# AEO Auditor 2026: AI Search Visibility Scanner (`automationnation/aeo-auditor`) Actor

Audit your AI search visibility for April 2026. Track Google AI Overviews (SGE), detect citation gaps, and monitor brand authority across generative search. Perfect for SEO agencies looking to prove ROI in a zero-click world. Supports bulk keyword auditing and competitor citation analysis.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/automationnation/aeo-auditor.md
- **Developed by:** [Nathan Carter](https://apify.com/automationnation) (community)
- **Categories:** AI, SEO tools, Automation
- **Stats:** 1 total users, 0 monthly users, 0.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $500.00 / 1,000 keyword ai-citation audits

This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md):

```bash
npm install apify-client
```

In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md):

```bash
pip install apify-client
```

In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md):

````bash
# MacOS / Linux
curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash
# Windows
irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex
```bash

In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md).

If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).


# README

### AEO Auditor 2026: AI Search Visibility Scanner

![AEO 2026](https://img.shields.io/badge/AEO-2026%20Ready-ff69b4) ![SGE Optimised](https://img.shields.io/badge/Google%20SGE-Optimised-yellow)

> **Pricing:** SEO agencies charge £500+ for a one-time AEO audit that goes stale in 30 days. Run this Actor weekly for the cost of a coffee — always current, always actionable.


**If your agency can't prove AI Search ROI — this Actor is the evidence layer.**

AEO Auditor runs any list of keywords through Google Search, detects whether an **AI Overview (SGE)** box is present, checks if your client's domain is **cited as a source**, and records every URL Google's AI box links to. It also captures the domain's organic rank for the same query — so you can compare AI citation vs. organic position side by side.

Try it on the [Apify platform](https://apify.com) in under 2 minutes.

---

### Why use AEO Auditor?

- **Prove AI Search ROI to clients.** Show exactly which queries trigger AI Overviews and whether the client's brand is cited — the metric agencies need to justify AEO retainers.
- **Competitive gap analysis.** See which competitor domains are being cited in AI boxes for your target queries.
- **Track AI citation trends over time.** Schedule monthly runs to see if your content strategy is improving AI box inclusion.
- **Correlate organic rank with AI inclusion.** Are your top-ranking pages also getting cited in AI Overviews? This Actor shows you both numbers.

---

### How to use AEO Auditor

1. Click **Try for free** on the Actor page.
2. In the **Input** tab, paste your keyword list under **Search Queries**.
3. Enter the **Target Domain** you want to monitor (e.g. `yourclient.com`).
4. Set **Max Queries** to limit the run if needed (default: 10).
5. Leave **Proxy** on Residential (recommended for Google).
6. Click **Start**. Results appear in the Dataset tab within seconds per query.

---

### Input

| Field | Type | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `queries` | Array of strings | Yes | — | Keywords to check |
| `targetDomain` | String | Yes | — | Domain to audit (no `https://` needed) |
| `maxQueries` | Integer | No | 10 | Cap on queries processed (0 = unlimited) |
| `proxyConfiguration` | Object | No | Apify Residential | Proxy settings |

Example input:

```json
{
    "queries": ["best protein powder", "vegan supplements UK", "whey vs plant protein"],
    "targetDomain": "myprotein.com",
    "maxQueries": 50
}
````

***

### Output

Each query is pushed to the **Dataset** as a JSON object.

#### Dataset item example

```json
{
    "query": "best protein powder",
    "aiOverviewPresent": true,
    "targetDomainInAI": false,
    "citedUrls": [
        "https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-protein-powder",
        "https://www.menshealth.com/uk/nutrition/a38234590/best-protein-powder/"
    ],
    "citedUrlsCount": 2,
    "organicRank": 4
}
```

#### Output columns

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `query` | The search query |
| `aiOverviewPresent` | Whether Google showed an AI Overview for this query |
| `targetDomainInAI` | Whether your domain was cited in the AI box |
| `citedUrls` | All URLs cited in the AI Overview |
| `citedUrlsCount` | Number of distinct citations |
| `organicRank` | Position of targetDomain in organic results (-1 = not found) |

***

### Pricing / Cost estimation

This Actor uses Playwright (browser-based) because Google Search is JavaScript-rendered. Each query loads one page.

- **~$0.004 per query** on Apify Pay-Per-Use.
- **50 queries ≈ $0.20**.
- Residential proxy adds a small data cost (~1–2 MB per query).
- **Free tier** on Apify covers roughly 500 queries/month.

***

### Tips

- **Run weekly** for client reporting dashboards. The AI Overview landscape shifts constantly.
- **Segment by intent** — run navigational, informational, and commercial queries separately to understand where AI Overviews appear most.
- **Export to CSV** from the Dataset tab and drop straight into client reports.
- **High-volume runs** — set `maxConcurrency` via proxy configuration if running 100+ queries; the default of 1 is safe for Google rate limits.

***

### FAQ & Disclaimers

**Is scraping Google Search allowed?**
Google's ToS restricts automated access. This Actor uses residential proxies to replicate normal browser behaviour. Use responsibly, do not overload requests, and review Google's ToS for your jurisdiction.

