How to check if ChatGPT recommends your business

Short answer: write down 5 to 10 questions your customers ask before they choose a business like yours, without your name in them. Ask each one several times in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google (AI Overviews and AI Mode), in a clean session. Record whether you are named, who is named instead and which sources are cited. Then count: the share of answers that name you is your AI visibility for that question.

Why one answer isn't enough

AI writes every answer fresh. In our own measurements, two answers to the same question on the same engine had on average only about one in five of the companies they named in common (Orbie, 2026). A single screenshot can make you look invisible or dominant by chance. The method below is built around repetition for that reason.

Step 1: write the questions your customers ask

Use the words a customer uses, not your marketing language, and never include your own name: you want to know whether AI brings you up on its own. Cover the different reasons people ask:

• Best for a need: 'What's the best gentle sunscreen for sensitive skin?' / 'Who is the best emergency dentist in Austin?'
• Comparison: 'Is a ceramic or a cast-iron pan better for everyday cooking?'
• Alternatives: 'What are cheaper alternatives to [the market leader]?'
• Discovery: 'Which smaller or independent brands make good running shoes?'
• Trust and fit: 'Which accounting firms in Berlin work with startups?'

Step 2: ask in a clean session

Assistants personalise answers with memory, past chats and location. Use a temporary or logged-out chat, don't mention yourself earlier in the conversation, and ask from the market you sell in. For Google, search normally to see AI Overviews, then repeat the question in the AI Mode tab.

Step 3: ask each question several times, on each engine

Ask every question at least three to five times per engine, in new chats. ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, AI Overviews and AI Mode can give very different answers: some search the web before answering, others rely mostly on what the model learned in training.

Step 4: record every answer the same way

Step 5: count, and read the numbers honestly

For each question and engine, divide the answers that name you by the answers you collected. Small samples are uncertain: 0 of 5 answers is still consistent with a true rate of up to about 43%, and 0 of 10 with up to about 28% (95% Wilson interval). Say 'rarely named', not 'never named', until you have more answers. See why one AI answer tells you nothing.

• Who wins instead tells you who AI sees as the reference in your space.
• The cited sources show which lists, reviews, directories and sites shape the answer. They are where you need to appear.
• Answers with no sources usually come from the model's memory, which changes slowly. Answers with sources come from live search, which you can influence faster.

Step 6: ask about yourself directly

Then ask questions that name you: 'What is [your business] known for?', 'Is [your business] worth it?', '[your business] reviews', '[your business] vs [competitor]'. Note the tone, the strengths and concerns AI repeats, and any fact that is outdated or wrong. Our guide on fixing what AI says about your brand covers what to do next.

Local businesses

For questions like 'best dentist near me', include the city in the question and ask from that area. Local answers can draw on map listings, review sites and local directories, so check that your business profile, opening hours and services are complete and consistent everywhere.

When a manual check stops being enough

Ten questions, five engines and five runs is already 250 answers to read and record. A manual check is a good first look; to compare yourself with competitors, follow changes over time or prove that a fix worked, you need the same questions asked the same way every time. That is what an AI visibility report does.