The two channels
For ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI, and Gemini, we send queries through the same chat interfaces consumers use. We work with partner infrastructure providers to send those queries, on a schedule. The responses come back the way a consumer would see them, including citations and the actual UI structure. For Grok, Claude, and DeepSeek the same approach is not viable at this time, so we use their public APIs. That means we get the same model and the same answers a developer would see, plus search context where the API exposes it. No web UI in the loop. Mechanically the two channels differ. The scoring downstream treats them the same.Google Search and traffic context
OpenLens can also connect to Google Search Console and Google Analytics (GA4). These integrations do not power AI visibility scoring. They add run-pinned project evidence in Site Readiness Performance: classic-search clicks, impressions, CTR, average position, and AI-referrer sessions from GA4. Google connections are organization-level OAuth connections. Each project selects the specific Search Console and GA4 properties it should use in Settings.Chat UI vs API
The chat UIs and the APIs are sometimes different products. Citations, formatting, and live search behavior can differ between what a model returns through its API and what the same model returns inside its consumer-facing chat app. When we can use the chat surface we do. That keeps the measurement honest with what your prospects actually see.Your own Google data
The channels above are OpenLens measuring the platforms. There is a third source, and you own it: connect Google Search Console and GA4 and OpenLens reads your search performance and AI-referred traffic straight from Google’s APIs. Read-only aggregate evidence is pinned to each Site Readiness run; no user-level events or journeys are stored. Setup and MCP details are in Site Readiness Performance.FAQ
What is the difference between web access and API?
When you log on to chatgpt.com you’re using OpenAI’s consumer product, which wraps the model in a UI with live search, citations, ad rules, and other features that aren’t always in the API. The API gives you the raw model. For most of our supported platforms we measure the consumer surface, because that’s where users actually meet your brand.Why can’t you use the chat UI for Grok, Claude, and DeepSeek?
Different vendors expose their products differently. For Grok and Claude we use their public API plus live web search. DeepSeek’s API has no web search, so its answers come from the model alone, and they are representative of what the model says about you.How often do you run queries?
On a schedule, at a cadence that depends on your plan: weekly or monthly on Free and Starter, plus daily on Agency. You pick the cadence and the time of day (UTC) per project in Settings. You can also kick off an on-demand run anytime: the Run Now button at the top of the dashboard,POST /api/prompts/run via the REST API, or the run_prompts tool via MCP. On-demand runs work independently of the schedule.