Not sure where to start? Take a guided tour.
AI Site Grader
AI Query Scanner
llms.txt GeneratorThe exact match rate is only 0.17%
Only 0.17 percent of 11521 prompt-to-query pairs matched exactly in the query translation study.
In a study analyzing how artificial intelligence translates user questions, researchers evaluated 11521 prompt-to-query transformations. The analysis revealed that only 20 pairs resulted in an exact match, yielding an exact match rate of 0.17 percent.
The numbers behind it.
- Exact match rate
- Only 20 of 11,521 pairs matched exactly.
- 0.17%
- Prompt-query pairs
- Captured prompt-to-query transformations.
- 11,521
The evidence.
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Exact match rate Only 20 of 11,521 pairs matched exactly. | 0.17% |
| Prompt-query pairs Captured prompt-to-query transformations. | 11,521 |
Population and method
Built from 11,521 captured prompt-to-query pairs observed in OpenAI web search calls, with 100% search-query coverage in the sampled dataset.
Where the evidence stops
This study reflects captured search-query transformations rather than every hidden retrieval step a model may perform.
Some inserted entities reflect category heuristics or market leaders rather than final recommendation outcomes.
The underlying dataset is concentrated in commercial and research prompts rather than all possible conversational traffic.
What to do with this
Strategists and operators must recognize that answer optimization requires targeting retrieval rewrites rather than relying solely on user-language prompts, as the system fundamentally alters the input before executing the search.
Cite this fact.
Source study: Query Translation“Only 0.17% of prompt-to-query pairs matched exactly in the query translation study.”
How AI Translates Your Questions - Trakkr Research · The exact match rate is only 0.17%
How AI Translates Your Questions · Trakkr Research · Updated 22 January 2026