Frequently Asked Questions

General

Is Wolfram|Alpha a search engine?

No. It's a computational knowledge engine: it generates output by doing computations from the Wolfram Knowledgebase, instead of searching the web and returning links.

Is Wolfram|Alpha free to use?

Yes, it's free for personal noncommercial use as described in its Terms of Use. Access to enhanced features and ad-free site use is available through a subscription to Wolfram|Alpha Pro.

Who is Wolfram|Alpha for?

Everyone! Its goal is to bring expert-level knowledge to everybody.

Where can I see a demo of Wolfram|Alpha?

Browse the Examples by Topic page, or take a tour of Wolfram|Alpha.

How can I find the latest information about Wolfram|Alpha?

Follow us on both X and Facebook, or check out the Wolfram Blog for the latest developments.

How often is Wolfram|Alpha updated?

Wolfram|Alpha's data is continually being updated, often in real time. Its code base is always being developed, and new versions are rolled out frequently.

When will Wolfram|Alpha be finished?

Never. There'll always be knowledge to be added and updated, and new capabilities to be introduced. The Wolfram Language & System (on which Wolfram|Alpha is built) has been in continual development since 1988.

Can I make a suggestion about Wolfram|Alpha?

Absolutely! We welcome your suggestions. Just use the feedback form on every result page.

Can I trust results from Wolfram|Alpha?

We certainly hope so. We spend considerable effort on automated testing, expert review and checking external data that we use. If you ever see a problem, please report it.

What are Wolfram|Alpha's terms of use?

They are described on the Terms of Use page.

Can I assume that my inputs to Wolfram|Alpha are private?

Yes. See the Wolfram|Alpha Privacy Policy for more details.

Can I contribute to Wolfram|Alpha's knowledgebase?

If you have feedback or suggestions for content, feel free to contact us. The Wolfram Knowledgebase—which powers Wolfram|Alpha—is fully curated, so all contributions go through our data auditing and review process.

How can I get involved with Wolfram|Alpha?

Check out the Wolfram|Alpha group on Wolfram Community.

How should the name Wolfram|Alpha be written?

In a two-color rendering, just give each of the two words different colors, with no space in between. In a one-color rendering, separate the words with a vertical bar ( | ).

What are the parts of Wolfram|Alpha's output called?

Each labeled section is called a pod. Pods can have subpods. Clickable elements like "More" are called buttons. Disambiguation questions at the top are called assumptions.
Using Wolfram|Alpha

How can I get started with Wolfram|Alpha?

Browse the Examples by Topic page, take the tour or just type something you want to compute or know about into the input field at the top of the page.

What can I do with Wolfram|Alpha?

Many, many things. Check out the Examples by Topic page. Or visit the Wolfram Blog or Wolfram Community to see what others are doing.

Why doesn't Wolfram|Alpha understand what I asked?

You might need to ask it differently, or it might be that Wolfram|Alpha doesn't yet cover what you're asking about. Try making your query the minimum number of words needed to communicate. Try different words or notations. And be sure to check your spelling. If you still need help, Pro Premium users can try contacting Pro Premium Expert Support.

How can I get help with Wolfram|Alpha?

Join the Wolfram|Alpha group on Wolfram Community, visit the Wolfram|Alpha Facebook page or contact us.

How do I report a bug or give feedback about Wolfram|Alpha?

Just use the feedback form on the bottom of every results page. You can also have discussions on the Wolfram|Alpha group on Wolfram Community.

Is there a manual for Wolfram|Alpha?

Wolfram|Alpha works by taking free-form linguistic input, so there's no need for a manual as such. Check out the Examples by Topic page to get a sense of what Wolfram|Alpha can do.

How can I optimize my queries to Wolfram|Alpha?

Use as few words as possible to communicate. Use unambiguous whole words. Just describe what you're interested in; you don't need to explicitly ask a question. For more guidance, take a look at the Examples by Topic page. If you still need help, Pro Premium users can try contacting Pro Premium Expert Support.

How does Wolfram|Alpha deal with linguistic ambiguity?

It ranks possible interpretations, gives results for the one it thinks is most plausible and gives links to click to get other ones. It often uses your location to rank interpretations—say, favoring cities that are near you.

