Audit your site for AI search, area by area, with fix steps
A technical GEO audit checks whether AI answer engines and search crawlers can reach, read and trust your site. Proofsource audits crawling, indexing, links, structured data, speed and security, scores each area, maps your site structure, reads Core Web Vitals and lists step-by-step fixes. SEO leads, developers and agencies get one report that says what blocks AI search and what to fix first.
| Area | Score | Issues | Top issue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crawling | 92 | 1 | 1 page blocked by robots.txt |
| Indexing | 84 | 2 | 2 pages with a noindex tag |
| Links | 71 | 4 | 3 broken internal links |
| Structured data | 61 | 6 | No FAQPage schema on /faq |
| Speed | 74 | 3 | Slow LCP on /pricing |
| Security | 96 | 1 | Missing HSTS header |
Score = weighted mean of the six areas. Shown as Not enough data when fewer than three areas are measured.
Technical GEO audit, in short
The facts, ready to quote.
- Areas audited
- Crawling, indexing, links, structured data, speed and security
- Headline score
- Weighted mean of the measured areas, with the formula shown; it says Not enough data when too few areas are measured
- Site structure
- Internal links by click depth, status codes, words per page and defects
- Speed
- Core Web Vitals from real users plus a lab run, per URL
- Coverage
- Reads your sitemaps and expands sitemap indexes into a full page list
- Fixes
- Step-by-step instructions for each finding, against your own pages
What is a technical GEO audit?
GEO, or generative engine optimization, is the work of getting your brand named and cited in AI answers from engines such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Google AI Overviews and other engines (up to 10 in all). Content and reputation decide much of that, but nothing counts if the engines cannot fetch your pages, cannot find them through links and sitemaps, or receive pages that are slow, broken or missing the structured data that tells a machine what the page is. A technical GEO audit checks those foundations with AI search in mind.
It overlaps with a classic technical SEO audit: status codes, internal links, canonical tags, sitemaps, page speed and HTTPS all still matter. The difference is the lens. A technical GEO audit asks whether the pages that should answer buyer questions are reachable in a few clicks, carry enough real text, expose structured data, and load well enough to be read by crawlers that fetch on demand while a user waits for an answer.
Proofsource runs the audit from your sitemaps, groups every check into six areas, and turns them into a headline score using a weighted mean whose formula is shown on the page. When fewer areas are measured than the score needs, it says Not enough data instead of guessing. Each finding comes with fix steps, and competitor gaps sit beside your own results.
How it works
A technical site audit for AI search: crawling, indexing, links, structured data, speed and security, scored by area with fix steps.
Read your sitemaps
Proofsource reads your sitemap.xml, expands any sitemap index into its child sitemaps, and builds the list of pages to audit.
Run the site check
Pages are crawled and checked for crawling, indexing, links, structured data, speed and security. The status panel updates live while it runs.
Score each area
Each area gets a score and an issue count, and the headline score is a weighted mean with the formula shown.
Map the structure
The internal link graph shows how many clicks each page sits from the home page, with status codes, words per page and defects.
Fix in order
Each finding has step-by-step fix instructions, and gaps where competitors are ahead are listed beside them.
See it in the product
Screens from the Proofsource app, drawn with sample data for an example brand.
| Page | Depth | Status | Words | Defect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| /pricing | 1 | 200 | 640 | - |
| /integrations/zoom | 2 | 200 | 410 | - |
| /blog/otter-vs-driffle | 4 | 200 | 1,820 | Deep: 4 clicks |
| /compare/fireflies | 3 | 200 | 95 | Thin page |
| /old-plan | 2 | 404 | 0 | Broken link from /pricing |
| Gap | Competitor ahead |
|---|---|
| No FAQ page with FAQPage schema | Otter |
| Comparison pages 4 clicks deep | Fireflies |
| No integrations index page | Fathom |
- 1. Open https://driffle.ai/
- 2. Add a link to /compare from the main menu
- 3. Link each comparison page from /compare
- 4. Run the check again
Every capability, live today
6 shipped capabilities behind technical GEO audit, each in the product now.
Technical report
Crawling, indexing, links, structured data, speed and security from your latest site audit, each with a score and its issues. An empty report explains why, offers a Run check button and updates live while the check runs.
Technical headline score
One score built as a weighted mean of the areas, with the formula shown. It says Not enough data rather than guessing when too few areas are measured.
Site structure
Your internal link graph by click depth, with status codes, words per page and defects such as broken links or thin pages. Sitemaps, including sitemap indexes, are expanded into a full page list so the audit covers the site you publish.
Core Web Vitals
Google PageSpeed Insights data for a URL: field data from real users and a lab run, so speed issues have numbers behind them.
Gaps against competitors
Findings where a competitor has something your site does not, such as a page type or a listing, shown with the competitor named.
Fix steps
Step-by-step instructions for each finding, written against your own home page address and pages, with a Mark done button.
Who it is for
One audit for search and AI search
See crawling, indexing, structured data and speed in one scored report, read through the lens of AI answer engines.
