Query Fan-Out Explorer
Type a question. See the web searches an AI model runs behind the scenes to answer it, then turn those searches into page ideas.
When you ask an AI assistant a question, it often runs several web searches of its own before it answers, and this is called query fan-out. Each of those searches is a topic your pages should cover if you want to be found and cited.
How it works
- You type a prompt. We send it to Gemini 2.5 Flash with Google Search switched on, so the model can look things up the way an AI assistant does.
- The model decides which web searches to run. We read those searches back from its response and list them in order.
- The observed examples are searches we recorded earlier from Claude web search and Gemini with Google Search, for the prompts behind the guides on this site.
- Each search is matched to a page type with simple word rules. A search that starts with “what is” becomes a definition page, and one that starts with “how to” becomes a how-to guide.
- You can copy every phrase or download them as a CSV. Your prompt is not saved by this tool.
What it cannot tell you
- One run shows one model on one day. Other assistants, and the same assistant on another day, can run different searches.
- Gemini chooses how many searches to run, and sometimes runs none. The Claude examples were run with an instruction to research thoroughly, so they show more searches than a quick question would.
- It cannot tell you how often people search a phrase, how hard it is to rank, or whether an AI will cite your page. Use a keyword tool and an AI visibility check for that.
- The page types come from word patterns, not from reading the results. Check what is already ranking for each phrase before you commit to a page.
Questions
What is query fan-out?
It is when an AI assistant splits your question into several web searches of its own instead of searching your exact words. Read the full definition.
Are these the exact searches ChatGPT runs?
No. Live runs use Gemini with Google Search. The observed examples come from Claude web search and Gemini. We have not run ChatGPT or Perplexity here, so treat the lists as a sample of how assistants break a question down.
Why does it say live runs are paused?
Live runs use a free Google AI quota with a daily limit. When the limit is reached, live runs pause and come back when it resets. The observed examples keep working.
How should I use the page ideas?
Pick the phrases your customers would really ask, then publish one clear page per topic that answers the question first. How to do query fan-out research walks through the full process.
Does it cost anything or need an email?
No. It is free and needs no sign-up. Live runs are limited to three a minute for each visitor so that everyone can use it.
Built by
Rahil Jain
Rahil built this tool for the same method Chalk Labs uses on client work. It is free, and it is not a sales funnel: nothing here requires an email.