Track your brand in AI search results
Claude, ChatGPT, and similar AI engines are increasingly the first stop for shopping research. AI Visibility scans those engines weekly for queries relevant to your brand, records which domains appear in the results, and maps them to your affiliate partners - so you know which partners are driving AI-search influence and which non-partners are worth recruiting.
How it works
Once per week, OptimizeAffiliate runs a set of shopping queries through both Claude and ChatGPT using their live web search tools. For each query, it records every URL cited in the AI-generated response. Each URL's domain is then classified into one of four categories:
- OWN_SITE - your Shopify store domain appeared directly
- PARTNER - the domain is linked to a partner in your affiliate program
- MARKETPLACE - Amazon, Walmart, Target, and other major retail platforms
- NOT_PARTNER - a domain that ranked in AI results but is not in your program
Results roll up weekly into your Share of Voice score and feed two action types in the Actions Inbox.
Metrics
Share of Voice
Of all the URLs cited by AI engines across your queries this week, what percentage pointed to your own store or a partner domain. The denominator is total citations returned - not total queries run. This means Share of Voice reflects the composition of AI-cited URLs rather than the frequency of mentions across all scans. The rollup also records how many queries returned any citations at all (Queries with results); if that number is low relative to your total query count, most queries returned nothing and the Share of Voice is computed over a small sample.
Citation Coverage
The percentage of your linked partner domains that received at least one AI citation this week. A low coverage percentage means most of your program's sites are invisible to AI search for your brand's core queries - a signal that your partner mix may need broadening or that query coverage needs expanding.
Queries with results
The count of individual engine queries that returned at least one cited URL. If this is significantly lower than your total query count, AI engines are answering many of your queries without citing any sources - Share of Voice and Citation Coverage are both computed over those that did return citations.
Engine breakdown
The weekly rollup shows citation counts split by Claude vs. ChatGPT. Some partners rank in one engine but not the other - useful context when evaluating which partners to prioritize for content coaching or creative support.
AI Visibility actions
Two action types are generated from AI Visibility scan results and appear in the Actions Inbox.
| Field | What it means |
|---|---|
| ai_recruit_target | A domain appeared in AI engine results for queries relevant to your brand but is not currently in your affiliate program. Because it already ranks in AI-generated shopping responses, outreach has a higher conversion rate than cold recruiting - the site is already driving brand-relevant traffic. |
| ai_star_partner | A partner in your program was cited three or more times by AI engines this week for queries relevant to your brand. They are actively influencing AI-search-driven shopping decisions. Recommends a recognition gesture - a commission bump or exclusive offer - to maintain their momentum. |
Setting up partner domains
For citations to be attributed to specific partners, each partner's website domain must be registered in AI Visibility → Partner Domains. Domains can be added manually or linked to an existing partner record. Once linked, all citations of that domain are attributed to the partner and count toward their citation score.
Domains not registered are classified as NOT_PARTNER - which is the source of recruit-target actions. If a NOT_PARTNER domain is cited repeatedly and you decide to recruit them, add them to Partner Domains after they join the program to start attributing their AI citations.
Managing queries
On first scan, queries are auto-generated from your brand context and product catalog. You can review and edit them under AI Visibility → Queries. Common additions include:
- Competitor comparison queries ("brand vs. [competitor]")
- Specific product category searches ("best [category] for [use case]")
- Gift guide searches common in your category
Inactive queries are skipped during scans but kept in history. You can reactivate them at any time.
Interpreting results
A strong AI Visibility result is not just a high Share of Voice - it's Share of Voice driven by PARTNER citations, not just OWN_SITE. If your own store dominates but partner citations are low, AI engines are finding you directly but your affiliates aren't amplifying that signal. Increasing PARTNER citation coverage typically requires investing in content partners who publish editorial reviews and roundups - the content format AI engines most commonly cite.
Frequently asked questions
Which AI engines does the scan cover?
The scan queries both Claude (Anthropic) and ChatGPT (OpenAI) using their web search capabilities. Each active query is run through both engines on each scan cycle.
How often does the AI Visibility scan run?
Automatically once per week as part of the scheduled intelligence pipeline. You can also trigger one on-demand scan per week from the AI Visibility tab using the Run Scan Now button. The on-demand option is capped at one per seven-day window per shop to keep API costs bounded - the button will show when the next scan is available if a recent one has already run.
How do I add my affiliate partners so they're tracked correctly?
Go to AI Visibility → Partner Domains and add the website domain for each affiliate partner. Once a domain is linked to a partner, any AI citation of that domain will be classified as a PARTNER citation and contribute to that partner's citation count. Domains not in the list are classified as NOT_PARTNER - which is how recruit-target actions are generated.
What is Share of Voice?
Share of Voice is the percentage of all AI citations in a given week that pointed to either your own site or a partner domain. A higher Share of Voice means more of the AI-search-driven traffic for your brand's query space is flowing through your program.
What queries does the scan use?
On first run, queries are automatically generated from your brand context, product catalog, and product types - things like 'best [brand] products', '[brand] alternatives', 'where to buy [product title]'. You can review, edit, deactivate, or add queries manually from the Queries tab inside AI Visibility.
See it all inside your Shopify admin.
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