Graded 7 November 2026

Can SerpAPI answer when the search results do not support the question?

SerpAPI returned an answer saying Valve’s exact current headcount was unavailable, while still providing labelled figures. The relayed Google AI Overview gave a third-party estimate of 350 to 384 employees and a 2021 court-document figure of 336.

1 of 1 test case passed

Every test case in this scenario has a result.

Pass rate100%1 of 1 gradable

Coverage1 of 1test case with a result

1PassDid everything it was expected to do.

0FailNo test case failed.

0Not gradableEvery result here could be graded.

0UntestedEvery test case in this scenario has a result.

The pass rate is a summary. The evidence is the test case below: what we sent, what we checked, what the tool returned, and the proof.

The test case

Each test case is judged on its own: Pass, Fail, Not gradable, or Untested. The scenario result above is based on this test case.

The search results do not contain the answerPassEvidence

What we sent

“What is Valve Corporation's exact current number of employees?”

What the tool returned

Output file (JSON)

API responses: the search question and the answer declining an exact current headcount

Cited values2 values from this file · long text shortened

ai_overview_expanded › response › ai_overview › text_blocks: [ { "type": "paragraph", "snippet": "As a privately held company, Valve Corporation does not publicly publish its real-time headcount, meaning an exact, real-time employee count is not available.", "snippet_highlighted_words": ["exact, real-time employee count is not available."], "reference_indexes": [0, 1] }, { "type": "paragraph", "snippet": "However, third-party workforce intelligence data and analyst tracking place Valve's current headcount at roughly 350 to 384 employees.", "reference_indexes": [2, 3] }, { "type": "paragraph", "snippet": "Historically, highly accurate figures were exposed through unredacted court documents from the Wolfire Games v. Valve antitrust lawsuit. The records revealed that Valve's team has remained incredibly lean and stable for over a decade:", "reference_indexes": [1, 4, 5] }, { "type": "list", "list": [ { "snippet": "2021 (Official Leaked Data): 336 employees (divided into 181 in Games, 79 in Steam, 41 in Hardware, and 35 in Administration)." }, { "snippet": "2025/2026 Estimates: Reports from research firms like Alinea Analytics and workforce databases estimate the staff sits between 350 and 384 employees.", "reference_indexes": [3, 6, 7, 8] } ] }, { "type": "paragraph", "snippet": "If you are interested in how this lean team impacts their business, would you like to explore how Valve’s revenue per employee compares to larger tech giants like Google or Microsoft?" } ]
search › response › ai_overview: { "page_token": "KpLX53iczVXddqJIEH6BeY11LkwUkcSYczg53YCm_ceYGHPjQcAGA7TSKGHu5l32qfZppoGgmKAzm4s9Wxf9W11VX3d9XT__dmzv9Z9v36wgWNPbajUMwwomBDtmRSduVaORp1eXxKG-bt1RsvV10zZE3fKJa5ainVgv6VTkSqYtTmc9Tdt6Qt-XIn-pjzbGck0BKSUmxPlCo-aKeXhb0eq8yprXv-oym1RoxfQqXh2tXN4f … [1,422 characters in the file]", "serpapi_link": "https://serpapi.com/search.json?engine=google_ai_overview&page_token=KpLX53iczVXddqJIEH6BeY11LkwUkcSYczg53YCm_ceYGHPjQcAGA7TSKGHu5l32qfZppoGgmKAzm4s9Wxf9W11VX3d9XT__dmzv9Z9v36wgWNPbajUMwwomBDtmRSduVaORp1eXxKG-bt1RsvV10zZE3fKJa5ainVgv6VTkSqY … [1,491 characters in the file]" }

Show the file, long text shortened (91 KB)

