Query fan-out
Most searches keep less than half your words
112,119 prompt and search pairs, by how many of the prompt’s words the search kept.
71.9% of searches keep under half your words.
| Words kept | Searches | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 15% | 10,438 | 9.3% |
| 15 to 30% | 29,308 | 26.1% |
| 30 to 50% | 40,890 | 36.5% |
| 50 to 75% | 26,931 | 24.0% |
| 75% or more | 4,552 | 4.1% |
It adds the words of a shopping list
Words AI put into its search that were not in the prompt, as a share of all 112,119 searches.
You ask a question. It searches in keywords.
What changes between the prompt and the search, across the same 112,119 pairs.
Common questions
Does AI search use your exact words?
Almost never. Across 112,119 prompt and search pairs from 1 Sep to 15 Oct 2026, only 0.55% of searches used the exact words typed. AI rewrote the question before searching.
What is query fan-out?
Query fan-out is what an AI engine does between your question and its answer: it rewrites and splits your prompt into multiple search queries, often adding brand names, a year and a commercial framing, then merges the results.
Does AI add brands to your search?
Sometimes, yes. In 23.3% of searches AI added a brand name that was not in the prompt, which shapes which companies end up in the answer.
True prompt and search pairs from cited answers, deduplicated on lower-cased text. Pooled across AIs; only one tracked AI shows its web searches. This replaces the January 2026 snapshot, which paired prompts and searches less reliably.