What Is ChatGPT Search?
ChatGPT Search is OpenAI's web search feature built directly into ChatGPT, allowing the AI assistant to browse the live internet, retrieve current information, and synthesize answers with cited source links. Originally prototyped as SearchGPT in mid-2024, the feature was integrated into ChatGPT and rolled out to all users - including free tier - in early 2025. With over 500 million weekly active users as of mid-2025, ChatGPT Search has become one of the most significant new sources of search traffic on the web.
How Does ChatGPT Search Work?
ChatGPT Search activates when a user's query requires current or real-time information that may not be in the model's training data. Here is the process:
Query detection. ChatGPT determines whether a query needs live web data. Questions about recent events, current prices, live scores, or time-sensitive information automatically trigger a web search. Users can also explicitly request a web search.
Web retrieval. The system sends search queries to the web and retrieves relevant pages. OpenAI's crawler, OAI-SearchBot, indexes web content, and the system also pulls from third-party search indexes for comprehensive coverage.
Content reading. ChatGPT reads the full text of retrieved pages - not just snippets or metadata. This is fundamentally different from traditional search, where the engine scores pages based on signals without deeply reading the content. ChatGPT actually understands what the page says.
Answer synthesis. The model combines information from multiple sources into a coherent, conversational response. It attributes specific claims to specific sources where possible.
Source citation. Source links appear at the bottom of the response and sometimes inline, allowing users to click through to the original content. This is where referral traffic comes from.
What Made ChatGPT Search Different From Google?
The core difference is in the interaction model. Google returns a list of links and lets the user decide which to click. ChatGPT Search reads the content for the user and delivers a synthesized answer.
Conversational follow-ups. Users can ask follow-up questions that build on the previous answer. "Tell me more about the pricing" or "How does that compare to Competitor X?" work naturally in ChatGPT but require a new search on Google.
No ads in results. ChatGPT Search responses do not include paid advertisements. Every cited source earned its place through content quality, not ad spend. This is a meaningful shift for startups competing against well-funded incumbents who dominate Google's paid slots.
Deep content reading. Traditional search engines rank pages based on signals like backlinks and click-through rates. ChatGPT actually reads your content and evaluates whether it answers the question well. This means a well-written page from a startup can get cited alongside content from major publications.
How Does ChatGPT Search Select Sources?
OpenAI has not published a detailed guide on its source selection criteria, but analysis of ChatGPT Search behavior reveals clear patterns:
Recency matters. ChatGPT Search favors recently published or updated content. Pages with current dates and fresh information outperform older content on time-sensitive topics.
Authority signals. The system considers domain reputation, author credentials, and how frequently a source is referenced across the web. Strong E-E-A-T signals - Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness - influence which sources get cited.
Content structure. Pages with clear headings, structured paragraphs, and definition-first formatting are easier for the model to extract from. If your opening paragraph directly answers the query, ChatGPT is more likely to use it.
Specificity. ChatGPT Search prefers pages that specifically address the question being asked over generic pages that tangentially mention the topic. A dedicated page about "LinkedIn algorithm 2026" will outperform a general "social media tips" page for that query.
How Do You Get Cited by ChatGPT Search?
Getting your content cited by ChatGPT Search follows the same principles as broader AI search optimization:
Allow OAI-SearchBot. Check your robots.txt to ensure you are not blocking OpenAI's web crawler. If you block OAI-SearchBot, your content cannot appear in ChatGPT Search results.
Write definition-first content. Start every page with a clear, one-paragraph answer to the question your page targets. This is the content ChatGPT is most likely to extract and cite.
Include current data. Statistics, research findings, and data points with linked sources make your content more citable. The Princeton GEO research showed that including statistics increased visibility in AI-generated responses by up to 40%.
Publish consistently. ChatGPT Search values freshness. Regular publishing signals that your site is actively maintained and authoritative on its topics.
Build web presence. Being mentioned across Reddit, forums, and other websites increases the authority signals that ChatGPT uses when selecting sources.
ChatGPT Search vs Google AI Overviews
Both are AI-generated answers, but they serve different user contexts:
- Google AI Overviews appear within traditional search, reaching users who are already searching on Google
- ChatGPT Search serves users in a conversational AI context, often for more complex or research-oriented queries
- Google sources from its own massive index; ChatGPT uses its own crawler plus third-party indexes
- ChatGPT supports natural follow-up questions; Google AI Overviews are one-shot summaries
For startups, the strategic move is to optimize for both. The content practices that get you cited by ChatGPT Search - structured content, authority signals, fresh data - also improve your chances of appearing in Google AI Overviews and Perplexity AI results.