> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getcited.in/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# AI Overview

> Google's AI-generated answer box that appears at the top of some search results, synthesising information from multiple sources.

**AI Overview** (AIO) is Google's AI-generated answer box that appears at the top of some search results pages. When triggered, it displays a synthesised paragraph answering the user's query before the traditional list of blue links. AI Overviews are powered by [Gemini](/concepts/platforms/how-gemini-search-works) and represent the convergence of traditional search and AI-generated answers within Google's own product.

## Why it matters

AI Overviews change the competitive landscape for brands appearing in Google Search. When an AI Overview is present, the first thing users see is a synthesised answer — not an organic link. Brands mentioned in the AI Overview get disproportionate attention, while brands that ranked well in traditional results may be displaced. For brands investing in [AEO/GEO](/glossary/geo), AI Overviews are one of the most consequential surfaces to optimise for — they sit on top of the world's most-used search engine.

## How Cited uses it

Cited tracks AI Overview responses alongside its other tracked platforms — brand mentions, citations, sentiment, and position are extracted from AIO answers the same way they are from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, and Grok responses. AIO data is reported separately from standalone Gemini chat in the dashboard because the two surfaces behave differently. See [How Gemini, AI Overviews, and AI Mode work](/concepts/platforms/how-gemini-search-works) for the full per-surface breakdown.

## Related concepts

* [How Gemini, AI Overviews, and AI Mode work](/concepts/platforms/how-gemini-search-works) — Google's full set of AI surfaces
* [Which AI platforms we track](/methodology/which-llms-we-track) — the complete tracked-platform set
* [SERP](/glossary/serp) — the traditional search results AI Overviews sit on top of