When Wolfram|Alpha prompts for input, what can I enter?

Pretty much anything you could put into the main Wolfram|Alpha input field. For instance, if you're asked for a density, you can either give an explicit number or a response like "water".

Will I always get the same answer to a particular question?

Usually, but not necessarily. Some results may depend on the time and/or location of the query. In addition, Wolfram|Alpha is continually being updated and enhanced.

How does Wolfram|Alpha know where I am located?

It uses GeoIP, tracing back from the IP address it picks up when your browser contacts the Wolfram|Alpha server. The location it deduces should be correct to within about five miles. You can also set a specific location in the "Preferences" tab of the user drop-down menu in the top-right corner of Wolfram|Alpha pages.

Why does Wolfram|Alpha use the wrong location for me?

Wolfram|Alpha deduces your location from your IP address. If you are using a VPN, satellite internet or some other complex form of network, you may have to correct your location explicitly by including it in your input or by setting a specific location in the "Preferences" tab of the user drop-down menu in the top-right corner of Wolfram|Alpha pages.

How can I tell Wolfram|Alpha my location?

Wolfram|Alpha should automatically know your approximate location from GeoIP. If for some reason it does not, you can include a city or latitude, longitude specification in your input.

Does Wolfram|Alpha handle languages other than English?

Browse the currently supported languages Wolfram|Alpha understands by viewing the language selector in the header on www.wolframalpha.com.

Can I interact with Wolfram|Alpha graphics?

With a Wolfram|Alpha Pro subscription and the free Wolfram Player plugin, you can get dynamic versions of existing Wolfram|Alpha output with interactive controls, 3D rotation, animation and much more.

Can I get data from Wolfram|Alpha in spreadsheet format?

Wolfram|Alpha Pro's data download supports many formats, including CSV, XLS and more. For a list of supported download formats, see the Data Download Samples page.
Web & Other Practicalities

What do I need to use Wolfram|Alpha?

All you need to use Wolfram|Alpha is web connectivity and a modern web browser with JavaScript. Supported browsers include the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge. Wolfram|Alpha often makes use of the latest web technologies, and we strongly recommend using the most up-to-date version of your preferred browser.

Can I use Wolfram|Alpha on a mobile phone?

Yes! You can access Wolfram|Alpha through one of our mobile apps or use wolframalpha.com on a mobile device.

Can I access Wolfram|Alpha offline?

No. Wolfram|Alpha is a web-based service that runs on a large centralized compute cluster. For organizations, see our Business Solutions page and learn how to add Wolfram|Alpha to your internal infrastructure.

How do I customize Wolfram|Alpha input and output?

Signed-in users may set preferences such as unit system, currency, time zone, output text size and similar.To set your preferences:
  • Sign in to Wolfram|Alpha. If you do not yet have a Wolfram ID, you'll need to create one.
  • Click the drop-down arrow next to your Wolfram ID (top right).
  • Click Preferences.
  • Configure your options under the various tabs.
If you're unable to sign in, you may be able to use your browser's magnification tools to adjust your view of Wolfram|Alpha.

How can I copy results out of Wolfram|Alpha?

Hover over any result pod or click the gear icon and a small toolbar will appear in the bottom-left corner. Click the icon for a plain text version of that result pod. Select and copy the text as you would any other text on the web.

Can I bookmark Wolfram|Alpha results?

The URLs of Wolfram|Alpha results can be bookmarked. Wolfram|Alpha is not a directory; it computes answers on the fly. Results will be recomputed using your current time and location when visiting a bookmarked Wolfram|Alpha result URL.

Are there toolbars, widgets and so on available for Wolfram|Alpha?

Yes. See the Resources & Tools page.

Can I use non-English characters in Wolfram|Alpha input?

Yes. If your browser can handle a special character, Wolfram|Alpha will be able to as well. However, Wolfram|Alpha currently only understands questions in English or Japanese on ja.wolframalpha.com.You also have access to an onscreen extended keyboard, allowing you to input additional symbols to give your formulas correct technical formatting. The keyboard includes all common Greek characters and a curated collection of other special characters.

