ChatGPT search now uses the site:operator at scale

Promptwatch, a service that monitors chatbot responses, observed a sharp increase in ChatGPT background searches restricted to particular websites. Its August 10 report says the share containing the site: search operator rose from around 0.3–0.5% to 16–17% on August 8. The operator narrows a search to a specified domain, so this measures a change in where the assistant looks for information.

These percentages concern the background searches generated for Promptwatch's monitored prompts. They are not percentages of all ChatGPT users or questions. Simon Willison emphasizes that sampling limit in his analysis. The observation supports a change in retrieval behavior within that sample, while the underlying product change remains unconfirmed.