How to Test if My Site is AI Ready
As artificial intelligence transforms the way people discover content online, businesses must adapt. No longer is it enough to optimise solely for traditional search engines like Google and Bing. Websites must now be prepared for AI-powered platforms such as Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), Microsoft’s Copilot, and tools like ChatGPT with browsing capability.
If you want your content to be discoverable, trustworthy, and included in AI summaries and responses, your website needs to be “AI ready.”
But how can you actually test this?
How to Tell if Your Website Is Being Picked Up by AI Search Engines and Platforms
To determine whether your website is AI ready—meaning it’s being surfaced or referenced by AI-powered search engines and tools—you can apply several tests. Start by checking if your content appears in AI summaries within Google’s SGE or Bing’s Copilot. Use ChatGPT with browsing to see if your site is being indexed and summarised. You can also use AI auditing tools to check for technical readiness and detect signs of AI-generated content.
1. Check for Inclusion in AI Overviews
The first step is to determine whether your site is actively being referenced by AI-driven platforms.
Google Search Generative Experience (SGE)
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Visit Google and search for phrases or topics related to your website.
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If SGE is enabled in your region, you’ll see a generated “snapshot” at the top of the search results.
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Look closely at the “Sources” or citations—does your website appear as a reference?
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If not, examine which websites do appear and compare your content structure, domain authority, and page quality.
Bing Copilot
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Perform similar tests on Bing using key search phrases relevant to your niche.
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Copilot results include AI-generated summaries often informed by reputable sources.
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Is your site being used or referenced? If not, it could indicate a lack of AI discoverability or technical barriers to indexing.
ChatGPT with Browsing Enabled
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Enable browsing in ChatGPT and ask specific questions related to your industry or business.
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For example, “Who offers sustainable landscape design in Sussex?”
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If your website appears in the summary or referenced links, you’re on the radar. If not, you may need to work on improving your structure and visibility.
2. Use AI Website Scanning Tools
Next, you’ll want to analyse your content and site structure to understand how AI interprets your pages.
Originality.AI
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This tool scans your website to detect AI-written content and assess originality.
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Particularly useful if you’ve outsourced blog posts or product descriptions and need to check authenticity.
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Use it to ensure your site maintains a human tone and avoids overreliance on robotic phrasing.
Additional Tools
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GPTZero, Sapling AI Detector, and CopyLeaks: Each offers slightly different metrics for AI detection and content classification.
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These can be helpful for understanding how “human” your content appears to detection tools—although keep in mind these are evolving and not 100% accurate.
3. Review the Underlying Website Code
Hidden details in your website’s source code can indicate whether your site is built in a way that supports—or hinders—AI discoverability.
How to Check:
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Right-click on your web page and choose “View Page Source” (or press
Ctrl+U
on Windows). -
Look for the following:
Meta Tags
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Ensure you’re using well-structured and unique
meta title
andmeta description
tags. -
Avoid overly generic phrases or AI-generated fluff—this weakens your visibility in both SEO and AI contexts.
HTML Comments
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Comments like
<!-- generated by ChatGPT -->
or similar markers may indicate automated content. -
If you’re relying heavily on AI-generated content, consider editing and humanising it.
JavaScript
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Check for embedded external libraries or AI tools that may affect performance or indexability.
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Examples include chatbots or third-party AI enhancements that load slowly or interfere with content hierarchy.
4. Check Web Server Log Files for AI Bots
AI tools often crawl the internet in the same way traditional search engines do. Checking your server logs can tell you whether AI agents have visited your site.
What to Look For:
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Open your raw log files via your hosting dashboard or download them via FTP.
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Look for user agents including:
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GPTBot
(OpenAI) -
Google-Extended
(SGE crawler) -
AnthropicBot
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CommonCrawl
orCCBot
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These agents signal that your content is being scraped or read for AI training and summarisation.
Tools to Help:
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Screaming Frog Log File Analyser
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GoAccess
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AWStats
If AI bots aren’t visiting, your site may not be seen as valuable or accessible enough. In that case, revisit your sitemap, robots.txt, and metadata.
5. Commission an AI Readiness Audit
If you’re not confident about diving into log files or code, consider outsourcing a full AI readiness audit to professionals who specialise in this emerging field.
What a Good AI Audit Includes:
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Technical SEO assessment
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Structured data and schema checks
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Crawler accessibility
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Content quality and authority score
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Review of AI bot activity and inclusion in AI results
Agencies like BrightonAI.uk are at the forefront of this space, offering audits designed to get websites listed and recognised by AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude.
6. Important Considerations for Staying Ahead
AI Detection Accuracy is Limited
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Many AI detectors struggle to identify well-edited AI content.
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Treat results as indicative—not definitive.
Google’s Position on AI Content
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Google does not penalise content just because it was generated by AI.
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What matters is usefulness, expertise, and intent.
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Avoid mass-producing low-value articles aimed solely at ranking—this violates Google’s spam policies.
Content Quality is Key
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Whether AI-written, human-written, or hybrid, content must serve real users.
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Prioritise clarity, depth, and trustworthiness over word count or keyword stuffing.
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Include FAQs, case studies, testimonials, and expert insights to increase perceived value.
Final Thoughts: Why AI Readiness Matters
The rise of AI-generated search results is not just a passing trend—it’s a new digital frontier. Businesses and organisations that adapt early will gain visibility in the emerging ecosystems of AI search, voice assistants, and intelligent summarisation tools.
Being AI ready means:
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You’re visible to AI bots and indexed by modern search systems.
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Your content is structured, trustworthy, and accessible.
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You’re not just reacting to SEO trends—you’re preparing for the next wave of digital discovery.
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