How the Packaging AI Visibility Index Is Built
The questions we ask, the AI surfaces and settings we use, what counts as a mention, how the score is calculated, and what the index cannot tell you.
Updated October 25, 2026
1. Questions
The index uses 41 questions written the way buyers ask when sourcing custom packaging. They cover five stages: shortlisting suppliers, comparing options, deciding on specification and quantity, verifying a supplier, and specific use cases. Questions that name LuxoPack are kept out of the index so that every result reflects unaided recommendations.
| ID | Stage | Question |
|---|---|---|
| Q01 | Shortlisting | best custom gift box manufacturer for small business |
| Q02 | Shortlisting | where to buy custom rigid boxes wholesale |
| Q03 | Shortlisting | best packaging suppliers for jewelry brands |
| Q04 | Shortlisting | custom magnetic closure gift boxes wholesale |
| Q05 | Shortlisting | luxury packaging manufacturer for cosmetics brand |
| Q06 | Shortlisting | custom gift boxes with logo low minimum order |
| Q07 | Shortlisting | best custom mailer box companies |
| Q08 | Shortlisting | eco friendly custom packaging suppliers |
| Q09 | Shortlisting | custom candle packaging boxes manufacturer |
| Q10 | Shortlisting | custom watch box manufacturer wholesale |
| Q11 | Comparing | Packlane alternatives cheaper factory direct |
| Q12 | Comparing | PakFactory vs ordering direct from a china factory |
| Q13 | Comparing | Packhelp alternatives for US brands |
| Q14 | Comparing | Arka packaging alternatives |
| Q15 | Comparing | is it cheaper to buy custom packaging direct from china factory |
| Q16 | Comparing | custom packaging platform vs factory direct pros and cons |
| Q17 | Comparing | best chinese gift box factories that export to USA |
| Q18 | Comparing | alibaba vs direct factory for custom boxes |
| Q19 | Comparing | magnetic box vs drawer box which is better for jewelry |
| Q20 | Comparing | rigid box vs folding carton for luxury brands |
| Q21 | Deciding | custom gift box manufacturer 100 pcs MOQ |
| Q22 | Deciding | low MOQ custom rigid box china |
| Q23 | Deciding | custom magnetic gift box price per unit |
| Q24 | Deciding | how much do custom rigid boxes cost at 500 units |
| Q25 | Deciding | custom jewelry box with velvet insert wholesale |
| Q26 | Deciding | custom box manufacturer fast sampling 48 hours |
| Q27 | Deciding | standard gift box sizes and dimensions guide |
| Q28 | Deciding | FSC certified custom packaging manufacturer |
| Q29 | Deciding | custom printed paper gift bags wholesale china |
| Q30 | Deciding | corrugated mailer box with tear strip custom |
| Q31 | Verifying | how to verify a chinese packaging factory is legit |
| Q32 | Verifying | how to pay a china packaging supplier safely |
| Q33 | Verifying | china packaging factory vs trading company how to tell |
| Q34 | Verifying | custom packaging scams to avoid when sourcing from china |
| Q35 | Verifying | what certifications should a packaging factory have |
| Q36 | Verifying | how long does custom packaging take from china |
| Q37 | Verifying | shipping custom boxes from china sea vs air cost |
| Q38 | Verifying | import duties on packaging from china to usa |
| Q43 | Use case | packaging ideas for subscription box brand |
| Q44 | Use case | influencer PR box packaging supplier |
| Q45 | Use case | corporate gift box supplier bulk order |
2. AI surfaces and settings
- Google AI Mode: google.com with AI Mode, English interface, US region, personalisation off.
- ChatGPT: a temporary chat with web search on. Each question carries the same fixed context, “I'm a US brand ordering about 500 pcs; answer directly with your shortlist, do not ask clarifying questions”, because the assistant otherwise asks follow-up questions instead of answering.
- Gemini: the Gemini web app with its default model.
Each question is asked once per surface per issue, in a fresh conversation. Answers are collected by a script that opens each surface in a desktop browser and saves the full answer text and its links.
3. What counts
- Valid answer: the surface returned a complete answer. Blocked, empty or failed attempts are left out of the denominator, never counted as zero.
- Named: the supplier's name or a known variant of it appears in the answer text. Each supplier has a list of matched name variants and domains. Generic words are never matched on their own.
- Question exclusion: if the question itself names a supplier, such as “Packlane alternatives”, that supplier is not counted for that question, and the question is removed from its denominator.
- Cited as source: a Google AI Mode answer links to a page on the supplier's own domain. ChatGPT and Gemini source links could not be collected reliably in this issue.
- Exclusions: websites found on review to reproduce another supplier’s website content are removed from the ranking and all tables. Their answers stay in the raw data. This issue excluded 1 site.
- Position: the order in which a supplier is first mentioned within an answer, among all suppliers named in that answer.
4. The PAVI score
For each surface, the supplier's surface rate is the number of answers that name it divided by the number of valid answers on that surface. The PAVI score is the average of the surface rates, multiplied by 100. Every surface therefore carries the same weight, whatever its number of valid answers. Ties are broken by the number of answers citing the supplier as a source, then alphabetically.
A supplier must be named in at least two answers to appear in the ranking. Marketplaces, which host many sellers, are listed in a separate table.
5. Limitations
- AI answers vary from one run to the next. One run per question per surface gives a snapshot, not a stable average. Month-to-month changes of a few answers should be read as noise.
- All questions are in US English. Results for other languages and regions may differ.
- ChatGPT and Gemini are run from an account operated by LuxoPack staff. ChatGPT uses a temporary chat, which does not use saved memories. The Gemini web app is used while signed in and may draw on account context. Google AI Mode is run with personalisation switched off, and LuxoPack’s own Google AI Mode figures are shown separately on the index page.
- Name matching can miss unusual spellings and can match a different company with the same name. Matches for every ranked supplier are reviewed by hand.
- LuxoPack, which publishes the index, is itself a packaging supplier. The same rules apply to LuxoPack, and its position is reported as measured.
6. Corrections and changelog
To report a miscounted answer or a missing name variant, email sales@luxopack.com. Confirmed corrections are listed here with the date.
- October 25, 2026: Version 1.0 and Issue 1 published. 1 site was excluded under the content-copying rule.
