# How to track Google AI Overviews > Source: > Published: 2026-10-16 14:05:17+00:00 An AI Overview is the generated summary Google shows above the normal results for some searches. To track it, you pick a fixed set of queries, check each one on a schedule, and record whether an Overview appears, whether your brand is named, which sources are linked and how you are described. Repeat over time and you can see a trend. That is simple to say and tedious to do. This guide covers the manual method, what to measure, when a tool makes sense, and what no method can promise. If you want the tool route now, see our page on [Google AI Overview tracking](https://pineprompt.com/google-ai-overview-tracking). A rank tracker tells you the position of a URL in the results. An AI Overview is not a position. It is written text, often with a few source links beside it. Three things follow from that. **Not every query gets one.** Google shows Overviews for some queries and not others. Whether one appears can change for the same query from week to week. **The answer varies.** The wording, the brands named and the links shown can differ between runs. **Ranking well does not guarantee inclusion.** A page can rank in the normal results and never be named in the Overview. The reverse can also happen. So the questions change. Not "what is our rank," but "when an Overview appears for this query, are we in it, and how?" Record the same five things for every query, every time. Did an AI Overview appear at all? Record yes or no. Your **trigger rate** is the share of checks where one appeared. If a query never triggers an Overview, it is not an Overview problem. Is your brand named in the Overview text? Your **mention rate** is the runs with a mention divided by the runs where an Overview appeared. Keep this separate from the trigger rate, or you will mix up "no Overview" with "Overview without us." Overviews link to pages they draw on. Note two lists: The second list is often the more useful one. It shows who Google leans on for your topic, and so where you may need to be present. If the Overview names several brands, note where you sit: first, middle, last. Then read how you are described. Tag each mention as positive, neutral or negative, and write down recurring phrases such as "budget option" or "best for small teams." Log which competitors appear in the same Overview. Share of voice is your mentions as a share of all brand mentions across the set. It says more than a raw count. You can do this with a spreadsheet and an hour a week. Here is a workable process. A row in your log might look like this: | Query | Overview | Named | Position | Sentiment | Cited | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | best crm for startups | Yes | Yes | 2nd of 4 | Neutral | Two review sites, one competitor | | crm pricing comparison | No | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | It works for a small set. It stops working when: Use a tool when the checking is the bottleneck. A good one should: Pineprompt tracks prompts daily across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, Grok and Copilot. It reports mentions, position in the answer, sentiment, cited sources, competitors and share of voice, with country and language targeting. Our [methodology](https://pineprompt.com/methodology) page explains how the checks are run and recorded. Plans start at $99 a month, and there is no free trial; see [pricing](https://pineprompt.com/pricing). AI Overviews are one Google surface. AI Mode is another: a conversational search experience where a follow-up question continues the thread. It handles longer, more specific questions, and it works differently from an Overview. Track it separately. Our page on [Google AI Mode tracking](https://pineprompt.com/google-ai-mode-tracking) covers it. Both surfaces also break a question into several smaller searches behind the scenes. That is called [prompt fan-out](https://pineprompt.com/glossary/prompt-fan-out), and it affects which pages get pulled into the answer. Be honest about what tracking can and cannot tell you. **It is a sample, not a census.** You see the answers to your queries, not every query your buyers use. Choose them with care and revisit the list. **Answers vary.** Two runs can differ. That is why repeated runs and averages beat single checks. **Personalisation and location matter.** A signed-in user in another city may see something different from your log. Treat your numbers as a consistent yardstick, not a mirror of every user's screen. **No tool can show you Google's internal reasoning.** You can see the output and the links. You cannot see why a page was chosen. Any claim that it can is worth doubting. **Tracking does not change the result.** It tells you where you stand. Improving it is separate work: clear pages, sources that back you up, and presence on the sites Google cites. This week, write 25 queries and run each one by hand. Record the five measures. Next week, repeat. After a month, you will know your trigger rate, your mention rate and the three domains Google cites most. That is enough to decide whether to keep going by hand or move to a tool. Either way, start with a fixed list and measure the same way each time. Originally published on [pineprompt.com](https://pineprompt.com/blog/how-to-track-google-ai-overviews).