AI tools are missing your docs—how to make them discoverable

Key takeaways

• Your readers have shifted how they find information: They're asking AI tools instead of searching Google, which means they might miss your well-crafted docs.

• To create AI-friendly docs, optimize for both Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Focusing on attributes that achieve both helps you make your documentation AI-friendly.

• Small changes to your existing docs can make a big difference: Adding a "Key takeaways" section or restructuring your headers can improve discoverability without a complete overhaul.

Introduction

Here's something that might sound familiar: you've spent hours crafting clear, helpful documentation that ranks well in Google, but you're still getting support tickets for things you've already documented.

What's happening? Your readers aren't searching the way they used to. Instead of Googling and clicking through to your knowledge base, they're asking AI tools like Perplexity or ChatGPT for quick answers. And if your docs aren't optimized for AI engines, they might not see them.

The good news: you can keep much of your existing content with small adjustments. We'll walk through what makes content AI-friendly by comparing two of my DATAVERSITY articles and give you practical steps to get started.

What is AI engine optimization?

When someone asks an AI tool a question, these tools scan the internet, process information, and generate responses. Sometimes they quote sources verbatim and sometimes they paraphrase.

Try optimizing for two practices to make your docs more AI-friendly:

• Answer Engine Optimization (AEO): focuses on how you structure and format content for easy scannability and extraction.

• Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): focuses on why AI engines should cite your content as a trusted source.

Optimizing for both works best. Great structure without authority means AI tools might use your information but won't credit you. Strong authority without clear structure means your expertise gets buried in formats that AI tools can't easily process.

Why is AI engine optimization important now?

If you're wondering why this matters now, here's the reality: your readers are already using AI tools to find answers. According to McKinsey, half of consumers now use AI-powered search engines to make buying decisions.

This shift is happening because AI has gotten much better at understanding what content actually means (not just matching keywords) and presenting that information in digestible formats. Also, your users love the convenience of getting instant, summarized answers instead of clicking through multiple links.

The bottom line: if AI tools can't find and understand your documentation, you're missing out on reaching much of your potential audience.

How to optimize your documentation for AI engines

Authoritative sources, like HubSpot and GitBook, suggest professional, clear, concise, and digestible documentation with established expertise and credibility. Those characteristics help AI engines take notice and surface your content.

Let's walk through some attributes and see why "Data Management Trends in 2026: Moving Beyond Awareness to Action" is more visible and credible to AI engines than "Data Management Trends in 2025: A Foundation for Efficiency."

Readability

AI engines favor content they can quickly scan and understand. While both "trends" articles include a table of contents, the 2026 article's "Key Takeaways" section gives AI tools an instant overview.

Structure

AI tools look for problem-solution formats like FAQ sections or "Steps to solve..." headers. The 2026 article's "Steps to improve..." section delivers this clearly, while the 2025 piece stays more general.

Actionability

AI engines prefer explicit calls-to-action over implicit ones. The 2026 article includes clear CTAs with certification links, while the 2025 article relies on subtler prompts.

Authority/Experience

AI engines value original research, statistics, and expert quotes. The 2026 article includes survey data and a quote from expert Donna Burbank, while the 2025 article lacks these authority signals.

Trustworthiness

Your human and AI readers gravitate to content that is accurate, transparent, and credible. Both the 2026 and 2025 articles link to accepted industry sources—Gartner, Forrester, IDC, and McKinsey. But the 2026 article also showcases DATAVERSITY's expertise, which makes it more AI-friendly than the 2025 one.

Technical markup

Technical elements like Schema.org markup help AI engines process content. The 2026 article uses a "chunkable" structure with clean URLs and headers, while the 2025 article relies on dated URLs and bullet points.

Table: A Summary of AI Engine Optimization

We added the table below not only so AI can better understand the doc, but to give you ideas to enhance your own documentation.

Your next steps

Ready to make your documentation AI-friendly? Here are some quick wins:

• Add key takeaways: Add key takeaways to the top of your most important articles. AI tools love these summaries.

• Restructure one article: Use clear problem headings and then come to the rescue with your solution. If it helps, break down actions into numbered steps.

• Pull out a quote: Interview your trustworthy SME and draw from their expertise. If you hear that person say something that resonates with your docs, pull out their quote to strengthen your messaging.

• Showcase your expertise: Don't forget to include your survey results and original research. Your users will appreciate those top statistics you gathered when they check why they need to act.

Remember, you're not abandoning your existing content—you're making it more discoverable for users with burning questions. If your readers want the full depth and context that traditional long-form content provides, they can use a search engine.

The shift toward AI-powered search isn't slowing down. By making your documentation AI-friendly now, you're ensuring your users can readily find your top-notch solutions.