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

# Fan-outs per prompt by engine — Perplexity 1.4, ChatGPT 2.1, Grok 6.8

> Peec's 5M fan-out analysis (Apr 2026) — Perplexity simplifies queries, ChatGPT adds brands and comparisons, Grok runs a research brief with site: searches on Reddit in 10.5% of chats.

AI engines fan out very differently. Peec's analysis of 5 million query fan-outs across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Grok (April 1–21, 2026, [full study](https://peec.ai/blog/patterns-we-see-in-chatgpt-query-fanouts)) measured both volume and strategy:

* **Perplexity (Sonar): 1.4 fan-outs per prompt.** Typically just strips filler and reruns a cleaner version of the same search — the least useful optimization signal.
* **ChatGPT: 2.1 fan-outs per prompt.** Stays close to the user's intent but injects brand names, product comparisons, and keywords like "best", "top", "reviews" — see [Words ChatGPT adds to fan-outs](/research/words-chatgpt-adds-to-fanouts).
* **Grok: 6.8 fan-outs per prompt** — more than triple ChatGPT. Treats a query as a research brief: broad start, then year modifiers, brand-vs-brand comparisons, and targeted source searches.

Grok's trusted-source behavior stands out (Apr 2026 data): it uses the `site:` operator in **18.3% of all chats**. Reddit appears in 10.5% of Grok chats, and 9 of 10 of those are `site:reddit.com` directives. Wirecutter and Consumer Reports appearances were 100% Grok-injected — never in the user's prompt.

Takeaway: ChatGPT and Grok fan-outs are the most useful signals for content optimization; Perplexity's give almost nothing to work with. Definition and RRF: [What is a query fan-out](/research/what-is-a-query-fanout).

**Source:** [Patterns we see in ChatGPT query fanouts](https://peec.ai/blog/patterns-we-see-in-chatgpt-query-fanouts), Peec (Tomek Rudzki), May 2026.