What does Wolfram|Alpha know about me?

Wolfram|Alpha knows only what your browser transmits to the web server—primarily your IP address, from which Wolfram|Alpha deduces your approximate geographic location. (Note that this information is protected by our Privacy Policy.)

How can I compute with results from Wolfram|Alpha?

There are a few options. Depending on the result, the "Copyable plaintext" dialog may contain pre-formatted code you can use directly in any Wolfram Language interface. The WolframAlpha function in Wolfram Language 9+ enables direct Wolfram|Alpha free-form input in your notebook environment. You can also use the "Open code" feature to interact with results in the Wolfram Cloud. Finally, Wolfram|Alpha Pro subscribers can download results pages in Wolfram Notebooks (.nb).

Why can't I hear a sound that Wolfram|Alpha has generated?

Wolfram|Alpha generates sounds in MIDI format, which may require a plugin for certain browser configurations.
Scope of Wolfram|Alpha

What can I ask Wolfram|Alpha?

Eventually you should be able to ask it about essentially any kind of systematic factual knowledge. You can get an idea of what it covers today by looking at the Examples. You can track its progress through the Wolfram Blog and the Wolfram Community.

How can I tell whether Wolfram|Alpha covers a particular area?

The easiest thing to do is just to try a simple case of it. You can also browse the Examples by Topic page, or ask on Wolfram Community.

What are Wolfram|Alpha's main limitations?

It can only know things that are known, and are somehow public. It only deals with facts, not opinions. It limits the computation time for each query. And, of course, it's in continual development—and always will be.

In what areas is Wolfram|Alpha strongest?

We've first emphasized areas where computation or mathematics have traditionally had a more significant role, or where knowledge is more readily quantitative. But we're steadily working through all the content areas covered by reference libraries, handbooks and much more.

How much math can Wolfram|Alpha do?

Pretty much anything that's possible using today's best algorithms—subject only to the constraint that the computations must complete in the time Wolfram|Alpha has available.

Can Wolfram|Alpha do higher math?

Yes, absolutely. It has access to all of Wolfram Language's algorithms, which cover algebra, calculus, geometry, number theory, discrete math and much more.

Does Wolfram|Alpha cover what is in standard math handbooks?

Yes, quite thoroughly, including everything in standards like Abramowitz & Stegun, Gradshteyn & Rhyzik and many, many others. It covers much that isn't in such books, as well. And because Wolfram|Alpha performs real-time computations rather than simply looking up data, it can always derive new results.

Does Wolfram|Alpha cover what is in handbooks of chemistry and physics?

Yes, fairly thoroughly. And it's not just able to look up tabulated values, but also to compute from empirical formulas and so on, and to use such results as inputs to other computations.

How broad is Wolfram|Alpha's coverage of socioeconomic data?

For data that's systematically available internationally, its coverage is quite broad. There's more to do on data that's specific to particular countries.

Does Wolfram|Alpha have real-time financial data?

Yes. Wolfram|Alpha gives the latest trade quotes in real time.

How much data does Wolfram|Alpha have on weather?

Pretty much everything that's available, going back more than a century in some places. And it's constantly getting new real-time data.

How much data does Wolfram|Alpha have about people?

Basic computable information about well-known people, such as birth and death dates, government positions, major awards, etc. More data and connections are being added.

How much data does Wolfram|Alpha have on popular culture?

Basics, particularly about more computable issues, such as movie box-office grosses. More is being added.

Why doesn't Wolfram|Alpha have data on a particular domain?

Most likely because we haven't gotten to it yet. Feel free to contact us with contributions or suggestions of data that we should include.
Data in Wolfram|Alpha

How much data is there in Wolfram|Alpha?

Many trillions of elements, continually growing through a large number of feeds.

Does Wolfram|Alpha get its data from the web?

No. It comes from Wolfram|Alpha's internal knowledgebase. Some of the data in that knowledgebase is derived from official public or private websites, but most of it is from more systematic primary sources.

Where does Wolfram|Alpha's data come from?

Many different sources, combined and curated by the Wolfram|Alpha team. At the bottom of each relevant results page there's a "Sources" button, which provides background sources and references.

