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APIEndpoint 6 of 40SERP / AI Search / Google AI Overview

AI Overview API

The AI Overview API for the new search stack.

Google's AI Overview appears in 1 of 5 searches in 2026 — but traditional rank trackers report 'position 1' for organic and miss the AI Overview snippet entirely. We capture the snippet text, citations, cited URLs, and presence/absence per query. Your agent checks what Google's AI says about your business — and your competitors — in one call.

Start Free — 50 CreditsView Docs

POST /v1/serp/ai-overview · 1 credit / call

POST /v1/serp/ai-overview~3s · 1 credit
AI Overview"best plumber in austin"

Based on Google reviews and local rankings, the highest-rated plumbers in Austin include ABC Plumbing (4.8 / 542 reviews), Roto-Rooter, and Mr. Rooter. Same-day service is offered by several providers.

Cited sources

ABC Plumbing — Austin, TXabcplumbing.com
Top 10 Plumbers in Austinyelp.com
Austin's Best-Rated Plumbershomeadvisor.com
▌ Ask your agent

These prompts are the new AI search workflow.

Connect Local SEO Data as an MCP server once (60 seconds, below). Then your agent runs the work. Replace bracketed keywords with your own.

AI Overview presence monitoring

Pull the AI Overview for [best plumber Austin], [emergency plumber Austin], and [24-hour plumbing repair Austin]. Tell me if Google's AI cites us, which competitors appear, and what the snippet says.

Citation tracking by query

For our top 20 commercial keywords, pull the AI Overview for each. Flag any where our competitors are cited but we're not. Show me the exact snippet text and all cited domains.

AI Overview vs organic SERP comparison

Compare our visibility: pull the local 3-pack and AI Overview for [hair salon Denver]. Are we ranking #1 organically but missing from the AI snippet? Is Google's AI citing our competitors instead of us?

Pre-pitch AI readiness audit

A prospect owns a dental practice in Seattle, WA. Pull AI Overviews for [best dentist Seattle] and [emergency dentist near me]. Are local dentists being cited? Is this prospect's domain in the mix?

▌ Real response

What you get back

Live response from POST /v1/serp/ai-overview for a plumbing query in Austin, TX.

response · application/json~3-5s · 1 credit
{
  "status": "success",
  "credits_used": 1,
  "data": {
    "has_ai_overview": true,
    "asynchronous_ai_overview": false,
    "summary_text": "The highest-rated plumbers in Austin include ABC Plumbing (4.9/5, 680 reviews), offering same-day emergency service with certified technicians. Other top-ranked options include Prime Plumbing (4.7/5, 420 reviews) specializing in water heater repair, and Allied Plumbing (4.6/5, 310 reviews) known for drain cleaning.",
    "cited_sources": [
      {
        "title": "ABC Plumbing - Austin TX",
        "url": "https://abcplumbing.com",
        "domain": "abcplumbing.com"
      },
      {
        "title": "Top 10 Plumbers in Austin - Yelp",
        "url": "https://yelp.com/search?find_desc=plumbers&find_loc=Austin+TX",
        "domain": "yelp.com"
      },
      {
        "title": "Prime Plumbing Services",
        "url": "https://primeplumbing-austin.com",
        "domain": "primeplumbing-austin.com"
      },
      {
        "title": "HomeAdvisor - Plumbers in Austin",
        "url": "https://homeadvisor.com",
        "domain": "homeadvisor.com"
      }
    ],
    "keyword": "best plumber austin",
    "location": "Austin, TX"
  }
}
▌ Returns

Everything you need to track AI Overview visibility

Presence detection

Whether an AI Overview triggers for the query

has_ai_overview boolean tells you if Google's AI generated a summary. Many queries don't trigger overviews — this flags which ones do so you can prioritize citation tracking.

AI-generated text

The full AI Overview snippet text

summary_text contains exactly what Google's AI said about your keyword. Different from featured snippets — this is synthesized from multiple sources, not a direct quote.

Citation list

Every domain and URL cited in the overview

cited_sources array shows every website Google's AI referenced — the actual sources getting visibility. Track if you're cited alongside competitors or missing entirely.

Async detection

Whether Google rendered the overview asynchronously

asynchronous_ai_overview flags when Google generated the overview after initial page load. Useful for understanding data freshness and rendering patterns.

