FAQ

Where does your electronic component data come from?

All the electronics distributors on Octopart send us data directly. We have direct business relationships with all of the distributors on Octopart.

What is Lifecycle Status?

This data is any and all lifecycle information that we get for a component. This can come from the manufacturer or distributor. This data is normalized to reflect Octopart’s commonly used terms.

What is Manufacturer Lifecycle Status?

This data comes from the component manufacturer only. Since the manufacturer is the owner of their product, we believe that this is the more valuable type of lifecycle data. As such, we do not normalize the data, but pass the manufacturer's exact language on to our users without modification.

What is normalized data?

Data that is adjusted to reflect more commonly used terms.

How often is your electronic component data from distributors refreshed?

The data on our website is updated continuously. We receive stock and pricing information from most distributors once a day.

How does Octopart make money?

When you click from a part on Octopart to an electronic distributor's website, we receive a small fee from the distributor.

As a free service, Octopart relies on sponsorship from advertisers including distributors and manufacturers. Octopart is also supported by other forms of advertising. These include:

  • Sponsored placements in our email newsletters
  • Banner advertisements on our properties
  • Banner advertisements on others sites through a third-party network
  • Cross-reference (replacement part) sponsored placements

Octopart also sells aggregated usage reports including "Top Product" and "Most Searched" style reports. These are anonymous and feature data collected in aggregate of people using Octopart.

How does Octopart decide the order of part search results?

The order of part results when you search on Octopart is organic and is not paid. Our search algorithm considers the data we have on each part as well as how well the query terms match certain part data. This algorithm is designed to return the best possible parts for each search. The order of those parts is not influenced by payment to Octopart.

How does Octopart decide the order of distributors?

The default order of distributors is influenced by a number of factors, such as quantity in stock, the data they provide us, and advertiser rates paid by the distributor.

To be clear, these factors only influence default placement of distributors in the offer table beneath the product. They do not influence the original search result set of returned products (MPNs) as defined in the previous section.

How does Octopart use Cookies?

Octopart makes use of cookies to help us administer and improve the quality of Octopart, to analyze usage, and to serve relevant ads. Refer to Octopart's Privacy Policy for additional information.

Do I need to sign up for an account?

No, an account is not required to use Octopart, but we recommend it! You can save preferences like your country, your preferred currency, save BOMs in the BOM Tool, and save your favorite distributors.

Why did you start Octopart?

Octopart was started by three Ph.D. students studying physics who were frustrated by how hard it was to find electronic components and compare prices between distributors. They founded Octopart in 2006 to open up access to part data for design, sourcing, and manufacturing.

Can I buy parts from Octopart or sell parts to Octopart?

No. Octopart is a search engine for electronic parts. While we have information on over 40 million parts on our site, we don't have our own warehouse or stock of parts. You can buy parts from the distributors that we link to, though! To buy a part from a distributor, click the blue "Buy Now" link or the distributor's SKU next to the distributor's name.

Are you guys owned by a manufacturer or a distributor?

No, we are not owned by any manufacturer or distributor. In 2015, we became a wholly owned subsidiary of Altium, an electronics design software company, and continue to grow and operate independently from our headquarters in New York City.

I can't find a part on Octopart, what should I do?

If you know of a distributor who stocks the part and they're not on our list of distributors, please let that distributor know about Octopart and suggest that they list their inventory with us. If you think that a distributor on our list has it in stock but it's not showing up on Octopart, please email us.

Does Octopart offer an API?

Yes. Octopart is powered by the Nexar Legacy API.

What do I do if I submitted an RFQ on Octopart but never got a response?

Please email contact@octopart.com.

Why is the quantity in stock on Octopart different from a distributor's website?

We receive data files from distributors on a daily basis so usually the quantity in stock will closely reflect the distributor's stock. If there seems to be a major discrepancy, please let us know and we'll look into it.

Are you hiring?

If you love electronics and think you could help us improve our service, check our jobs page and send us an email!

I want to follow all of the cool things going on at Octopart. How can I keep up-to-date?

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and sign up for our Newsletter!

I'm interested in banner advertising. Who should I get in touch with?

Please contact our business team.