What AI assistants read before they recommend a business
We asked ChatGPT and Claude the questions buyers ask about businesses, software and brands, with web search on, and kept every page they read. 3,256 answers in 20 countries show which sites they look at, and which they give as the source of a name.
Published by AIGROW · data under CC BY 4.0
- ChatGPT: searches per answer
- 3.9
- ChatGPT: sites read per answer
- 15.9
- Claude: searches per answer
- 1.7
- Claude: sites read per answer
- 6.6
- Answers that read reddit.com
- 71%
- Answers that read wikipedia.org
- 52%
- Answers that read trustpilot.com
- 13%
In October 2026, ChatGPT and Claude answered 3,256 questions about businesses, software and brands with web search on. reddit.com was read in 71% of the answers, wikipedia.org in 52% and trustpilot.com in 13%. The tables below show the sites read most in each country and for each kind of business.
Key statistics
Numbered findings from this edition, each with a source table and a citation.
The sites read most
Read: the share of all 3,256 answers that read at least one page of the site. Cited: the share that gave one of its pages as the source of a recommendation. Under each assistant, the share of its own answers.
| Site | Read | Cited | ChatGPT | Claude |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| reddit.comChatGPT 89% · Claude 0% | 71% | 2.8% | 89% | 0% |
| wikipedia.orgChatGPT 66% · Claude 0.4% | 52% | 0% | 66% | 0.4% |
| trustpilot.comChatGPT 12% · Claude 18% | 13% | 4.4% | 12% | 18% |
| elpais.comChatGPT 6.0% · Claude 0% | 4.8% | 0.4% | 6.0% | 0% |
| linkedin.comChatGPT 5.0% · Claude 3.0% | 4.5% | 0.3% | 5.0% | 3.0% |
| clutch.coChatGPT 3.9% · Claude 4.3% | 4.0% | 2.4% | 3.9% | 4.3% |
| birdeye.comChatGPT 5.0% · Claude 0% | 4.0% | 1.3% | 5.0% | 0% |
| werkenntdenbesten.deChatGPT 3.4% · Claude 5.6% | 3.9% | 1.6% | 3.4% | 5.6% |
| pagesjaunes.frChatGPT 4.4% · Claude 1.9% | 3.9% | 0.9% | 4.4% | 1.9% |
| michelin.comChatGPT 4.6% · Claude 0.9% | 3.8% | 3.2% | 4.6% | 0.9% |
| wallpaper.comChatGPT 4.8% · Claude 0.1% | 3.8% | 0.2% | 4.8% | 0.1% |
| provenexpert.comChatGPT 3.7% · Claude 1.5% | 3.3% | 0.8% | 3.7% | 1.5% |
| trustindex.ioChatGPT 4.1% · Claude 0.3% | 3.3% | 0.7% | 4.1% | 0.3% |
| cadenaser.comChatGPT 4.1% · Claude 0% | 3.3% | 0% | 4.1% | 0% |
| reviewhero.ioChatGPT 2.7% · Claude 3.8% | 2.9% | 0.7% | 2.7% | 3.8% |
| youtube.comChatGPT 3.6% · Claude 0% | 2.8% | 0% | 3.6% | 0% |
| fresha.comChatGPT 2.4% · Claude 2.7% | 2.5% | 0.8% | 2.4% | 2.7% |
| localsearch.chChatGPT 3.0% · Claude 0% | 2.4% | 0% | 3.0% | 0% |
| chambers.comChatGPT 2.9% · Claude 0.3% | 2.3% | 1.3% | 2.9% | 0.3% |
| bestinhood.comChatGPT 2.8% · Claude 0.1% | 2.3% | 1.0% | 2.8% | 0.1% |
| expertise.comChatGPT 2.7% · Claude 0.7% | 2.3% | 0.3% | 2.7% | 0.7% |
| wanderlog.comChatGPT 2.8% · Claude 0.6% | 2.3% | 0.3% | 2.8% | 0.6% |
| trustanalytica.orgChatGPT 2.7% · Claude 0.9% | 2.3% | 0.2% | 2.7% | 0.9% |
| trustoo.nlChatGPT 2.0% · Claude 2.2% | 2.1% | 0.8% | 2.0% | 2.2% |
| local.chChatGPT 2.6% · Claude 0.6% | 2.1% | 0.5% | 2.6% | 0.6% |
How much each assistant searched
Searches it ran and different sites it read, per answer. A site counts here whether or not it is a source.
| Assistant | Answers | Searches | Sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | 2,580 | 3.9 | 15.9 |
| Claude | 676 | 1.7 | 6.6 |
By country
Each country was asked in its own language. The three sites read most there, with the share of its answers.
