Query fan-out

Query fan-out is a technique in which an AI search system breaks one question into several related searches, runs them at the same time and combines what it finds into one answer. Google's guide to its generative AI features defines it as "a set of concurrent, related queries generated by the model to request more information," and Google says both AI Overviews and AI Mode may use it. When Google introduced AI Mode in 2025, it described the technique as issuing multiple related searches concurrently across subtopics and data sources. Its Deep Search feature can issue hundreds of searches for one question.

Why it matters for AI visibility

With fan-out, the answer to one buyer question can draw on pages retrieved for questions the buyer never typed. For example, "best accounting software for a five-person firm" might fan out to searches about pricing, payroll, integrations and reviews, and a page retrieved for any of them can be cited. So the pages an answer cites need not rank for the buyer's original query. Google adds that you don't need to break your content into tiny pieces for AI to understand it.

How to use it

• When you choose prompts to track, add the follow-up questions buyers ask: pricing, integrations, setup and who the product is for.
• Answer those questions on your own pages, in plain text that a search system can retrieve.
• In Bing Webmaster Tools, the AI Performance report lists grounding queries: the phrases the AI used when retrieving your cited content for Copilot and Bing's AI summaries. They show some of the sub-questions your pages answer.

Then check the answers themselves. Prompt tracking shows which pages each engine cites for the questions you care about.