How to See What ChatGPT Actually Searches For (Yes, You Can Do This)

Ever wonder what search terms ChatGPT uses when you ask it a question?

Like, when someone types "best marketing agencies in New York" into ChatGPT, what is it actually searching for behind the scenes?

Turns out, you can see it. And it's easier than you think.

Why This Even Matters

Here's the thing - ChatGPT doesn't search the same way you or I would Google something. When it needs current information, it runs its own searches using its own logic.

If you're trying to understand how AI finds information (or trying to make sure your business shows up when people ask AI about your industry), seeing these actual search queries is... kind of a goldmine.

You get to peek behind the curtain.

What You'll Need

Just two things:

• Google Chrome (this won't work quite the same in other browsers)
• A ChatGPT account

That's it. No coding. No special software.

The Actual Process

Step 1: Set Your Location (If Needed)

If you're searching for local stuff - like "best pizza in Munich" - but you're not actually in Munich, you'll want to use a VPN first. ChatGPT uses your location to give you relevant results.

Without a VPN, asking about Munich businesses from Alaska might give you weird results.

Step 2: Ask ChatGPT Your Question

Open ChatGPT and type in whatever you want to search for.

Let's say you ask: "What are the best marketing agencies in New York?"

Hit enter. Let it do its thing. Don't interrupt it - just let the answer fully load.

Step 3: Grab the Magic Number

Look at your browser's URL bar. You'll see something like:

chatgpt.com/c/68f1007d-7e08-832b-9282-161cfc8a2738

See that long string of numbers and letters after /c/?

Copy just the first chunk before the first dash. In this example, that's: 68f1007d

This is your conversation ID. You'll need it in a second.

Step 4: Open Chrome DevTools

Right-click anywhere on the ChatGPT page and click "Inspect."

A panel will pop up on the side or bottom of your screen. It looks like the Matrix. Lots of code. Don't panic.

This is Chrome's developer tools. It shows you what's happening behind the scenes on any website.

Step 5: Go to the Network Tab

At the top of that DevTools panel, you'll see tabs: Elements, Console, Sources, Network...

Click on Network.

This tab shows all the data being sent back and forth between your browser and ChatGPT's servers.

Step 6: Refresh the Page

With the Network tab open, refresh the page (hit F5 or click the refresh button).

You'll see the Network tab start filling up with activity. Lots of files loading. Lots of requests being made.

Don't worry about most of it.

Step 7: Filter Everything Down

See the filter bar at the top of the Network tab? That search box?

Paste that number you copied earlier (like 68f1007d) into that filter box.

Suddenly, everything disappears except for a few items that match your conversation.

Step 8: Find Your Conversation Request

Look through the filtered list. You're looking for something that starts with that same number.

Click on it.

On the right side of the screen, you'll see more tabs: Headers, Preview, Response...

Click on Response.

Step 9: The Gold Mine

You're now looking at the actual data ChatGPT used for your conversation.

Scroll through the code until you find a section that says something like:

"search_model_queries": {
    "type": "search_model_queries",
    "queries": [
        "top marketing agencies New York",
        "best full-service marketing agencies NYC",
        "digital marketing agencies New York reviews"
    ]
}

There they are.

Those are the actual, exact search terms ChatGPT used when you asked your question.

What You Just Discovered

When you asked about "best marketing agencies in New York," ChatGPT didn't just search for that exact phrase.

It thought: "Okay, to answer this properly, I should search for:

• Top marketing agencies New York
• Best full-service marketing agencies NYC
• Digital marketing agencies New York reviews"

And then it combined the results from all those searches to build its answer.

Why This Is Actually Useful

If you run a marketing agency in New York, this tells you something important: ChatGPT is looking for content that mentions "full-service," includes "NYC" (not just "New York"), and specifically searches for "reviews."

That's information you can use.

Not to game the system, but to understand what people (and now AI) are actually looking for.

Same goes for any business in any industry. Want to know how AI searches for "best Italian restaurants in Berlin"? Follow these steps. Want to see what it looks for when someone asks about "affordable web developers"? Same process.

You're basically reverse-engineering how ChatGPT thinks about search.

A Few Things to Keep in Mind

This only works for searches that happened. If ChatGPT answers your question from its training data alone (without searching the web), you won't see any search queries. It has to actually use its search function.

The queries change. Ask the same question tomorrow, and ChatGPT might search for slightly different terms. It's not perfectly consistent.

It's not just one search. As you saw, ChatGPT usually runs multiple searches to answer a single question. That's actually smarter than how most of us search.

The Matrix Isn't So Scary After All

Yeah, the Inspect panel looks intimidating. All that code and technical jargon.

But once you know what you're looking for - that conversation ID, the Network tab, the Response section - it's actually pretty straightforward.

You're not hacking anything. You're not breaking any rules. You're just looking at data that's already there, showing you how the tool you're using actually works.

And now you know something most people don't: exactly how ChatGPT searches for information.

Pretty cool, right?

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Try it yourself next time you ask ChatGPT something that requires a web search. You might be surprised at what you find.