The report's AI search presence tiles count how often AI assistants mention your site. Getting real numbers means one paid lookup against an AI-mention index, so an audit only runs it when you ask for it. Switch on Measure AI assistant mentions in the setup wizard before you start the audit.
Leave it off and the tiles still appear, still carry a Sample data badge, and still show placeholder figures. That is the honest state, not a broken one: we would rather show you the shape of the section than invent a mention count.
Turn the measurement on
- Start an audit from the setup wizard.
- Switch on Measure AI assistant mentions in the options above the Run button.
- Open the report's AI search presence section when the audit finishes.
What changes when you do
A measured section carries a green Measured badge, the date of the lookup, and the domain it asked about. Under the tiles you get one line splitting the total: how many of those AI answers cited your site as a source, and how many showed it in the search results panel.
A sample section carries the amber Sample data badge and the placeholder figures. The two are never dressed the same way, so you can tell at a glance which report you are holding.
Which assistants are covered
Google AI surfaces (AI Overviews and AI Mode) and ChatGPT. Gemini and Perplexity are not in this data source, so a measured report shows two tiles rather than the five in the sample. Read the sample's five tiles as layout, not as a coverage promise.
Measured tiles also drop the per-engine Link presence row. The index reports source citations for your domain as a whole and never splits them by assistant, so that number goes in the line under the tiles instead of being invented per engine.
Limits and usage
- One lookup per audit, roughly ten cents. Off by default so nobody is charged for a number they did not ask for.
- The lookup covers your domain and its subdomains, across markets and languages, not a keyword list you choose.
- Scheduled re-audits and bulk runs leave it off unless the original request switched it on.
- Assistants re-answer constantly. Treat one audit as a snapshot and compare across audits for direction.
If something isn't working
The tiles still say sample data. The audit ran with the toggle off. It is per audit, not a saved preference, so switch it on again and rerun.
It says measured, and the count is zero. That is a real answer. Nothing in the index mentioned your site, which is the gap the rest of the AI section helps you close.
The count looks low against what you see in ChatGPT yourself. The index is a sample of AI answers, not every conversation on earth. Use it for direction over time rather than as an audience number.