- Australia
- 153 answers. Read most: reddit.com 73%, wikipedia.org 58%, starworks.com.au 30%.
- Austria
- 128 answers. Read most: reddit.com 62%, wikipedia.org 62%, herold.at 47%.
- Belgium
- 153 answers. Read most: reddit.com 70%, wikipedia.org 46%, trustlocal.be 16%.
- Brazil
- 127 answers. Read most: reddit.com 62%, wikipedia.org 43%, comerciosaopaulo.com.br 13%.
- Canada
- 153 answers. Read most: reddit.com 73%, wikipedia.org 54%, threebestrated.ca 28%.
- Denmark
- 102 answers. Read most: reddit.com 62%, trustpilot.com 57%, wikipedia.org 33%.
- France
- 228 answers. Read most: reddit.com 74%, wikipedia.org 68%, pagesjaunes.fr 54%.
- Germany
- 228 answers. Read most: reddit.com 72%, wikipedia.org 69%, werkenntdenbesten.de 47%.
- Ireland
- 102 answers. Read most: reddit.com 63%, wikipedia.org 48%, trustpilot.com 29%.
- Italy
- 228 answers. Read most: reddit.com 80%, wikipedia.org 58%, prontopro.it 24%.
- Mexico
- 128 answers. Read most: reddit.com 65%, wikipedia.org 34%, elpais.com 19%.
- Netherlands
- 153 answers. Read most: reddit.com 72%, trustoo.nl 44%, trustpilot.com 30%.
- Norway
- 103 answers. Read most: reddit.com 59%, wikipedia.org 27%, trustpilot.com 19%.
- Poland
- 127 answers. Read most: reddit.com 65%, oferteo.pl 42%, wikipedia.org 23%.
- Portugal
- 103 answers. Read most: reddit.com 62%, wikipedia.org 48%, zaask.pt 29%.
- Spain
- 178 answers. Read most: reddit.com 65%, elpais.com 48%, wikipedia.org 45%.
- Sweden
- 128 answers. Read most: reddit.com 66%, reco.se 43%, kundernas.se 26%.
- Switzerland
- 203 answers. Read most: reddit.com 70%, wikipedia.org 68%, localsearch.ch 38%.
- United Kingdom
- 228 answers. Read most: reddit.com 79%, wikipedia.org 71%, trustpilot.com 31%.
- United States
- 303 answers. Read most: reddit.com 85%, wikipedia.org 65%, birdeye.com 25%.
By kind of business
The three sites read most for each kind of business, across every country.
- Accountants
- 108 answers. Read most: reddit.com 79%, wikipedia.org 52%, clutch.co 15%.
- Accounting software
- 20 answers. Read most: reddit.com 55%, wikipedia.org 45%, techradar.com 30%.
- Appointment booking software
- 20 answers. Read most: simplybook.me 75%, reddit.com 70%, calendly.com 60%.
- Architects
- 108 answers. Read most: wikipedia.org 81%, reddit.com 53%, wallpaper.com 41%.
- Banks
- 40 answers. Read most: reddit.com 35%, wikipedia.org 23%, pickthebank.eu 15%.
- Car brands
- 40 answers. Read most: wikipedia.org 30%, reddit.com 28%, youtube.com 28%.
- Car insurance companies
- 40 answers. Read most: reddit.com 50%, wikipedia.org 28%, kiplinger.com 13%.
- Car repair shops
- 108 answers. Read most: reddit.com 81%, wikipedia.org 53%, trustpilot.com 22%.
- Cleaning services
- 108 answers. Read most: reddit.com 82%, trustpilot.com 49%, wikipedia.org 40%.
- CRM software
- 20 answers. Read most: pipedrive.com 90%, zoho.com 80%, hubspot.com 65%.
- Dentists
- 108 answers. Read most: reddit.com 81%, wikipedia.org 43%, trustpilot.com 20%.
- Dermatologists
- 108 answers. Read most: reddit.com 76%, wikipedia.org 65%, whatclinic.com 9.3%.
- Digital marketing agencies
- 108 answers. Read most: reddit.com 81%, wikipedia.org 72%, clutch.co 50%.
- Driving schools
- 108 answers. Read most: reddit.com 80%, wikipedia.org 33%, trustpilot.com 22%.
- E-commerce platforms
- 20 answers. Read most: shopify.com 100%, woocommerce.com 75%, reddit.com 70%.