▌ Built for

What AI-native operators ship with this

Citation tracking workflows

Daily sweep of target keywords for AI Overviews. Your agent flags which competitors are cited, ranks them by citation frequency, and alerts you to changes. Built once in Claude, runs on schedule.

→ For agencies

Pre-pitch AI visibility audit

Before the sales call, pull AI Overviews for prospect keywords. Show them: 'Google's AI cites your competitors but not you. Here's how we get you into the summary.' Data-driven diagnosis wins deals.

→ For consultants

Competitive AI positioning

Monitor which competitors Google's AI favors. Pull monthly snapshots of AI Overviews for your core keywords. Track citation patterns — who appears consistently, who's fading, where the gap is.

→ Competitor Gap API

AI Overview vs organic rank comparison

Pair with [Local Pack API](/local-pack-api) and [Organic SERP API](/organic-serp-api). You might rank #1 organically but be missing from the AI Overview. Your agent detects this disconnect and flags urgency.

→ Organic SERP API
▌ vs. the alternatives

Why not just manually check Google for AI Overviews?

Checking Google by hand for each keyword is slow and unrepeatable. Competitors charge $99–$299/mo for AI Overview tracking dashboards. We charge $0.005 per call, unlimited queries. Here's how the options stack up.

ApproachSetupCost per 100 keywordsCitation trackingAI-agent ready
Manual Google searchNone, but ~2 min per keyword$0 but ~3.3 hours laborHand-documentedNo
Rankability AI Overview TrackerDashboard login + onboarding$29–99/mo (~$0.01–0.03 per kw)Yes, with historyManual CSV export
SE Ranking AI Overviews TrackerDashboard UI$119–299/mo (~$0.04–0.10 per kw)Yes, per-query breakdownAPI available, dashboard-first
Ahrefs Rank Tracker (add-on)Dashboard, part of $129/mo suite$129+/mo (~$0.04+ per kw minimum)Limited to tracked keywordsAPI available, per-seat fees
SerpApi raw endpointAPI key + dev work$0.50–1.00 per queryYes, REST onlyREST-only, no MCP
DataForSEO SERP API rawAPI key + dev integration$0.30–0.60 per callYes, complex parsing neededREST-only, no MCP
Local SEO Data AI Overview APIAPI key + 1-line MCP config$0.50 total (100 credits × $0.005)Full cited_sources array per callNative MCP, agent-first
▌ Connect in 60 seconds

Use it from your agent

Two integration surfaces: MCP for clients that speak MCP, REST API for everything else.

Direct MCP integration

Drop-in support in Claude Desktop, OpenClaw, Hermes Agent, and any MCP-aware client.

Add to your client's MCP config (e.g. claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "localseodata": {
      "url": "https://mcp.localseodata.com",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer sk_live_..."
      }
    }
  }
}

REST API

For Perplexity Computer, ChatGPT Custom GPTs, custom agents, and any platform that calls REST endpoints directly.

Base URL:

api.localseodata.com

See the docs for endpoint reference and auth.

▌ Quickstart

Your first call in three lines

Same call, three syntaxes. The core parameters are `keyword` (search query) and `location` (city and state). That's it. One call returns the AI Overview snippet, all cited sources, and presence flag.

terminal · curl
POST /v1/serp/ai-overview
curl -X POST https://api.localseodata.com/v1/serp/ai-overview \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "keyword": "best plumber austin",
    "location": "Austin, TX"
  }'
Full endpoint reference → · Get an API key →
▌ Pricing for this endpoint

$0.005 per call

Pay-as-you-go starts at $5. Monthly plans from $19. Funds never expire. No seat fees, no per-keyword tiers.