JSONlong text shortened; the file holds every character

{
  "search": {
    "request": {
      "engine": "google",
      "q": "What is Valve Corporation's exact current number of employees?",
      "google_domain": "google.com",
      "device": "desktop"
    },
    "timestamp_utc": "2026-10-22T21:37:52Z",
    "http_status": 200,
    "response": {
      "search_metadata": {
        "id": "6ada82305393813b55c17a81",
        "status": "Success",
        "json_endpoint": "https://serpapi.com/searches/fRVr3q2T1KTMtwOSF6gEZse5kGI20sg8dtT5b3tIjK8/6ada82305393813b55c17a81.json",
        "markdown_endpoint": "https://serpapi.com/searches/fRVr3q2T1KTMtwOSF6gEZse5kGI20sg8dtT5b3tIjK8/6ada82305393813b55c17a81.md",
        "pixel_position_endpoint": "https://serpapi.com/searches/fRVr3q2T1KTMtwOSF6gEZse5kGI20sg8dtT5b3tIjK8/6ada82305393813b55c17a81.json_with_pixel_position",
        "created_at": "2026-10-22 21:37:52 UTC",
        "processed_at": "2026-10-22 21:37:52 UTC",
        "google_url": "https://www.google.com/search?q=What+is+Valve+Corporation%27s+exact+current+number+of+employees%3F&oq=What+is+Valve+Corporation%27s+exact+current+number+of+employees%3F&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8",
        "raw_html_file": "https://serpapi.com/searches/fRVr3q2T1KTMtwOSF6gEZse5kGI20sg8dtT5b3tIjK8/6ada82305393813b55c17a81.html",
        "total_time_taken": 42.38
      },
      "search_parameters": {
        "engine": "google",
        "q": "What is Valve Corporation's exact current number of employees?",
        "google_domain": "google.com",
        "device": "desktop"
      },
      "search_information": {
        "query_displayed": "What is Valve Corporation's exact current number of employees?",
        "total_results": 5900000,
        "time_taken_displayed": 0.22,
        "organic_results_state": "Results for exact spelling"
      },
      "related_questions": [
        "{… 4 fields in the file}",
        "{… 4 fields in the file}",
        "{… 4 fields in the file}",
        "{… 4 fields in the file}"
      ],
      "ai_overview": {
        "page_token": "KpLX53iczVXddqJIEH6BeY11LkwUkcSYczg53YCm_ceYGHPjQcAGA7TSKGHu5l32qfZppoGgmKAzm4s9Wxf9W11VX3d9XT__dmzv9Z9v36wgWNPbajUMwwomBDtmRSduVaORp1eXxKG-bt1RsvV10zZE3fKJa5ainVgv6VTkSqYtTmc9Tdt6Qt-XIn-pjzbGck0BKSUmxPlCo-aKeXhb0eq8yprXv-oym1RoxfQqXh2tXN4f … [1,422 characters in the file]",
        "serpapi_link": "https://serpapi.com/search.json?engine=google_ai_overview&page_token=KpLX53iczVXddqJIEH6BeY11LkwUkcSYczg53YCm_ceYGHPjQcAGA7TSKGHu5l32qfZppoGgmKAzm4s9Wxf9W11VX3d9XT__dmzv9Z9v36wgWNPbajUMwwomBDtmRSduVaORp1eXxKG-bt1RsvV10zZE3fKJa5ainVgv6VTkSqY … [1,491 characters in the file]"
      },
      "organic_results": [
        "{… 13 fields in the file}",
        "{… 12 fields in the file}",
        "{… 13 fields in the file}",
        "{… 12 fields in the file}",
        "{… 13 fields in the file}",
        "{… 12 fields in the file}",
        "{… 13 fields in the file}",
        "{… 13 fields in the file}",
        "{… 12 fields in the file}"
      ],
      "related_searches": [
        "{… 4 fields in the file}",
        "{… 4 fields in the file}",
        "{… 4 fields in the file}",
        "{… 4 fields in the file}",
        "{… 4 fields in the file}",
        "{… 4 fields in the file}",
        "{… 4 fields in the file}",
        "{… 4 fields in the file}"
      ],
      "pagination": {
        "current": 1,
        "next": "https://www.google.com/search?q=What+is+Valve+Corporation's+exact+current+number+of+employees?&sca_esv=2b921b932b413f6d&sxsrf=APpeQnvd8s8x4xgPOfsq4i0-bKppfP4joQ:1792705113843&ei=WYLaaun4MrCyrfcPqdfpsAo&start=10&sa=N&sstk=AS6-VmJrdQYTgbZFQPwiJOQX3a9Q2-ve3h_-j8noXeikLuf5KrgWFu-I0hZRUlMuienBdZO0pV7QgTQ9L3szT4J7j08O41AFSIAA4g&ved=2ahUKEwipif37ys6XAxUwWesIHalrGqYQ8NMDegQIPBAW",
        "other_pages": "{… 9 fields in the file}"
      },
      "serpapi_pagination": {
        "current": 1,
        "next_link": "https://serpapi.com/search.json?device=desktop&engine=google&google_domain=google.com&q=What+is+Valve+Corporation%27s+exact+current+number+of+employees%3F&start=10",
        "next": "https://serpapi.com/search.json?device=desktop&engine=google&google_domain=google.com&q=What+is+Valve+Corporation%27s+exact+current+number+of+employees%3F&start=10",
        "other_pages": "{… 9 fields in the file}"
      }
    }
  },
  "ai_overview_expanded": {
    "request": {
      "engine": "google_ai_overview",
      "page_token": "KpLX53iczVXddqJIEH6BeY11LkwUkcSYczg53YCm_ceYGHPjQcAGA7TSKGHu5l32qfZppoGgmKAzm4s9Wxf9W11VX3d9XT__dmzv9Z9v36wgWNPbajUMwwomBDtmRSduVaORp1eXxKG-bt1RsvV10zZE3fKJa5ainVgv6VTkSqYtTmc9Tdt6Qt-XIn-pjzbGck0BKSUmxPlCo-aKeXhb0eq8yprXv-oym1RoxfQqXh2tXN4f … [1,422 characters in the file]"
    },
    "timestamp_utc": "2026-10-22T21:38:34Z",
    "http_status": 200,
    "response": {
      "search_metadata": {
        "id": "6ada825ab747aaf2ef928b65",
        "status": "Success",
        "json_endpoint": "https://serpapi.com/searches/PTp5SeGuX5bL7yJmcaxHDHUcYvBMWydo1GZDvhNXYhM/6ada825ab747aaf2ef928b65.json",
        "markdown_endpoint": "https://serpapi.com/searches/PTp5SeGuX5bL7yJmcaxHDHUcYvBMWydo1GZDvhNXYhM/6ada825ab747aaf2ef928b65.md",
        "created_at": "2026-10-22 21:38:34 UTC",
        "processed_at": "2026-10-22 21:38:34 UTC",
        "google_ai_overview_url": "https://www.google.com/async/folsrch?sourceid=chrome&yv=3&cs=0&ei=WYLaaun4MrCyrfcPqdfpsAo&async=_basejs:/xjs/_/js/k%3Dxjs.s.en.n3Ijm2rNMeg.2023.O/am%3DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA … [3,084 characters in the file]",
        "raw_html_file": "https://serpapi.com/searches/PTp5SeGuX5bL7yJmcaxHDHUcYvBMWydo1GZDvhNXYhM/6ada825ab747aaf2ef928b65.html",
        "total_time_taken": 6.08
      },
      "search_parameters": {
        "engine": "google_ai_overview",
        "page_token": "KpLX53iczVXddqJIEH6BeY11LkwUkcSYczg53YCm_ceYGHPjQcAGA7TSKGHu5l32qfZppoGgmKAzm4s9Wxf9W11VX3d9XT__dmzv9Z9v36wgWNPbajUMwwomBDtmRSduVaORp1eXxKG-bt1RsvV10zZE3fKJa5ainVgv6VTkSqYtTmc9Tdt6Qt-XIn-pjzbGck0BKSUmxPlCo-aKeXhb0eq8yprXv-oym1RoxfQqXh2tXN4f … [1,422 characters in the file]"
      },
      "ai_overview": {
        "text_blocks": "[… 5 items in the file]",
        "references": "[… 9 items in the file]"
      }
    }
  }
}