Can I find the origin of a particular piece of data?

Most of the data in Wolfram|Alpha is derived by computations, often based on multiple sources. A list of background sources and references is available via the "Sources" button at the bottom of relevant Wolfram|Alpha results pages.

How is Wolfram|Alpha's data checked?

We use a portfolio of automated and manual methods, including statistics, visualization, source cross-checking and expert review. With trillions of pieces of data, it's inevitable that there are still errors out there.

How often is the data in Wolfram|Alpha updated?

Many kinds of data—such as financial or weather—stream in all the time. Other kinds of data are updated when they become available, on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis.

What should I do if I find an error in Wolfram|Alpha's data?

Tell us! We're always working hard to perfect the quality of our data.

How may I use data from Wolfram|Alpha?

You can use individual pieces of data however you want. There are, however, restrictions on aggregate uses, as described in the Terms of Use. Please contact us if you're wondering about a particular use.

Does Wolfram|Alpha stand behind the data it uses?

Yes. Although we must rely on external sources for many kinds of raw data, we curate all data and our goal is to make sure that it is perfect.

How is real-time data curated?

Wolfram|Alpha effectively checks real-time data (such as weather, earthquakes, market prices, etc.) against built-in criteria and models. If an unexpected deviation is found, Wolfram|Alpha will normally indicate it, for example by showing lines as dashed.

How much of Wolfram|Alpha's data comes from Wikipedia?

Most of the data comes directly from primary sources. However, Wikipedia contains excellent "folk information" about everyday practices in many domains, about the popularity and names of things (such as "the big apple" for NYC, and so on). Wolfram|Alpha uses such information especially for linguistic disambiguation.
Education & Research

What educational levels is Wolfram|Alpha suitable for?

Any level, from kindergarten to graduate school and beyond. On the elementary end, Wolfram|Alpha can do arithmetic showing steps, make clocks, work with colors and so on.

Can I use Wolfram|Alpha to do my homework?

That depends on your teacher. If you do use it, don't forget to cite it as a source.

Why does Wolfram|Alpha give a different answer from my textbook?

Check to see if your book's answer appears under "Alternate forms". It's pretty common for some forms to look different but be effectively equivalent.

Should I cite Wolfram|Alpha when I use results from it?

Yes. For academic purposes, Wolfram|Alpha is a primary source.

How should I cite results from Wolfram|Alpha?

The citable author is Wolfram|Alpha. Don't forget to include the time and/or place at which the query was made, as it can affect the result. You can reference results in individual pods by giving their names. See standard citation elements for Wolfram|Alpha for specific elements and an example.

How can I find out what to cite when I use data from Wolfram|Alpha?

Wolfram|Alpha should be considered the source, just as an encyclopedia or other reference would be. If you include the Wolfram|Alpha URL in your document, your readers can go to the "Sources" button to get further references. Note that Wolfram|Alpha often combines and adapts data from multiple sources.

Is the content of Wolfram|Alpha peer reviewed?

Yes, the content is reviewed by domain experts. It is also extensively validated using automated testing. For external data, we strive to use the most reliable sources available.

Can I find out how specific results in Wolfram|Alpha were derived?

Elementary math results often have "Step-by-step solution" buttons, and combinations of data have "Details" buttons. "Sources" buttons give information on background sources for external data.

Does Wolfram|Alpha contain "adult content"?

No. It has no adult images or narrative. It gives only factual answers to factual questions.
Development

Is there an API for Wolfram|Alpha?

Yes. Several pre-built Wolfram|Alpha APIs are available for personal, developer and commercial use. Visit the Wolfram|Alpha APIs page for details on all of our developer products.

May I use Wolfram|Alpha on my website?

Yes. You can embed interactive Wolfram|Alpha Widgets onto your blog or website or use the APIs to integrate Wolfram|Alpha's results directly in your web application.

May I build an application that uses Wolfram|Alpha?

Yes. You can incorporate results from Wolfram|Alpha queries directly into your web, mobile and desktop applications with the Wolfram|Alpha API.

Can I use Wolfram|Alpha from Wolfram Language?

