Name the group or cluster and what to change. Anything you leave out keeps its value. New rules replace all the old rules.
3. **Delete.** Name the group or cluster. The delete is permanent.

Updates and deletes ask you to confirm first.

A name has 1 to 100 characters. MeasureScale rejects a request in these cases:

- Another group or cluster on the property has the same name, in any case.
- The property already holds 100 content groups, or 100 topic clusters.
- No such group or cluster exists on the property.
- An update changes nothing.
- The account holds no Search Console property with that URL.

## Limits

- **No traffic per group.** MeasureScale reports no clicks, impressions or sessions per content group or topic cluster.
- **Text, not URLs.** A rule compares text only. A rule that the path starts with /blog/ does not match the page /blog, because that path has no trailing slash.
- **Order matters.** A broad rule in an early group claims pages before later groups can.
- **Paths, not hosts.** Content group rules see only the path. Pages on different hosts of one property match the same rules.