A fix list with numbers
Get status codes, click depth, Core Web Vitals and step-by-step fixes instead of a vague list of best practices.
Open a client conversation with evidence
Show a client their technical score, the gaps where competitors are ahead and the first three fixes.
Make sure key pages are reachable
Check that comparison, pricing and integration pages sit close to the home page and carry real text.
Why it matters
Foundations before content
New content cannot earn citations if crawlers cannot reach it. The audit checks the ground first.
A score you can check
The formula is shown and missing data is labeled, so the number never claims more than was measured.
Structure you can see
Click depth and defects show which important pages are buried or broken.
Fixes, not findings
Every finding comes with steps to fix it and a way to mark it done.
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Technical GEO audit: Proofsource and other tools
Several SEO and AI visibility tools run site audits. This table lists what each one's public pages describe for technical audits relevant to AI search.
| Capability | Proofsource | Semrush | Ahrefs | SE Ranking | Scrunch | Rankscale | Writesonic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Site audit | YesCrawling, indexing, links, structured data, speed and security, scored by area | YesAI-readiness audit of 100 pages included on free planSource | YesCrawls site and reports issues; Issues endpoint in API with date comparisonSource | Yes115+ metrics; weekly or monthly schedule; JS rendering; compare auditsSource | YesDeep audits flag access controls, JavaScript rendering issues, content gapsSource | RelatedTechnical SEO checks within page auditSource | Related10 to 50 audits per month; 100 to 2,500 pages per auditSource |
| Headline score with the formula shown | YesWeighted mean of areas, formula on the page, Not enough data when too little is measured | Not listed | Not listed | RelatedSite audit API with health scores and error breakdownsSource | Not listed | RelatedAI readiness score; 90+ checksSource | Not listed |
| Site structure by click depth | YesInternal link graph by depth, status codes, words per page and defects | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | RelatedSite hierarchy checks within page auditSource | Not listed |
| Fix steps for each finding | YesStep-by-step instructions against your own pages, with competitor gaps beside them | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | YesDetects AI bot crawl failures, with fixesSource | YesPage audits with AI readiness score, checks and fixesSource | Not listed |
| Gaps against competitors | YesFindings where a competitor has something your site does not, with the competitor shown. | RelatedMissing filter shows prompts and source domains where competitors appear and you do notSource | Not listed | Not listed | RelatedGaps in entities, claims, pricing and product specsSource | Not listed | Not listed |
| Structured data and AI-readiness checks | YesStructured data is one of the scored areas, each with fix steps. | RelatedAI Search Health widget; checks llms.txt, content length, last-modified headers, robots.txtSource | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | RelatedAI readiness score; 90+ checks; fixes; 10 to 200 audits per month by planSource | Not listed |
Where each of them shines
Semrush includes an AI Search Health widget in Site Audit and an AI-readiness audit on its free plan. Compare in full
Ahrefs pairs Site Audit with an Issues API and date comparison, plus AI-written content detection. Compare in full
SE Ranking runs a thorough audit of 115+ metrics with JavaScript rendering, scheduled audits and audit comparison.
Scrunch audits flag access controls and JavaScript rendering issues specifically for AI bots. Compare in full
Rankscale page audits give an AI readiness score backed by more than 90 checks.
An AI crawler audit of robots.txt, schema and indexing with auto-fix, next to a full writing suite.
Questions about technical GEO audit
What is the difference between a technical SEO audit and a technical GEO audit?
They share most checks: status codes, links, sitemaps, structured data, speed and security. A technical GEO audit reads them with AI answer engines in mind, asking whether the pages that should answer buyer questions are reachable, readable and clearly described for machines.
Which areas does the Proofsource audit cover?
Six areas: crawling, indexing, links, structured data, speed and security. Each area gets a score and a list of issues from the latest site audit.
How is the technical score calculated?
It is a weighted mean of the area scores, and the formula is shown on the page. When too few areas have been measured, the score says Not enough data instead of guessing.
Why is my technical report empty?
The status panel says why, for example that the site check has not run yet. Press Run check and the panel updates live while pages are crawled.
Does the audit include Core Web Vitals?
Yes. Proofsource reads Google PageSpeed Insights for a URL, which gives field data from real users when Google has it and a lab run every time.
How does Proofsource decide which pages to audit?
It reads your sitemaps and expands sitemap indexes into their child sitemaps, so the audit covers the pages you publish.
Does it help ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Google AI Overviews and other engines (up to 10 in all) find my site?
The audit checks the foundations every AI engine relies on: reachable pages, clean links, structured data and speed. Whether each engine then cites you is measured separately in your visibility and citation reports.
How is this different from Semrush, Ahrefs or SE Ranking site audits?
Those are mature, thorough audits, and SE Ranking and Semrush add checks aimed at AI. Proofsource puts the audit next to your AI visibility data, shows the score formula, maps click depth, names competitor gaps and gives fix steps for each finding.
Keep exploring
Try it on your own brand.
Proofsource is live: scan your brand and see technical GEO audit at work with your own answers, competitors and sources.
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