Yes. Wolfram|Alpha can be accessed directly from any Wolfram Language interface. Learn more about this functionality at the Wolfram|Alpha Integration guide page.

Can I use Wolfram Language code in Wolfram|Alpha?

Yes. Most small pieces of Wolfram Language code will work in Wolfram|Alpha. In most cases, you can mix Wolfram Language code with pseudocode and math.
Business

What is Wolfram|Alpha's business model?

Wolfram|Alpha represents the first deployment of a new kind of computing technology. Many different products and services are developing from Wolfram|Alpha and its technology.

Can I build a business based on Wolfram|Alpha?

There are many potential opportunities, particularly around the Wolfram|Alpha API, distribution channels and data curation. We intend to encourage the best possible business ecosystem around Wolfram|Alpha.

What is the corporate structure of Wolfram|Alpha?

Wolfram Alpha LLC is a privately held spinoff of Wolfram Research, Inc. Wolfram Research is the privately held company that has been developing Mathematica and Wolfram Language since 1986.

Can I invest in Wolfram|Alpha?

Wolfram Alpha LLC is a private company with no outside investors. There are likely to be corporate investment opportunities in other Wolfram|Alpha-related businesses. Contact us for information.

Is Wolfram|Alpha hiring?

Wolfram|Alpha is always looking for exceptional technical, content and business talent. Learn more at the Wolfram Careers page.
Technology of Wolfram|Alpha

What is the core technology of Wolfram|Alpha?

There are many parts to it, each with significant innovations. Four key general areas are the data curation pipeline, the algorithmic computation system, the linguistic processing system and the automated presentation system.

How big is the Wolfram|Alpha source?

It's currently more than 10 million lines of symbolic Wolfram Language code, together with many terabytes of data.

How easy is it to scale Wolfram|Alpha?

Wolfram|Alpha uses a modular server architecture, similar to many modern supercomputers. Scaling to accommodate more requests simply requires having more modules.

Does Wolfram|Alpha use parallel computation?

Yes, extensively. In fact, outputs often have each pod computed on a different CPU.

What kinds of computers are Wolfram|Alpha's servers?

Wolfram|Alpha uses clusters of modern x86 processors, configured in modular units.

Can I get a private version of Wolfram|Alpha?

Running Wolfram|Alpha requires large-scale infrastructure. Custom Wolfram|Alpha solutions are available for large organizations.

Does Wolfram|Alpha learn from user behavior?

Yes. User behavior gives excellent clues about linguistics, which we incorporate into Wolfram|Alpha.

What is Wolfram|Alpha's internal implementation language?

Wolfram Language. Without Wolfram Language's high-level symbolic programming and huge base of built-in algorithms, Wolfram|Alpha simply wouldn't have been possible.

What web technology does Wolfram|Alpha use?

Its server technology is based on Apache Web servers accessing clusters of webMathematica servers.

Does Wolfram|Alpha use an ontology?

In effect it has a dynamic algorithmic version of an ontology, implemented using symbolic programming. A future version of the Wolfram|Alpha API may expose some of Wolfram|Alpha's internal ontology constructs.
Context & History

How does Wolfram|Alpha compare to search engines?

Search engines give you links to pages that exist on the web. Wolfram|Alpha computes answers to specific questions using its built-in knowledgebase and algorithms.

How does Wolfram|Alpha compare to Wikipedia?

Wikipedia gives you pages of narrative about topics. Wolfram|Alpha computes answers to specific questions you ask, just giving facts, not narrative. Wolfram|Alpha often includes sidebar links to Wikipedia.

What is the closest precursor to Wolfram|Alpha?

In concept, perhaps Leibniz's characteristica universalis from the late 1600s—or the science-fiction computers of the 1960s. Technologically, many pieces of Wolfram|Alpha have precursors, but the ambitious scope of the whole project is believed to be unique.

Does Wolfram|Alpha use artificial intelligence?

Not in a traditional sense. Wolfram|Alpha isn't mainly based on emulating human reasoning. Instead it uses powerful methods from science and algorithmic computation to get directly to answers.

Is Wolfram|Alpha an artificial intelligence?

