# How ChatGPT Search Works: The 7-Stage Pipeline Behind Every Answer | Rankly

**Page URL:** https://www.tryrankly.com/blogs/how-chatgpt-search-works
**Published:** March 11, 2026
**Category:** Technical
**Read Time:** 12 min

---

A technical breakdown of how ChatGPT Search processes queries through 7 stages: classification, query generation, filtering, page fetch, embedding, deep-read selection, and answer generation.