GLOSSARY
Query Fan-Out
IN ONE SENTENCE
Query fan-out is when a system decomposes one user question into several sub-queries, retrieves for each, and then composes an answer.
Query fan-out is when a system decomposes one user question into several sub-queries, retrieves for each, and then composes an answer.
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In detail
Google's own guidance names it alongside RAG as how AI Overviews and AI Mode work. The implication for content is that a page need not answer the whole question — being the best answer to one sub-query is enough to be used, which favours pages focused on a single issue over sprawling long-form.
Updated 2026-08-06