It's much more an engineered artifact than a humanlike artificial intelligence. Some of what it does—especially in language understanding—may be similar to what humans do. But its primary objective is to do directed computations, not to act as a general intelligence.

Does Wolfram|Alpha use semantic web technology?

Not directly. Wolfram|Alpha has its own internal knowledgebase, with its own extensive internal semantics and ontology.

Does Wolfram|Alpha use natural language processing (NLP)?

Wolfram|Alpha introduces many new methods for understanding linguistic inputs. Mostly they're unlike traditional NLP, not least because Wolfram|Alpha has to deal with linguistic fragments rather than full grammatical sentences.

Can Wolfram|Alpha discover new facts?

Whenever it does new computations, it's effectively deriving new facts. At present, it always uses established scientific or other models as the basis for its computations. But using NKS it'll probably one day be possible for Wolfram|Alpha to discover new models too.

What is the theoretical foundation of Wolfram|Alpha?

Wolfram|Alpha attempts to synthesize all forms of knowledge that can be made computable—and uses methodology from all of them. A key general element is the concept of symbolic computation—inherited from the Wolfram Language system that underlies Wolfram|Alpha.

How does Wolfram|Alpha relate to NKS (Wolfram's A New Kind of Science)?

Wolfram|Alpha makes both conceptual and practical use of the NKS idea of generating rich, complex behavior from simple underlying rules. In many ways, Wolfram|Alpha is the first "killer app" for NKS (see Stephen Wolfram's blog post).

How does Wolfram|Alpha relate to the MathWorld website?

Wolfram|Alpha includes a large fraction of the systematic knowledge in MathWorld, adapted into fully computable form. Wolfram|Alpha gives sidebar links to MathWorld when appropriate.

How does Wolfram|Alpha relate to the Mathematical Functions Site?

Wolfram|Alpha provides immediate algorithmic access to all of the over 300,000 formulas in the Mathematical Functions Site. Wolfram|Alpha also gives links to the Mathematical Functions Site.

Who built Wolfram|Alpha?

An eclectic team led by Stephen Wolfram. For most of the pre-launch development period, the team had fewer than 100 members. The team includes experts in many fields and domains.

How long did it take to build Wolfram|Alpha?

Wolfram Language foundations that lie beneath Wolfram|Alpha were started in 1986. The full Wolfram|Alpha project started in 2005.
Wolfram|Alpha Pro
Wolfram|Alpha Account/Wolfram ID

Why do I need a Wolfram|Alpha account?

A Wolfram|Alpha account gives you access to setting preferences. It's also the first step to getting a Wolfram|Alpha Pro subscription.

How do I get a Wolfram|Alpha account?

It's easy! First you need a Wolfram ID (an account that allows you to securely access various Wolfram websites and services). Just click the "Sign in" link at the top right of most Wolfram|Alpha pages. If you don't already have a Wolfram ID, click Create an Account on the sign-in form to create one.

How do I change my Wolfram ID or update the email address associated with my Wolfram ID?

You can access your account information by logging in to account.wolfram.com.

Will my Wolfram ID or Wolfram|Alpha account be shared/public?

We will not share your information or make your Wolfram ID or account details public. See our Terms of Use.

How do I change my password?

You can change your password by accessing account.wolfram.com or by using the "Forgot your password" feature on the sign-in page.

Help! I created an account, but I don't see how to access my preferences.

You are probably logged out. Make sure that your email address is listed at the top right of the Wolfram|Alpha site (instead of "Sign in"). If you are not using Wolfram|Alpha, you will normally be automatically logged out one hour after use. However, if you check the "Remember me" box on the sign-in form, you will stay logged in for 30 days before being logged out.

If I've purchased Pro, do I have to pay for the Wolfram|Alpha app in the iOS, Android or Windows store?

We offer a free app for download on iOS or Android, and you are able to use your Pro subscription purchased on the web for enhanced features within the apps if you log in using your Wolfram ID. The Windows store requires a separate purchase.

I've purchased Pro. Why am I not seeing Pro features?

It may take a few minutes for your account to be updated in our system. Please clear your browser cache and try again in a few minutes.

Will my Pro plan purchased through Apple or Google Play work on the web?