Free tier
10,000
AI Overview calls on signup (50 credits)
Starter · $19/mo
3,800
calls/mo at this rate
Per-call cost
$0.005
per query, any keyword
▌ FAQ

Common questions

What is the AI Overview API?+
A REST endpoint that captures Google's AI-generated search summary for any keyword-location pair. Returns: whether an AI Overview appears (has_ai_overview), the full snippet text (summary_text), and every domain Google's AI cited as a source (cited_sources). One call costs 1 credit (~$0.005). This is the foundational endpoint for tracking AI visibility — the new SERP unit that traditional rank trackers ignore. Endpoint: POST /v1/serp/ai-overview.
What is an AI Overview and when does it appear?+
Google's AI Overview is a synthesized answer that appears at the top of search results for roughly 30–40% of queries as of early 2026 (data varies by day and query type). It's generated in real-time from multiple sources and provides an answer to the user's question without requiring a click to any source. AI Overviews appear most frequently on informational queries ('what is a water heater'), how-to queries ('how to fix a leaky faucet'), and some commercial queries ('best plumber austin'). They do NOT appear on every query — some searches show only traditional 10 blue links. That's why presence detection (has_ai_overview) matters.
How is the AI Overview different from a featured snippet?+
Featured snippets display a single, direct quote from one source in a boxed format — Google pulls exact text and attributes it. AI Overviews synthesize information from multiple sources into new text — Google's AI rewrites and combines information. Featured snippets show on ~14% of queries; AI Overviews appear on ~30–40% and are growing every quarter. AI Overviews sit at the very top of search results (displacing featured snippets below). Citation tracking differs too: featured snippets have one clear source; AI Overviews cite multiple domains in the cited_sources array. Being featured snippet-optimized helps with AI Overview citation (both reward topical authority), but they're distinct SERP units.
Can I see which specific sources Google's AI cites?+
Yes. Every call returns cited_sources — an array of objects with title, url, and domain. You can see exactly which competitors (or your own domain) Google's AI referenced. This is the core unlock: traditional rank trackers tell you 'you rank #1 for plumber Austin'; we tell you 'Google's AI cites ABC Plumbing, Yelp, HomeAdvisor, and Prime Plumbing — your domain is missing.' Citation tracking across multiple queries shows patterns: which competitors Google's AI consistently favors, which topics require which sources, and where you're invisible.
How fresh is the AI Overview data?+
Data reflects Google's live SERP at call time — the AI Overview you get is the one currently showing for that keyword-location pair. LLM responses can vary between calls, so AI Overview snippets are not guaranteed identical across seconds. For tracking workflows, most operators call once daily at a fixed time (e.g. 6 AM UTC) to build a clean time-series. Weekly calls work for trend spotting. Monthly calls work for baseline reporting. We recommend daily for competitive queries and weekly for long-tail. Because pricing is per-call (not per-seat), frequency is only limited by your credit balance.
How does this compare to Rankability, SE Ranking, and Ahrefs for AI Overview tracking?+
Rankability ($29–99/mo), SE Ranking ($119–299/mo), and Ahrefs ($129+/mo as part of Rank Tracker suite) all offer dashboards that track AI Overviews. They're designed for human users to log in and read reports. We offer an API designed for agents — your Claude prompt calls this endpoint, gets JSON, and acts on it in seconds. Pricing-wise: Rankability costs $0.01–0.03 per keyword annualized; SE Ranking costs $0.04–0.10/kw; Ahrefs costs $0.04+/kw minimum. We charge $0.005 per call. If you need to check 100 keywords per month (a standard multi-location workflow), we cost $0.50 total; Rankability costs $29+. If you build a daily monitoring agent, the difference is 10–50x in cost and much faster execution.
Is this different from the AI Visibility API or AI Mode API?+
Yes, three distinct endpoints for three use cases. AI Overview API (/v1/serp/ai-overview) captures Google's AI Overview snippet text and citations for a specific keyword-location — tracking what Google's AI says about you right now. AI Visibility API (/v1/ai/visibility) measures how often your domain is mentioned across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity over a set of keywords — a composite visibility score across all LLM platforms. AI Mode API (/v1/serp/ai-mode) returns Google's full AI-first search experience — conversational responses like 'plumber near me that works weekends' with references. AI Overview is SERP-focused; AI Visibility is cross-platform brand tracking; AI Mode is conversational. Pick AI Overview if you want citation tracking per query. Pick AI Visibility for broader LLM mention tracking. Pick AI Mode for conversational search understanding.
Where does this AI Overview data come from?+
