Category AI Visibility Report
Highlighter AI Visibility Report 2026: Top Brands & Buyer Topics in AI Search
Data updated 2026-08-27 · 30-day window · ChatGPT · Google AI Mode · Google AI Overviews
≈9,646
Est. AI queries / month
26
Buyer topics monitored
10
Brands on the AI shelf
Key insights
- Over the last 30 days, GEOly monitored 26 buyer topics in Highlighter across ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Google AI Overviews — an estimated 9,646 AI queries per month.
- Rare Beauty leads the AI shelf with 6.4% of brand mentions, followed by Sharpie (4.6%) and Hourglass Cosmetics (3.9%). The top three hold 14.9% combined — a shelf that has not consolidated yet, leaving a clear window for challengers.
- The highest-demand topic is “Highlighter palette” (top keyword “highlighter palette”, ~1,600 searches/mo).
- AI answers lean on reddit.com most (24.8% of citations) — earning presence on these sources is the shortest path to being recommended.
Brands AI recommends most
Share of brand mentions across AI answers in the last 30 days (Share of Model).
| # | Brand | AI mentions | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rare Beauty | 609 | 6.4% |
| 2 | Sharpie | 440 | 4.6% |
| 3 | Hourglass Cosmetics | 371 | 3.9% |
| 4 | Fenty Beauty | 362 | 3.8% |
| 5 | Westman Atelier | 350 | 3.7% |
| 6 | Zebra Mildliner | 344 | 3.6% |
| 7 | Stabilo Boss | 309 | 3.3% |
| 8 | BIC | 295 | 3.1% |
| 9 | Dior | 271 | 2.9% |
| 10 | ILIA | 262 | 2.8% |
What shoppers ask AI
Buyer topics monitored in this category, with estimated monthly AI queries and the top Google keyword behind each topic.
| Topic | Est. AI queries / mo | Top keyword | Search volume / mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highlighter palette | ≈2,549 | highlighter palette | 1,600 |
| highlighter stick | ≈2,464 | nyx contour and highlighter stick | 3,600 |
| Green highlighter | ≈2,318 | green highlighter | 1,300 |
| Highlighter with brush | ≈2,315 | highlighter fan brush | 1,600 |
| Powder highlighter | — | highlighter powders | 4,400 |
| Highlighter for cheekbones | — | cheekbone highlighter | 4,400 |
| Cream highlighter | — | cream highlighter | 1,900 |
| Red highlighter | — | red highlighter | 3,600 |
| Wet n Wild highlighter | — | wet and wild highlighter | 2,400 |
| Highlighter for face | — | where to place highlighter on face | 2,900 |
| Prestige brand highlighter | — | highlighter dior | 8,100 |
| NYX highlighter | — | nyx cosmetics highlighter | 2,400 |
| OFRA highlighter | — | ofra cosmetics highlighter | 2,400 |
| ELF highlighter | — | elf makeup highlighter | 3,600 |
| Pastel highlighter | — | pastel highlighters | 2,900 |
| Liquid highlighter | — | liquid highlighter highlighter | 8,100 |
Sources AI cites in this category
Root domains AI engines cited most when answering category queries in the last 30 days.
| Domain | Citations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| reddit.com | 356 | 24.8% |
| allure.com | 312 | 21.8% |
| lorealparisusa.com | 138 | 9.6% |
| whowhatwear.com | 137 | 9.6% |
| marieclaire.com | 99 | 6.9% |
| ulta.com | 56 | 3.9% |
| elfcosmetics.com | 55 | 3.8% |
| glamour.com | 50 | 3.5% |
FAQ
Which brands do AI assistants recommend most for highlighter?
Over the last 30 days the top brands by AI mention share are: Rare Beauty (6.4%), Sharpie (4.6%), Hourglass Cosmetics (3.9%), Fenty Beauty (3.8%), Westman Atelier (3.7%). Data from GEOly's continuous monitoring across ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Google AI Overviews.
How many people ask AI about highlighter?
GEOly estimates ~9,646 AI queries per month in this category across 26 buyer topics, led by “Highlighter palette”.
Which sources do AI engines cite for highlighter?
The most-cited domains are: reddit.com, allure.com, lorealparisusa.com, whowhatwear.com, marieclaire.com. Building brand presence on these sources is the most direct way to win AI recommendations.
Methodology
GEOly continuously runs category buyer prompts across ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Google AI Overviews and records which brands are mentioned and which sources are cited. Figures aggregate a 30-day window; AI query volumes are modeled estimates from keyword demand and AI-adoption share. Data: GEOly MCP Server, updated 2026-08-27.
See your brand inside this category
GEOly tracks how ChatGPT, Google AI Mode and Google AI Overviews mention, rank and cite your brand against every competitor above — and what to fix to win the AI shelf.