The searches behind every AI answer and which ones your brand covers
Before an AI engine answers a buyer question it often runs its own web searches, reads a handful of pages and suggests follow-ups. Proofsource keeps those searches with each answer, shows the pages each engine read, and marks which follow-up sub-questions your brand covers. You see exactly what to write next. For content and SEO teams moving into AI search.
| Search the engine ran | Engines | Driffle covers it |
|---|---|---|
| AI note taker Salesforce integration 2026 | ChatGPTClaude | Yes |
| Otter vs Fireflies for sales calls | ChatGPT | No |
| free AI meeting notes for Microsoft Teams | Claude | No |
 Gong alternatives for small sales teams | ChatGPT | No |
AI sub-question coverage, in short
The facts, ready to quote.
- What is kept
- The search queries and sources an engine used for each answer
- Pages read
- The pages each engine read for its searches, per answer
- Coverage
- Which follow-up sub-questions your brand already covers
- Reporting
- Engines that do not report their searches are labeled as such
- Follow-ups
- Earlier turns are sent so follow-up questions behave like a real chat
- Export
- Searches, and searches per answer, download as CSV
Query fan-out and sub-question coverage, explained
Query fan-out is what an AI engine does when one buyer question becomes several web searches. Ask ChatGPT "best AI note taker for sales teams" and it may search "AI note taker Salesforce integration 2026", "Otter vs Fireflies sales calls" and "Gong alternatives cheaper" before writing a word. Each of those is a sub-question. The pages that rank for them are the pages the engine reads and cites.
Sub-question coverage asks a simple thing: for the searches and follow-ups engines run around your category, does your site have a page that answers each one? A brand can rank well for its head term and still be invisible in AI answers because it never answers the sub-questions the engine actually looked up.
Proofsource captures the searches each engine reports with its answer, groups them, and shows which engine ran which search and the pages it read. It marks which sub-questions your brand covers and which it does not, and states plainly when an engine did not report its searches rather than guessing. Follow-up questions are asked with the earlier turns included, so the follow-ups match what a real buyer sees.
How it works
See the web searches ChatGPT and Claude run for each answer, the pages they read, the follow-ups they suggest, and which sub-questions your site already covers.
Ask like a buyer
Proofsource asks your buyer questions, including follow-ups with the earlier turns, on each engine.
Keep the searches
For each answer it stores the searches the engine reported and the sources it used.
Show pages read
See the pages each engine read for its searches.
Mark coverage
Each follow-up sub-question is marked covered or not covered by your brand.
Export and plan
Download searches to CSV and turn uncovered sub-questions into pages.
See it in the product
Screens from the Proofsource app, drawn with sample data for an example brand.
- g2.com: AI meeting assistant category
- fireflies.ai/integrations/salesforce
- otter.ai/sales
- reddit.com: r/sales thread on note takers
- driffle.ai/integrations
Every capability, live today
6 shipped capabilities behind AI sub-question coverage, each in the product now.
Query fan-outs tab
Searches engines ran per answer and the follow-ups they suggest, with coverage.
Search evidence capture
Keeps the search queries and sources an engine used for its answer.
Engine searches and pages read
Shows what each engine searched and the pages it read.
Sub-question coverage
Shows which follow-up sub-questions the brand covers.
Real follow-up conversations
Earlier turns are sent so follow-up questions behave like a real chat.
Fan-out exports
Export searches, and searches per answer.
Who it is for
Write the pages AI looks for
Turn uncovered sub-questions into a content plan ranked by how many answers ran them.
Bridge SEO and AI search
See the exact queries engines run, then check where you rank for them.
Learn how buyers' questions branch
See which follow-ups engines suggest, such as integrations or compliance, and answer them on your site.
Why it matters
Concrete content gaps
Uncovered sub-questions are specific page ideas, not vague advice.
See what engines read
Know which pages fed an answer, including competitors' and review sites.
No guessing
Engines that do not report searches are labeled, never filled in.
Take it anywhere
CSV exports for briefs, spreadsheets and SEO tools.
Google AI OverviewsGoogle AI Mode
AI sub-question coverage: Proofsource and other tools
Query fan-out data is one of the fastest-growing features in AI search tools. Here is what each platform publishes.
| Capability | Proofsource | Peec AI | Otterly.AI | Ahrefs | Rankscale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Searches engines run before answering | YesKept per answer, by engine | YesShows web searches engines run before answeringSource | YesExpands a prompt into related queriesSource | YesSub-queries an AI generates behind a promptSource | YesInternal searches engines run before answeringSource |
| Sub-question coverage for your brand | YesEach follow-up marked covered or not | Not listed | Not listed | RelatedUsed to find content gapsSource | Not listed |
| Follow-up questions asked as a real chat | YesEarlier turns sent with each follow-up | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | YesFollow-up question forms on ChatGPTSource |
| Export searches | YesCSV of searches and searches per answer | YesOn all plansSource | YesExport for stakeholder reportsSource | YesExport data across Brand RadarSource | YesQuery list and data export to CSV and Google Sheets, on plans above EssentialsSource |
| Sources cited in each answer | YesSearch queries and sources kept with each answer | YesDomains and URLs AI cites: G2, Reddit, news, editorialSource | YesDomains and URLs cited in AI answers, checked daily, position changesSource | YesWhich URLs AI cites when it mentions tracked brandsSource | YesDomains and URLs in AI source boxes; coverage, rank, share of voiceSource |
| Answer text saved beside the searches | YesThe full answer text is kept next to its searches and pages read | Not listed | RelatedCSV or JSON of raw answersSource | YesBrowse actual AI responses, with chart viewSource | Not listed |
| Engines that report no searches are labeled | YesGaps are named, never filled with guesses | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
Where each of them shines
Peec lets you filter fan-out searches by type and topic. Compare in full
Otterly covers fan-out for ChatGPT, AI Mode and AI Overviews and offers a free fan-out tool. Compare in full
Ahrefs shows the sub-queries an AI runs behind a prompt, to help find content gaps. Compare in full
Rankscale shows the internal searches engines run before answering and supports ChatGPT follow-up forms.
Questions about AI sub-question coverage
What is query fan-out?
It is when an AI engine turns one question into several web searches before answering. Each search is a sub-question, and the pages that answer it are what the engine reads and cites.
Which engines report their searches?
ChatGPT and Claude report searches for many answers. When an engine such as Perplexity or Google AI Overviews does not report its searches for a set of answers, Proofsource says so instead of guessing.
What does sub-question coverage mean?
For each follow-up sub-question engines run or suggest, Proofsource marks whether your brand already has content that answers it.
Why are follow-ups asked with earlier turns?
Because real buyers ask follow-ups in the same chat. Sending earlier turns makes the follow-up answer match what a buyer would actually see.
Can I export the searches?
Yes. Download the searches, and the searches per answer, as CSV.
How is this different from keyword research?
Keyword research shows what people type into Google. Fan-out shows what AI engines search on your buyers' behalf, which is often longer and more specific.
Keep exploring
Try it on your own brand.
Proofsource is live: scan your brand and see AI sub-question coverage at work with your own answers, competitors and sources.
Google AI OverviewsGoogle AI Mode