E-commerce
September 30, 2026
Are you wondering how to spot Google's AI mode prompts in your Search Console? Good news: it is possible to filter and analyze them to adapt your content. This method helps you understand what users are actually asking the generative AI, a key factor for your visibility.
Google now records initial prompts and follow-up questions from the AI mode as standard queries. This means that words like "yes" or "yes, prices" can appear in your data, without you knowing why. So, how can you exploit this information for your shop? On the agenda:
Why does Google's AI mode appear in Search Console?
What regular expression should you use to filter prompts?
Which free tools analyze this data effectively?
How to interpret prompts to improve your SEO?
What checklist should you adopt to exploit these insights?
Let's get started.
Summary
Why is Google's AI mode appearing in Search Console?
Since the launch of ChatGPT nearly four years ago, data on user prompts remains scarce. Google, for its part, now records AI mode exchanges as standard search queries. This is a major breakthrough for merchants who want to understand the intent behind searches.
Anastasia Kourou, an SEO consultant, questioned John Mueller on LinkedIn about this. Her question: why do terms like "yes" or "yes, prices" appear in Search Console? Mueller's response confirmed that these were follow-up questions asked by users of the AI mode. This data is therefore very real and actionable.
For an e-merchant, this is a unique opportunity. You can now see what consumers are asking the AI after an initial search. This helps you refine your content and better meet the expectations of your potential customers.
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How to distinguish an AI prompt from a classic query?
The boundary between a classic query and an AI prompt is not always obvious. Prompts are often longer, more detailed, and more conversational. They resemble complete sentences rather than isolated keywords. For example, "best women's shoe store in Paris" is probably a prompt.
Classic queries, on the other hand, are generally short and direct: "women's shoes Paris". This difference in form is your first clue. Prompts also frequently contain connecting words like "for", "with", "how", or "which". These terms reveal an intention to dialogue with the AI.
Finally, prompts are often unique. They do not repeat from one user to another, unlike classic queries which follow recurring patterns. This uniqueness makes them easier to identify once you know what to look for.
Which regular expression should be used to filter the prompts?
To filter prompts in Search Console, you need to use a regular expression, or regex. Go to the "Performance" section, then click "Add a filter". Choose "Query" then "Custom (regex)". Then enter this formula: ([^” “]*\s){10,}?
This regex identifies queries containing at least ten words. Since AI prompts are generally long, this filter is highly effective. You will then see a list of long, often conversational queries appear, which correspond to exchanges with the AI mode.
Feel free to adjust the number of words if needed. Ten is a good starting point, but you can go up to fifteen or twenty to refine your selection. The goal is to find the right balance between data volume and the relevance of the results.
How to use the Search Console API to go further?
The Search Console interface only shows a fraction of the available data. The API, however, provides access to much more information. It allows you to extract thousands of queries, including those that are not visible in the classic dashboard. This is a real advantage for an in-depth analysis.
The downside is that the API requires technical skills. That is where third-party tools come in. They connect to the API on your behalf and present the data to you in a simple interface. Sharing your data with these tools is a point to consider, but the benefits often outweigh the risks.
For a Shopify merchant, this approach is valuable. It allows you to see emerging trends in AI prompts and adjust your content strategy accordingly, without needing a developer.
What free tool can be used to extract AI prompts?
Several free tools facilitate the extraction of AI prompts from Search Console. One of them is simply called "Queries". It connects to your Search Console account and extracts long queries that look like prompts. You can then categorize them by theme or intent.
This tool also displays the number of impressions for each prompt. This helps you measure user interest in a given topic. It also allows you to block suspicious queries, likely generated by bots, and export all the data to a spreadsheet.
The interface is simple and requires no technical skills. It is an ideal solution for merchants who want to understand the impact of AI mode on their traffic without getting into complex analyses.
How to analyze prompts with Google Sheets?
Another option is the "Search Analytics for Sheets" extension. It installs directly into Google Sheets and connects to your Search Console account. Once authenticated, it imports your query data into a spreadsheet, ready for analysis. This allows you to retrieve up to 25,000 queries in one go.
The extension also integrates the capabilities of Gemini, Google's AI. This allows you to have your data automatically analyzed and grouped by theme. No more tedious manual sorting: the AI takes care of the categorization for you.
This approach is particularly useful for stores with a large volume of data. It transforms a formless mass of queries into actionable insights, without any extra effort on your part.
How to interpret prompts with a lot of impressions?