If you've created a login either before or after your app store subscription purchase, yes, your Pro plan will be available for use on the web. You need to log in to the website using the Wolfram ID you associated with your purchase in the app to receive access to Pro features on the web.

Can I change or cancel my Pro plan?

If you purchased on the web, you may change or cancel your Pro plan by visiting account.wolfram.com. If you made your Pro purchase through an app store, you'll need to contact the app store where you made your purchase directly regarding your plan.
Subscription Features

What do I get with a Pro subscription?

The features are detailed on Wolfram|Alpha Pro page.

What do I get with a Pro Premium subscription?

Pro Premium plans include all Pro features plus extended computation time, premium expert support and more. These additional features are listed on the pricing page.
Billing

What methods of payment do you accept?

We accept direct payment by credit card.

When exactly will I be charged for my monthly Pro subscription?

If your subscription is on a monthly basis, you will be charged the same day of the month as when you initiated your subscription. For annual subscriptions, you will be charged on the anniversary of your original subscription.

What happens if my credit card expires?

You will get a reminder a month, 15 days and one day prior to expiration to update your credit card information.

What happens if my Pro subscription expires?

Your access will revert to the standard ad-supported Wolfram|Alpha, with free account privileges.

How do I verify my student eligibility?

You can do this by giving us your email address at your college or university that we will then verify. Otherwise, you will be prompted to give us the name of your school and your expected graduation date.

What happens when I graduate?

When you graduate, you can transfer your subscription to our standard rate.

How do I update/change the credit card I use for my subscription?

If you purchased on the web, you can make changes to the credit card used for your subscription by visiting account.wolfram.com.

How do I cancel my subscription?

If you purchased on the web, you can make changes to your subscription by visiting account.wolfram.com. If you purchased your subscription through an app store, please contact that app store directly to make changes to your subscription.

Where can I go for questions about my bill or trouble during ordering?

You can send us an email, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

What payment methods can I use?

We accept almost any kind of credit or debit card including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, etc.

What currencies do you accept?

Currently we accept US dollars, pounds, euros, Japanese yen, Mexican and Colombian pesos, and reais, but we are working on adding more currencies to the list. International customers outside the United States, European countries and Japan will need to pay in USD.

Does the price include VAT?

Prices listed in euros and pounds are VAT inclusive.

Is this a secure transaction?

Yes, all payments are securely processed by a PCI Level I third-party credit card processor. Your card information never touches our servers.
Access

What web browsers can I use to access Wolfram|Alpha Pro?

Just like the standard Wolfram|Alpha site, Wolfram|Alpha Pro works with support for the last two versions of all standard modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge).

Can I access Wolfram|Alpha Pro from my mobile device?

You can access Wolfram|Alpha Pro from your iOS or Android device in our mobile apps as well as through a web browser on your mobile phone. We are working on making Pro accessible via other devices.
Image Input

What types of image files can I upload?

You can upload any of the major common image file formats such as JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF and many more. A full list of image types that may be used is available on the file formats page.

Is there a limit to the size of the images I can upload?

Image upload sizes are 2MB for Pro users and 5MB for Pro Premium users.

What kind of processing can I do with my images?

Wolfram|Alpha Pro allows you to do a number of color processing and image filtering techniques. You can also analyze your image, detect features and create certain image effects. Examples of our image processing features are available here.

How do I save my processed image?

Once you upload an image, it is stored in your account on our secure servers. You can download and save your processed images in a variety of formats by clicking the data download icon in the lower-left corner of the subpod and following the instructions to download the image data to your computer.
File Upload

What types of files can I upload?

The full list of file formats that can be uploaded is available here.

Can anyone else see my files?

No. Your files are secure on our servers and only accessible to you.
Data Input

What kind of data can I input?

Wolfram|Alpha can analyze numeric or tabular data including pure numbers, dates, places, strings and more. See Examples.

What does Wolfram|Alpha do with my data?

Your data is securely stored on our servers.
Data Download

What types of file formats can I download data as?

Over 60+ types of file formats! Here is a list of file formats and sample files that Wolfram|Alpha supports.
Wolfram|Alpha Personal Analytics for Facebook

Why isn't the Facebook report working?

