21 — GEO and AEO Checklist#

Improve how clearly and reliably a project can be understood, sourced, and answered by search answer systems and generative AI. GEO = Generative Engine Optimization; AEO = Answer Engine Optimization. Neither guarantees citation or inclusion.

Scope: AI-specific. This file is one part of the 21_GEO_and_AEO.md checklist. Apply the domain-wide release gate across all applicable scope files; each checklist ID remains unique.

Review details#

Project / product:
Release / version / environment:
Scope and applicable jurisdictions / markets:
Reviewer / owner:
Review date:
Decision: Pending / Approved / Approved with documented exceptions / Blocked

How to use#

Copy this template into each project's review records; keep the shared repository template unchecked.
Check [x] only after verifying the item with evidence. For any inapplicable item, record N/A and the reason in the project's own review notes or issue tracker using its checklist ID; do not mark it as passed.
Record evidence links or artifact references by checklist ID. Open an issue for every failed item, assign an owner and due date, and retest after remediation.
Apply the release gate below. These checklists guide review; they do not replace qualified specialist review when required.

Authority, provenance, and factual reliability#

GEO-018 AI-assisted content receives human factual review and does not invent sources, testimonials, or experience.
GEO-045 Evaluate claims about models, AI features, and performance against current official provider documentation.

Machine readability and discovery#

GEO-024 Robots and AI-crawler policies reflect business/legal choices; provider-specific crawler guidance is checked before changes.
GEO-025 Optional experimental files such as llms.txt are not treated as required standards or as guarantees of AI ingestion.
GEO-046 Confirm Google Search AI visibility uses ordinary index/snippet eligibility rather than unverified special-schema requirements.

Measurement and iteration#

GEO-034 Monitoring distinguishes verified referrals from estimates and avoids attributing unobservable AI usage.
GEO-035 Missing or incorrect AI-generated answers trigger content/source improvements, not attempts to manipulate models.

Release gate#

All applicable high-priority checks above pass, or an authorized decision-maker has explicitly accepted and documented each residual risk.
Failed items have tracked remediation, owners, and deadlines; material blockers remain blocked until resolved.
Evidence links and the reviewer, review date, and final decision are recorded.

Domain-specific approval rule: Do not approve deceptive, fabricated, or unsubstantiated content. Verify essential public facts and make evidence available; AI answer visibility cannot be promised.

Trusted references and scope#

The checks above are adapted into practical verification questions from these authoritative publications (not copied as standards text). Verify current versions and the project's scope before sign-off.

GEO/AEO techniques are not separate eligibility requirements for Google AI Overviews or AI Mode. Google documents ordinary Search eligibility, helpful content, and no required AI-specific markup. Other providers differ; inclusion and citations are not guaranteed.

Source review date: 2026-11-12.

Suggested testing tools#

Choose tools appropriate to the project's stack and risks; automation supports evidence but does not approve the checklist.

Test focus: machine-readable answers, structured data, citation links, and content consistency (not rankings); include model and dataset behaviors where applicable.
Cross-stack: Schema.org Validator + lychee.
Python: Beautiful Soup + pytest; for pytest-based suites, run python -m pytest -q.
TypeScript: Playwright + schema-dts + Vitest; for Vitest-based suites, run npx vitest run (or npx playwright test for E2E).
JavaScript: Playwright + Ajv + Jest; for Jest-based suites, run npx jest --ci (or npx playwright test for E2E).
Evidence: Save tool versions, configuration, test environment, fixtures, results, and links in project-specific review records using the existing checklist IDs. Expert review remains necessary where relevant.

Suggested AI skills for verification#

These are optional agent review aids, not automated passes or release approval. Each linked repository had at least 1,000 GitHub stars when checked on 2026-11-12; counts are per repository, not per skill, and do not indicate security or correctness.

ai-seo — Review answer-engine discoverability and source quality (coreyhaines31/marketingskills, 59,899 repo stars).
schema — Check machine-readable content structure (coreyhaines31/marketingskills, 59,899 repo stars).
seo-audit — Identify crawl and citation-link issues (coreyhaines31/marketingskills, 59,899 repo stars).

How to check: In a project-specific copy, have the agent audit the AI-specific scope and map findings to this file's existing checklist IDs, with code/configuration references, reproducible test results, failed or inapplicable cases, and uncertainties. Independently verify findings; keep shared template boxes unchecked and retain human approval requirements.

Before use: Read the skill's SKILL.md, referenced scripts, license, and requested tool permissions. Only execute vetted skills with appropriate access in a controlled environment.

Important warning: reference only#

⚠️ Reference only — not a definitive or exhaustive checklist. This template is a starting point for review, not the ultimate authority or a guarantee of project safety, quality, regulatory compliance, accessibility, security, or launch readiness.

Use project-specific judgment and independent verification. Requirements and risks evolve and differ by project, technology, and jurisdiction. Adapt the checks, consult current authoritative sources, perform relevant tests, and obtain qualified specialist review or approval when appropriate. Checking every box does not replace these steps.