# Google AI Mode & AI Overview Tracker (`leanpilar/google-ai-answer-tracker`) Actor

Get Google AI Mode and AI Overview answers with their cited sources for any query and country, and see whether your brand and competitors are mentioned or cited. Pay only for answers delivered.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/leanpilar/google-ai-answer-tracker.md
- **Developed by:** [Lean Pilar](https://apify.com/leanpilar) (community)
- **Categories:** SEO tools, AI, Marketing
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $15.00 / 1,000 ai mode answers

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

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

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
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.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## 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.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Google AI Mode & AI Overview Tracker

See what Google's AI says when people search for your category, and whether it mentions or cites your brand.

For each search query and country, this Actor returns:

- the **AI Overview** answer shown at the top of Google results
- the **AI Mode** answer (Google's chat-style AI search)
- the **sources** Google cites, with real URLs
- for each brand you list: is it **mentioned**, how often, in what order, and is its website **cited**

You pay only for answers delivered. If Google shows no AI answer, or a search fails, it's free.

### Use cases

- **AI search visibility (GEO / AEO)**: track whether Google's AI recommends you or your competitors for the queries that matter.
- **Share of voice**: run the same queries every week and chart how often each brand is mentioned and cited.
- **Content and SEO**: find which pages Google's AI cites, so you know which sources to get into.
- **Research**: collect AI answers at scale in several countries and languages.

### Input

| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| Search queries | What people would ask Google, one per line. |
| Brands to track | One brand per line: name, other spellings, website. Example: `Zoho CRM, Zoho, zoho.com`. |
| Answer types | AI Overview, AI Mode, or both. Each answer is charged separately. |
| Countries | Two-letter codes such as `US`, `GB`, `DE`. Each query runs once per country. |
| Language | Google interface language, e.g. `en`, `de`, `hr`. Write your queries in the same language. |

Example:

```json
{
  "queries": ["best crm for small business", "hubspot vs zoho"],
  "brands": ["HubSpot, hubspot.com", "Zoho CRM, Zoho, zoho.com", "Pipedrive, pipedrive.com"],
  "answerTypes": ["aiOverview", "aiMode"],
  "countries": ["US", "GB"],
  "language": "en"
}
```

### Output

One record per query, country and answer type:

```json
{
  "query": "best crm for small business",
  "country": "US",
  "language": "en",
  "answerType": "aiMode",
  "status": "ok",
  "answerText": "Finding the best CRM for a small business depends on ...\n- HubSpot: ...\n- Zoho CRM: ...",
  "sources": [
    {"position": 1, "title": "PCMag", "url": "https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-small-business-crm-software", "domain": "pcmag.com"}
  ],
  "brands": [
    {"brand": "HubSpot", "mentioned": true, "mentionCount": 4, "mentionRank": 1, "cited": false, "citedPositions": [], "citedUrls": []},
    {"brand": "Zoho CRM", "mentioned": true, "mentionCount": 2, "mentionRank": 2, "cited": true, "citedPositions": [3], "citedUrls": ["https://www.zoho.com/crm/"]}
  ],
  "brandsMentioned": ["HubSpot", "Zoho CRM"],
  "brandsCited": ["Zoho CRM"],
  "searchUrl": "https://www.google.com/search?q=best+crm+for+small+business&hl=en&gl=us&udm=50",
  "attempts": 1,
  "scrapedAt": "2026-10-25T19:00:00+00:00"
}
```

- `status`: `ok` (charged), `noAnswer` (Google showed no AI answer, free) or `error` (blocked after all retries, free).
- `mentionRank`: 1 = the brand mentioned first in the answer.
- `cited`: one of the brand's websites is among the sources.
- Turn on **Include page HTML** to also get the raw page.

### Good to know

- AI answers change from one search to the next. For tracking, run the same queries on a schedule and compare trends, not single answers.
- Countries: results are requested for the country you choose, but from US-based IPs. Answers are close to what local users see, not always identical.
- Not every query gets an AI Overview, especially outside the US. AI Mode always answers.
- Typical speed: about 20-40 seconds per query with both answer types, several queries in parallel.

### Related tools

- [Google Trends Scraper](https://apify.com/leanpilar/google-trends): interest over time, by region, related queries.

# Actor input Schema

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

What people would ask Google, one per line. Write them in the language you set below.

## `brands` (type: `array`):

One brand per line: name, then other spellings and the website, comma separated. Example: "HubSpot, hubspot.com" or "Zoho CRM, Zoho, zoho.com". The website is used to check if the brand is cited as a source.

## `answerTypes` (type: `array`):

AI Overview is the AI summary at the top of normal Google results. AI Mode is Google's chat-style AI search. Each answer is charged separately.

## `countries` (type: `array`):

Two-letter country codes, e.g. US, GB, DE, HR. Each query runs once per country.

## `language` (type: `string`):

Google interface language code, e.g. en, de, hr, es. AI answers usually follow the language of the query.

## `maxConcurrency` (type: `integer`):

How many searches run at once. Higher is faster but more likely to be blocked.

## `maxAttempts` (type: `integer`):

Retries with a new IP when Google blocks a request. Failed searches are not charged.

## `includeHtml` (type: `boolean`):

Add the full page HTML to each result (large). Useful for your own parsing.

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

Apify datacenter proxy works best. Residential proxy is blocked by Google more often for this.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "queries": [
    "best crm for small business"
  ],
  "brands": [
    "HubSpot, hubspot.com",
    "Zoho CRM, Zoho, zoho.com",
    "Pipedrive, pipedrive.com"
  ],
  "answerTypes": [
    "aiOverview",
    "aiMode"
  ],
  "countries": [
    "US"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "maxConcurrency": 4,
  "maxAttempts": 4,
  "includeHtml": false,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `answers` (type: `string`):

One record per query, country and answer type. Check status: ok (charged), noAnswer or error (free).

## `summary` (type: `string`):

Counts of answers by type and status.

# 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 crm for small business"
    ],
    "brands": [
        "HubSpot, hubspot.com",
        "Zoho CRM, Zoho, zoho.com",
        "Pipedrive, pipedrive.com"
    ],
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": true
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("leanpilar/google-ai-answer-tracker").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 crm for small business"],
    "brands": [
        "HubSpot, hubspot.com",
        "Zoho CRM, Zoho, zoho.com",
        "Pipedrive, pipedrive.com",
    ],
    "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("leanpilar/google-ai-answer-tracker").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).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 crm for small business"
  ],
  "brands": [
    "HubSpot, hubspot.com",
    "Zoho CRM, Zoho, zoho.com",
    "Pipedrive, pipedrive.com"
  ],
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}' |
apify call leanpilar/google-ai-answer-tracker --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,leanpilar/google-ai-answer-tracker"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/z5CjPz9iCtH2YoXco/builds/kNZpqenoD1LgXoLgy/openapi.json