AI Overview data is aggregated from DataForSEO, our upstream provider for most SERP endpoints. We fetch live SERP results and extract the AI Overview snippet (if present) along with all cited sources. Data refreshes at call time — no caching across hours or days. For composite endpoints like Local Audit API and Reputation Audit API we operate our own collection infrastructure. We name upstream sources because if you're running real client work you should know where the data comes from and trust the pipeline.
Can I track AI Overview citations for businesses I don't own?+
Yes — and this is the core reason third-party AI Overview APIs exist. Google doesn't offer a tool to see which competitors are cited in AI Overviews. Our endpoint accepts any keyword and location — your competitors, your prospects, your client's adjacent markets, any business. No verification, no ownership requirement. You can pull AI Overviews for 'best dentist seattle' and see which local dentists Google's AI cites, then compare your client's domain to the cited list. This is what makes competitor AI positioning, prospect audits, and multi-location tracking actually work.
Is it legal to use a third-party AI Overview API?+
Google's AI Overview results are public data — anyone can search Google and see them without authentication. Third-party SERP APIs have been a standard category for over a decade (DataForSEO, SerpApi, Outscraper, BrightLocal, Whitespark). Google's Terms of Service govern automated access to Google's own services and are a civil contract, not a criminal statute. Federal courts in *hiQ v. LinkedIn* have consistently held that scraping publicly available data does not violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. You're also not operating the collection — you're calling a hosted API whose upstream provider operates at scale. If you're running production client work, this is the standard, defensible path. (This is not legal advice — consult your counsel for your specific use case.)
Can AI agents use the AI Overview API directly?+
Yes. Two integration paths. MCP: add Local SEO Data to your claude_desktop_config.json (or any MCP-aware client — OpenClaw, Hermes Agent, etc.) and your agent calls this endpoint from any prompt without you writing integration code. REST: any agent that can make HTTPS calls — ChatGPT Custom GPTs, Perplexity Computer, custom Python agents — hits api.localseodata.com directly with the Bearer token. The agent receives structured JSON with snippet text and cited_sources, then can reason about it — flagging competitive gaps, tracking presence over time, alerting on citation changes.
How do I track changes in AI Overviews over time?+
Store snapshot responses in a database or CSV, then compare week-to-week. Your agent can do this: fetch AI Overview, compare cited_sources to last week's list, flag new competitors being cited and old ones fading, surface changes in snippet content. Most teams run daily snapshots for core keywords and weekly for long-tail, then alert on material shifts (e.g. a competitor appearing in the snippet for the first time, or your domain no longer being cited). Because we're API-first, you own the snapshots — no vendor lock-in, no vendor-managed history.
What if a query doesn't have an AI Overview?+
has_ai_overview will be false. This tells you the query is not AI Overview territory — you can focus on traditional organic rank tracking instead. Not all queries trigger AI Overviews. Transactional queries ('buy plumbing supplies', 'plumber near me') are more likely to show traditional local pack or ads. Very specific long-tail queries might not trigger overviews either. The endpoint returns cleanly in both cases — you get a response indicating presence/absence. This is actually valuable: knowing *which* queries trigger AI Overviews and which don't helps you focus citation optimization efforts.
What changed in 2026 that made AI Overview tracking necessary?+
Three things: First, Google AI Overviews became visible on ~30–40% of search queries, and that's growing every week. Second, research from Seer Interactive showed that when an AI Overview appears, organic CTR drops 61% (from 1.76% to 0.61%). Paid CTR drops 68%. A keyword where you rank #1 organically might deliver half the traffic it did in 2024 — and you wouldn't know unless you're tracking whether an AI Overview is suppressing clicks. Third, MCP (Model Context Protocol) became standard, making it practical for agents to call specialized APIs without bespoke integration. Traditional rank trackers still report 'position 1' and ignore AI Overviews entirely. We built the endpoint for agents to see the new SERP unit.
▌ Related endpoints

Often used in the same agent prompt

POST /v1/ai/visibility
AI Visibility API

Measure your domain's visibility across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity.

POST /v1/serp/ai-mode
AI Mode API

Capture Google's full AI-first search experience for conversational queries.

POST /v1/serp/organic
Organic SERP API

Full Google search results with ads, local pack, AI Overview, People Also Ask.

POST /v1/ai/mentions
AI Mentions API

Find where your brand is mentioned in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini responses.

Track what Google's AI says about you, starting now.

50 free credits on signup. Your first AI Overview call happens through Claude, not curl. 10,000 keywords worth of tracking included free.

Start FreeRead the docs
▌ MADE FOR THE NEW LOCAL SEO STACK