What AI actually reads on your website
Generative AI systems don't read design or animations. They mainly work with text, headings, structure and structured data in the public HTML. An important consequence: if the main content only renders via JavaScript in the browser, some AI crawlers may not see it.
AI search engines the GEO audit takes into account
- ChatGPT (OpenAI) — GPTBot and OAI-SearchBot,
- Perplexity — PerplexityBot,
- Claude (Anthropic) — ClaudeBot and Claude-SearchBot,
- Google AI Overviews — Google-Extended and the classic Google crawlers.
The GEO audit checks whether your robots.txt is accidentally blocking them, and whether
you have a website map ready for AI tools via llms.txt.
Why AI cites some websites and ignores others
An AI system is more likely to use a page that:
- directly answers a specific question (not just marketing phrases),
- has short citable blocks — a definition, a step-by-step process, a price, a comparison,
- clearly states who is behind the content (brand, operator, contact),
- has consistent structured data appropriate for the page type.
How you find out how AI sees you
The fastest way is through the GEO audit: enter a URL and get a score, a list of unanswered questions, citable blocks and priority fixes. If you want to understand the principle first, read what a GEO audit is.
Frequently asked questions
How do AI search engines read my website?
Mainly public HTML — text, headings, structured data and links. Many don't execute JavaScript, so the main content should be directly in the HTML.
Why does AI cite some websites and not others?
It favors pages with direct answers, citable blocks, a clear brand and trustworthiness.
How do I find out how ChatGPT or AI Overviews see me?
Run a GEO audit on your URL — it shows what AI understands from your page and what to add.