How to view fanout queries generated by AI

Fanout queries are extra questions that AI platforms generate when answering a user’s prompt. Platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity use them to break a broad question into smaller ones, so they can pull together a more complete answer.

You’ll also see them called query fan-out or fan-out queries. The terms mean the same thing.

For example, if someone asks “Which software is best for remote work?,” the AI might generate fanout queries like:

The user never sees these questions. They only see the final answer. But they influence which sources the AI uses to build that answer.

For SEOs and content teams, this matters. If your content covers the topics that AI fans out into, you’re more likely to get cited in AI answers.

Fanout queries can be found by going to Brand Radar > AI Responses > Fanout queries column, next to the Responses column.

You can also see them in the side-panel that opens when you click to view more on any specific prompt:

Currently we support fanout queries for ChatGPT and Perplexity.

Prompts from our main AI visibility index. Ahrefs tracks millions of searched-backed prompts for 6 AI assistant platforms. You can view AI response data and their fanout queries if you’ve bought AI platform add-ons that includes either ChatGPT or Perplexity.

Custom prompts You can track your own prompts and see what fanout queries they generate. This requires a Lite plan or higher, or the custom prompts add-on. Be sure to turn on tracking for ChatGPT and/or Perplexity in the Report settingsfor the custom prompts you wish to see fanout queries for:

Ahrefs shows all the fanout queries that gets returned together with the AI response. Most of the time we see two per prompt, even if there could be more used by AI to generate its answer. Simple prompts may also produce one fanout query or none.

Both surface related questions, but they work differently.

People Also Ask (PAA) shows questions that other people commonly search for. These are based on search popularity, so they may not always be directly related to the original question.

For example, “What is the first sign of kidney problems?” might show PAA questions like “What not to drink if you have kidney problems?” These are popular, but not questions an AI needs to answer the main question.

Fanout queries are questions that are similar to the main prompt. They’re based on what the AI needs to answer the main question well, no matter how often those questions are searched by real people.

Both are useful. PAA helps you understand what your audience searches for. Fanout queries help you understand what AI needs to see in your content to cite you.