**Why does `organicRank` sometimes show -1?**
Google may not show your domain in the first page of results, or the query triggered a specialised SERP (images, shopping, maps) rather than standard blue links.

**AI Overview selectors keep changing.**
Google updates its HTML structure frequently. If AI Overview detection stops working, open an issue — we ship selector updates within days.

**Support**
Open an issue in the Issues tab. Custom integrations and white-label reporting pipelines available on request.

# Actor input Schema

## `queries` (type: `array`):

List of search queries / keywords to audit for AI Overview presence.

## `targetDomain` (type: `string`):

Domain to check for AI Overview citations and organic rank (e.g. yourbrand.com).

## `maxQueries` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of queries to process (0 = all).

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Proxy settings. Apify Residential proxy recommended for Google.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "queries": [
    "best running shoes 2026",
    "sustainable water bottle",
    "AI SEO tools"
  ],
  "targetDomain": "example.com",
  "maxQueries": 10,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ]
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `dataset` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "queries": [
        "best running shoes 2026",
        "sustainable water bottle",
        "AI SEO tools"
    ],
    "targetDomain": "example.com"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("automationnation/aeo-auditor").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "queries": [
        "best running shoes 2026",
        "sustainable water bottle",
        "AI SEO tools",
    ],
    "targetDomain": "example.com",
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("automationnation/aeo-auditor").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"])
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "queries": [
    "best running shoes 2026",
    "sustainable water bottle",
    "AI SEO tools"
  ],
  "targetDomain": "example.com"
}' |
apify call automationnation/aeo-auditor --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=automationnation/aeo-auditor",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

```json
{
    "openapi": "3.0.1",
    "info": {
        "title": "AEO Auditor 2026: AI Search Visibility Scanner",
        "description": "Audit your AI search visibility for April 2026. Track Google AI Overviews (SGE), detect citation gaps, and monitor brand authority across generative search. Perfect for SEO agencies looking to prove ROI in a zero-click world. Supports bulk keyword auditing and competitor citation analysis.",
        "version": "0.1",
        "x-build-id": "aApMKBe0b9GpCksLH"
    },
    "servers": [
        {
            "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2"
        }
    ],
    "paths": {
        "/acts/automationnation~aeo-auditor/run-sync-get-dataset-items": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-automationnation-aeo-auditor",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK"
                    }
                }
            }
        },
        "/acts/automationnation~aeo-auditor/runs": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "runs-sync-automationnation-aeo-auditor",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK",
                        "content": {
                            "application/json": {
                                "schema": {
                                    "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema"
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        },
        "/acts/automationnation~aeo-auditor/run-sync": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "run-sync-automationnation-aeo-auditor",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK"
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    },
    "components": {
        "schemas": {
            "inputSchema": {
                "type": "object",
                "required": [
                    "queries",
                    "targetDomain"
                ],
                "properties": {
                    "queries": {
                        "title": "Search Queries",
                        "type": "array",
                        "description": "List of search queries / keywords to audit for AI Overview presence.",
                        "items": {
                            "type": "string"
                        }
                    },
                    "targetDomain": {
                        "title": "Target Domain",
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "Domain to check for AI Overview citations and organic rank (e.g. yourbrand.com)."
                    },
                    "maxQueries": {
                        "title": "Max Queries",
                        "minimum": 0,
                        "type": "integer",
                        "description": "Maximum number of queries to process (0 = all).",
                        "default": 10
                    },
                    "proxyConfiguration": {
                        "title": "Proxy Configuration",
                        "type": "object",
                        "description": "Proxy settings. Apify Residential proxy recommended for Google.",
                        "default": {
                            "useApifyProxy": true,
                            "apifyProxyGroups": [
                                "RESIDENTIAL"
                            ]
                        }
                    }
                }
            },
            "runsResponseSchema": {
                "type": "object",
                "properties": {
                    "data": {
                        "type": "object",
                        "properties": {
                            "id": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "actId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "userId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "startedAt": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "format": "date-time",
                                "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z"
                            },
                            "finishedAt": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "format": "date-time",
                                "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z"
                            },
                            "status": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "example": "READY"
                            },
                            "meta": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "origin": {
                                        "type": "string",
                                        "example": "API"
                                    },
                                    "userAgent": {
                                        "type": "string"
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "stats": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "inputBodyLen": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 2000
                                    },
                                    "rebootCount": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "restartCount": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "resurrectCount": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "computeUnits": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "options": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "build": {
                                        "type": "string",
                                        "example": "latest"
                                    },
                                    "timeoutSecs": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 300
                                    },
                                    "memoryMbytes": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 1024
                                    },
                                    "diskMbytes": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 2048
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "buildId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "defaultKeyValueStoreId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "defaultDatasetId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "defaultRequestQueueId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "buildNumber": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "example": "1.0.0"
                            },
                            "containerUrl": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "usage": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 1
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_SERPS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "usageTotalUsd": {
                                "type": "number",
                                "example": 0.00005
                            },
                            "usageUsd": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "number",
                                        "example": 0.00005
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_SERPS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    }
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}
```