- Electricians
- 108 answers. Read most: reddit.com 80%, wikipedia.org 29%, trustpilot.com 23%.
- Electronics retailers
- 39 answers. Read most: reddit.com 46%, wikipedia.org 39%, trustpilot.com 15%.
- Email marketing software
- 20 answers. Read most: brevo.com 100%, mailerlite.com 90%, mailchimp.com 75%.
- Energy suppliers
- 39 answers. Read most: reddit.com 44%, wikipedia.org 36%, youtube.com 13%.
- Financial advisors
- 108 answers. Read most: reddit.com 79%, wikipedia.org 66%, kiplinger.com 20%.
- Gyms
- 108 answers. Read most: reddit.com 82%, wikipedia.org 62%, top-rated.online 20%.
- Hair salons
- 108 answers. Read most: reddit.com 80%, fresha.com 50%, wikipedia.org 44%.
- Help desk software
- 20 answers. Read most: zoho.com 95%, freshworks.com 95%, zendesk.com 75%.
- Home internet providers
- 40 answers. Read most: reddit.com 45%, wikipedia.org 30%, nperf.com 20%.
- Hotels
- 108 answers. Read most: reddit.com 79%, wikipedia.org 69%, michelin.com 36%.
- Insurance brokers
- 108 answers. Read most: reddit.com 76%, wikipedia.org 68%, trustpilot.com 25%.
- Interior designers
- 108 answers. Read most: wikipedia.org 81%, reddit.com 63%, wallpaper.com 44%.
- Lawyers
- 108 answers. Read most: wikipedia.org 67%, reddit.com 64%, chambers.com 62%.
- Mobile carriers
- 40 answers. Read most: reddit.com 48%, wikipedia.org 43%, opensignal.com 40%.
- Moving companies
- 108 answers. Read most: reddit.com 82%, wikipedia.org 42%, trustpilot.com 40%.
- Online brokers
- 39 answers. Read most: brokerchooser.com 36%, reddit.com 21%, wikipedia.org 18%.
- Payroll software
- 20 answers. Read most: reddit.com 75%, wikipedia.org 55%, sage.com 25%.
- Physiotherapists
- 108 answers. Read most: reddit.com 81%, wikipedia.org 56%, fresha.com 15%.
- Plumbers
- 108 answers. Read most: reddit.com 82%, trustpilot.com 22%, wikipedia.org 22%.
- Project management software
- 20 answers. Read most: asana.com 100%, trello.com 90%, clickup.com 80%.
- Real estate agencies
- 108 answers. Read most: reddit.com 77%, wikipedia.org 53%, trustpilot.com 26%.
- Restaurant POS systems
- 20 answers. Read most: reddit.com 65%, wikipedia.org 45%, lightspeedhq.com 40%.
- Restaurants
- 108 answers. Read most: wikipedia.org 81%, michelin.com 80%, reddit.com 74%.
- Roofers
- 108 answers. Read most: reddit.com 74%, wikipedia.org 36%, trustpilot.com 23%.
- Supermarkets
- 39 answers. Read most: reddit.com 41%, wikipedia.org 26%, youtube.com 26%.
- Veterinarians
- 108 answers. Read most: reddit.com 78%, wikipedia.org 53%, infovet.vet 16%.
- Web design agencies
- 108 answers. Read most: reddit.com 82%, wikipedia.org 72%, clutch.co 44%.
- Website builders
- 20 answers. Read most: wix.com 90%, shopify.com 80%, squarespace.com 70%.
- Wedding photographers
- 108 answers. Read most: reddit.com 80%, wikipedia.org 75%, fearlessphotographers.com 39%.
By assistant
A page for each assistant: the sites it reads most, by country and kind of business, and where the assistants differ. The share is of its own answers.
Sites
A page for each of the 141 sites read most, with its shares per assistant, country and kind of business. The share is of all 3,256 answers.
