How to get your content cited by AI search (Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity)
Last updated · By Orenston
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Short answer: There's no secret markup. Google says AI Overviews and AI Mode have no extra technical requirements: the page must be indexed and snippet-eligible. ChatGPT search depends on OAI-SearchBot and Perplexity on PerplexityBot, so don't block them. After that, pages get cited when they state a clear, dated, sourced fact that answers the question directly.
Which crawler does what
| User agent | Used for | If you block it |
|---|---|---|
Googlebot | Google Search, including AI Overviews and AI Mode | Blocking it removes you from Search, AI features included |
Google-Extended | AI training and grounding in some of Google's other systems | Doesn't affect Google Search |
OAI-SearchBot | ChatGPT search results | Opted-out sites aren't shown in ChatGPT search answers |
GPTBot | OpenAI model training | Independent of OAI-SearchBot |
PerplexityBot | Perplexity search results | Perplexity recommends allowing it to appear |
Page habits that make a fact easy to cite
- Answer first. Put a two-to-three-sentence answer under the H1.
- One fact per line, with a date and a source. "As of October 2026, X states Y" is easier to quote than a paragraph.
- Use tables for comparisons and counts.
- Match structured data to visible text. Google lists this as a best practice. FAQ markup must repeat the visible Q&A word for word.
- Publish unique data. Original counts, such as a survey of program terms, are something only your page can be the source for.
- Keep it crawlable: allowed in robots.txt and in your CDN or firewall settings, linked internally, and with the important content in text.
Measuring it
AI Overviews and AI Mode clicks are counted in Search Console's Performance report under the Web search type. For ChatGPT and Perplexity, run a fixed set of prompts on a schedule and log whether your page is cited.
[GATED · Builder] Citable-page template and citation log
Members get: an answer-first page template with key-facts table, Article, FAQPage and Dataset JSON-LD snippets ready to fill, a robots.txt and CDN checklist, and a 10-prompt citation log to rerun monthly.
FAQ
Do I need special schema or an llms.txt file to appear in Google AI Overviews?
No. Google says there are no additional requirements and no special schema.org markup needed. The page must be indexed and eligible for a snippet, and structured data should match the visible text.
Which crawler controls ChatGPT search?
OAI-SearchBot. OpenAI says sites that opt out of it won't be shown in ChatGPT search answers. GPTBot is separate and covers model training.
Can my CDN block AI search crawlers?
Yes. Google lists allowing crawling in robots.txt and by any CDN or hosting infrastructure as a basic. Check your CDN's bot settings as well as robots.txt.
Sources: Google: AI features and your website; OpenAI crawlers; Perplexity crawlers; Google: FAQ rich results limited (2023). Read Oct 18, 2026.