Wolfram|Alpha Personal Analytics for Facebook is no longer available. We are maintaining this page for archival purposes.
Privacy and Data Security

Where can I find your Privacy Policy?

The Wolfram|Alpha Privacy Policy is available on our website. Our privacy policy encompasses all features of Personal Analytics for Facebook.

I'm concerned about the privacy of my account information. What is done with my Facebook data?

We value the trust that our users put in us, and are committed to maintaining the highest standards of privacy protection.In order to do analysis on your Facebook data, it is necessary to cache it temporarily on our servers. We acquire the data through the Wolfram Connection app using the Facebook API, respecting whatever privacy settings you and your friends have given to Facebook. Our system is set up to cache your data on our servers for one hour, which allows you to perform queries efficiently. The default behavior is to delete personally identifiable data after one hour.We also collect anonymized statistics from the Facebook reports that we generate. Our default de-identification policies are modeled after the well-known HIPAA Privacy Guidelines.If you enable Historical Analytics and/or become a Data Donor, some personally identifiable information will be retained according to the descriptions of those features and in accordance with our privacy policy. These features are not enabled by default.

How is your statistical data anonymized?

Our default de-identification policies are modeled after the well-known HIPAA Privacy Guidelines. As such, we do not store any of the following:
  • Your name
  • Your religion
  • Your political affiliations
  • Your occupation and employer
  • Your telephone and/or fax number
  • Your URLs
  • Your IP address
  • Your geographic location (except your country of residence)
  • Any social security numbers
  • Any dates (except for years) (birth, graduation, etc.)
  • Any uploaded images
  • Any other personally identifiable numbers, characteristics or codes

What data do you store if I become a Data Donor?

The data stored will include all data used to generate your Facebook report. It will not include any photos or private messages. As with all personal data we store, this data will be used for the limited purpose of enhancing user experience with our personal analytics products.
Features and Support

How can I delete my account?

For the immediate future, send a message to info@wolframalpha.com, and your Wolfram ID will be deleted from our system manually. Soon there will be an option for you to do this yourself.

Why isn't the Facebook report working on the Wolfram|Alpha mobile app?

Wolfram|Alpha Personal Analytics for Facebook is only currently available on the Wolfram|Alpha website through a standard desktop browser.

Is there support for other languages?

The Wolfram|Alpha report is only available in English at this time. However, if you use Facebook in another language, we will analyze the data accordingly (e.g. for word clouds, etc.).

Can I run this report on Facebook pages?

Not at present. Facebook page analysis is being planned. Contact business@wolframalpha.com if you are interested in page analysis.

When do you access my Facebook profile?

We only access your Facebook profile when you use Wolfram|Alpha Personal Analytics for Facebook, unless you have enabled Historical Analytics, in which case we will access your profile periodically. Your data is securely stored on our servers and is protected by industry-standard encryption. Your profile is only accessible to you, through Wolfram|Alpha Personal Analytics for Facebook.

Who can see my Personal Analytics for Facebook reports?

By default, your reports are private to you, unless you explicitly publish results from them.If you choose to become a Data Donor, data from your reports is shared with our researchers in accordance with that program.
Historical Analytics & Data Donation

What is Historical Analytics?

Historical Analytics provides additional results for Facebook queries that show you how your network changes over time.Your Facebook data is periodically archived and will be used to generate new historical comparisons each time you create a report.You can begin privately archiving your data for Historical Analytics at any time. Note, however, that historical comparisons are an upcoming feature and additional Historical Analytics pods are not yet available.

What does it mean to be a Data Donor?

Data Donors support our research on personal analytics and sociometrics by donating their personal analytics data to our research collection.Enabling this option adds your Facebook data to our research collection. Your personal information will never be published, though it will be accessible to our research team for their continued research in personal analytics and sociometrics. Your information will never be sold or used for marketing purposes.If at any time you want to stop your future data from being archived, you can turn off data donation in your preferences.

Will there be Personal Analytics reports for other social media?

Stay tuned.

Why is my Facebook report different than it used to be?

Facebook has changed what information is available through their API; we display the information we have access to.