reddit.com 71%wikipedia.org 52%trustpilot.com 13%elpais.com 4.8%linkedin.com 4.5%clutch.co 4.0%birdeye.com 4.0%werkenntdenbesten.de 3.9%pagesjaunes.fr 3.9%michelin.com 3.8%wallpaper.com 3.8%provenexpert.com 3.3%trustindex.io 3.3%cadenaser.com 3.3%reviewhero.io 2.9%youtube.com 2.8%fresha.com 2.5%localsearch.ch 2.4%chambers.com 2.3%bestinhood.com 2.3%expertise.com 2.3%wanderlog.com 2.3%trustanalytica.org 2.3%trustoo.nl 2.1%local.ch 2.1%trustlocal.de 2.0%livingetc.com 2.0%techradar.com 2.0%timeout.com 1.9%top-rated.online 1.9%herold.at 1.8%squarespace.com 1.8%revenuebase.ai 1.8%homesandgardens.com 1.8%reco.se 1.7%bestprosintown.com 1.7%prontopro.it 1.7%which.co.uk 1.6%oferteo.pl 1.6%dasoertliche.de 1.6%designrush.com 1.6%arxiv.org 1.6%kiplinger.com 1.6%lemonde.fr 1.6%threebestrated.co.uk 1.5%trustlocal.es 1.5%yell.com 1.5%starworks.com.au 1.4%lecoskeuze.nl 1.4%wordofmouth.com.au 1.4%autour-de-moi.com 1.4%tripadvisor.com 1.4%fearlessphotographers.com 1.3%checkatrade.com 1.3%threebestrated.ca 1.3%altraopinione.org 1.3%whatclinic.com 1.3%shopify.com 1.2%ranq.ch 1.2%zoho.com 1.1%consumeraffairs.com 1.1%semrush.com 1.1%goodfirms.co 1.1%productreview.com.au 1.1%cision.com 1.1%cntraveler.com 1.0%kundernas.se 1.0%zaask.pt 0.9%restaurantsforkings.com 0.9%tomsguide.com 0.9%wko.at 0.9%trustlocal.be 0.8%as.com 0.8%marieclaire.co.uk 0.8%brevo.com 0.7%engelvoelkers.com 0.7%wix.com 0.7%legal500.com 0.7%bestinireland.com 0.7%doctify.com 0.7%miodottore.it 0.7%rankingpro.pl 0.7%cronoshare.com.mx 0.7%krakow.pl 0.7%marieclaire.com 0.7%pipedrive.com 0.6%trello.com 0.6%asana.com 0.6%freshworks.com 0.6%mailerlite.com 0.6%portaldaqueixa.com 0.6%wpja.com 0.6%zendesk.com 0.6%boschcarservice.com 0.6%trustup.be 0.6%ugent.be 0.6%clickup.com 0.5%squareup.com 0.5%nperf.com 0.5%simplybook.me 0.5%woocommerce.com 0.5%brokerchooser.com 0.5%opensignal.com 0.5%comerciosaopaulo.com.br 0.5%consumentenbond.nl 0.5%monday.com 0.5%clearlyrated.com 0.5%habitissimo.pt 0.5%mailchimp.com 0.5%digitalcameraworld.com 0.5%finn.no 0.5%goldenpages.ie 0.5%infovet.vet 0.5%doctoralia.com.mx 0.4%hubspot.com 0.4%movebuddha.com 0.4%calendly.com 0.4%getninjas.com.br 0.4%gulesider.no 0.4%test.de 0.4%archdaily.com 0.4%drivingschools.directory 0.4%krak.dk 0.4%reclameaqui.com.br 0.4%statista.com 0.4%physiofinder.net 0.4%intuit.com 0.3%sage.com 0.3%lightspeedhq.com 0.3%cvrapi.dk 0.3%helpscout.com 0.2%home.saxo 0.2%xero.com 0.2%connect.de 0.2%interactivebrokers.com 0.2%teamleader.eu 0.2%teamwork.com 0.2%nafop.org 0.2%pickthebank.eu 0.2%hubspot.de 0.1%sumup.com 0.1%
Who the assistants recommend
The AI Visibility Index counts the businesses, software and brands the assistants name, for each kind of business and place.
How this was measured
- The question
- Each assistant was asked the questions a buyer asks, with web search on: about a local trade in a city, or about software or a consumer brand in a country. Every page its searches returned and every page it gave as a source was kept.
- Counting
- A site counts once per answer, however many of its pages the answer read. Read is the share of answers that read at least one page of the site; cited is the share that gave one of its pages as the source of a recommendation.
- Sources
- A site counts as a source only when it appears on 3 or more pages of the Index. Below that it is almost always a business’s own website or a one-off article.
- Edition
- October 2026. 3,256 answers: ChatGPT 2,580, Claude 676.
- Coverage
- Not every assistant has answered on every page yet this month, so read each assistant’s shares next to its own number of answers.
Citing this data
AIGROW, AI Source Map, October 2026, aigrow.gg/ai-sources. The figures and the data are published under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with a link to this page.
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Edition October 2026 · data under CC BY 4.0