Some prompts display a high number of impressions. This may seem encouraging, but you should remain cautious. These large volumes sometimes come from prompt tracking software, not real users. These bots monitor AI performance on behalf of competitors or analysts.
Even in this case, this data remains useful. It reveals what your competitors are monitoring and which questions they deem important. It is a window into their strategy, provided you know how to interpret it correctly.
To distinguish human prompts from bot prompts, look at the phrasing. Human prompts are varied, sometimes clumsy, with typos. Bot prompts are more regular and follow repetitive patterns. This distinction helps you prioritize your actions.
How to use AI to categorize prompts?
Once your prompts are extracted, the next step is their analysis. Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude are perfect for this task. They can read your prompt lists and group them by theme, intent, or need. This automatic categorization saves you valuable time.
For example, AI can identify that many prompts concern pricing, delivery, or returns. It can also spot emerging topics that you had not anticipated. These insights help you guide your content creation toward what users are actually asking for.
AI can also suggest titles or angles for your next pages. By cross-referencing the prompts with your catalog, you identify gaps in your content and opportunities to seize. It is a virtuous circle that continuously improves your SEO.
How to align your content with your clients' prompts?
The ultimate goal of this analysis is to align your content with your customers' real needs. The prompts reveal their questions, their doubts, and their selection criteria. By answering them directly, you increase your chances of being cited by AI as a reliable source.
Start by identifying the prompts that correspond to your products or services. Note the recurring questions and the phrasing used. Then, create or adapt pages that answer these questions precisely, using the terms employed by the users.
This approach is more effective than traditional SEO because it starts from the actual intent of the users. You are no longer guessing what they are looking for: you know it. Your content becomes more relevant, more useful, and more likely to be recommended by search engines.
How can you integrate this data into your overall SEO strategy?
AI prompts do not replace your classic SEO data, they complement them. Integrate them into your global analysis to have a more complete view of your audience. Cross-reference the prompts with your traditional queries to identify trends and opportunities.
For example, if a prompt often comes up on a topic you do not cover, it is a content opportunity. If a prompt reveals a frequent objection, create a page that addresses it. This approach allows you to be proactive rather than reactive.
For a consistent strategy, integrate these insights into your e-commerce SEO guide and your category page strategy. You will thus create a virtuous circle where each data point feeds the other, for optimal visibility.
How does Qstomy help leverage insights from the AI mode?
Qstomy, the AI agent for Shopify, transforms these insights into concrete actions. By understanding your customers' prompts, you can adapt your product sheets and pages to meet their expectations. Qstomy helps you guide your visitors toward making a purchase with personalized recommendations.
The agent also optimizes the shopping cart and order tracking, two frequent topics in AI prompts. By streamlining these steps, you reduce friction and increase your conversions. Qstomy also manages customer service, answering the recurring questions that your customers ask the AI.
With more than 100 merchants supported, Qstomy has proven its effectiveness. It transforms raw data from Search Console into an optimized shopping experience, aligned with your customers' real expectations. It is the bridge between SEO analysis and commercial action.
What checklist should be used to leverage the AI mode prompts?
Here is a concise checklist to exploit AI mode prompts in Search Console:
Filter: use the regex
([^” “]*\s){10,}?in Search Console to isolate long-tail queries.Extract: use a tool like Queries or Search Analytics for Sheets to retrieve more data.
Analyze: have your prompts categorized by an AI to identify themes and intents.
Align: create or adapt your content to answer your customers' questions.
Optimize: use Qstomy to turn these insights into a seamless shopping experience.
In short: AI mode prompts are a goldmine for understanding your customers. By filtering and analyzing them, you adapt your content to their real needs. This approach, combined with tools like Qstomy, improves your visibility and conversions.
FAQ: AI prompts in Search Console
Are AI prompts visible by default in Search Console? Yes, they appear as regular queries, but you need to filter them to identify them.
Do you need a paid tool to analyze prompts? No, free tools like Queries or Search Analytics for Sheets are enough to get started.
Do AI prompts replace traditional SEO? No, they complement it. Both approaches are necessary for a complete strategy.
To go further: How does SEO work for e-commerce sites? - Qstomy, What is e-commerce SEO and how does it work? - Qstomy, What is Google Shopping for e-commerce? Definition, feed, and benefits for a store - Qstomy, Using AI in your SEO strategy: Google framework, Shopify Magic, and governance - Qstomy, How to deploy digital marketing on an e-commerce site? - Qstomy.
Enzo
September 30, 2026
