How to see what Claude searched
Published . Updated .
Open the Only Fan Out side panel on claude.ai and send your prompt: the panel lists every search Claude ran, in order, with the pages it fetched and the pages it cited. It works in Chrome on claude.ai and reads the answer in your browser, so nothing leaves it.
How do you see Claude's searches?
- Add Only Fan Out to Chrome, then open claude.ai.
- Click the Only Fan Out icon in Chrome's toolbar to open the side panel. There is no popup: the panel opens beside the page.
- Send your prompt. When Claude searches, its queries appear under Fan-out queries as the answer finishes.
- Open Sources retrieved for every page Claude pulled in, and Cited sources for the pages the answer links.
What does the panel show for a Claude answer?
Each search Claude ran, tagged with its kind, and every page that came back. Claude's searches come in three kinds.
| Tag | Claude's tool | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| web | Web search | A query sent to Claude's search provider |
| fetch | Web fetch | A page Claude opened directly by its address |
| business | Places search | A search for local places, with the results under Places |
Fetched but not cited lists the pages Claude read and left out of the answer. Our post on fetched vs cited sources explains why that list matters for GEO.
Can you see the searches in an older Claude chat?
Yes. Open the chat with the side panel open, or click Re-read, and the panel reads the conversation back from claude.ai, searches included.
Why does the panel say there was no web search?
Because Claude answered from what it already knew. That is a normal outcome for many prompts, and the panel says so in place of empty lists. How Claude searches the web covers when it decides to search.
Read next
- How Claude searches the web: web search, web fetch, places and citations
- How to see which places Claude used
- How to export Claude and Grok searches
- How do ChatGPT, Claude and Grok search the web?
Related questions
Does it work in the Claude desktop or phone app?
No. Only Fan Out is a Chrome extension, so it works in Chrome on claude.ai.
Does Only Fan Out change what Claude searches?
No. It reads the answer as it reaches your browser and changes nothing in the chat.
Can I export Claude's searches?
Yes, as CSV, Markdown or JSON, from the export buttons in the panel. Exporting Claude and Grok searches shows what each file holds.
Add Only Fan Out to Chrome
Only Fan Out is a free Chrome side panel that lists the queries, fetched pages and cited pages behind each ChatGPT, Claude or Grok answer. Nothing leaves your browser.
Add to Chrome, it's free