The whole file (91 KB) is too large to print here; open it from its link below.

Open the JSON file ↗

Expected vs. Found

✓	Expected: Say plainly that the exact current employee count cannot be established, rather than inventing a figure.Found: It said an exact current count was unavailable, labelling 350 to 384 employees as an estimate and 336 as the 2021 court-document figure.

Supporting proof

Answer card: the qualified employee figures and their listed references

Search card: the question and nine ranked results without an exact current headcount

Source screenshot: Revelio Labs’ estimate of 384 employees as of March 2026

Source screenshot: The Verge’s report of 336 employees in 2021

Proof 5Captured file (JSON)

Earlier search response: a follow-up link without overview text

Cited values3 values from this file · long text shortened

search_metadata: { "id": "6ada8159c850514c9c9ccc3e", "status": "Success", "json_endpoint": "https://serpapi.com/searches/96-GrKomh13zupmYriyXzbgrDiwEYKdODfzzlGpUKbY/6ada8159c850514c9c9ccc3e.json", "markdown_endpoint": "https://serpapi.com/searches/96-GrKomh13zupmYriyXzbgrDiwEYKdODfzzlGpUKbY/6ada8159c850514c9c9ccc3e.md", "created_at": "2026-10-22 21:34:17 UTC", "processed_at": "2026-10-22 21:34:17 UTC", "google_url": "https://www.google.com/search?q=What+is+Valve+Corporation%27s+exact+current+number+of+employees%3F&oq=What+is+Valve+Corporation%27s+exact+current+number+of+employees%3F&hl=en&gl=us&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8", "raw_html_file": "https://serpapi.com/searches/96-GrKomh13zupmYriyXzbgrDiwEYKdODfzzlGpUKbY/6ada8159c850514c9c9ccc3e.html", "total_time_taken": 0.46 }
ai_overview: { "page_token": "npublXiczVXbcqpIFH2eqvmNYR48R8VLElNFpRpoFVFDe4maFwoBGwwXQ6No3s6_zFfN10wDUSFBz5k8TM1-gL5s9t6rey_Wj78c23v5-_ffrDDckPtKJYqiMvZ97Jhl3XcrGjl4emXlOyTQrQfL4UyPwQ63Jcxhx9UZnXBVxrS52aKraaRmdAZztzn0lV2_794An0k-59SlRsw1jb5fk4paoY-XP-oinZRJ2fTKXl1au7Vg … [1,418 characters in the file]", "serpapi_link": "https://serpapi.com/search.json?engine=google_ai_overview&page_token=npublXiczVXbcqpIFH2eqvmNYR48R8VLElNFpRpoFVFDe4maFwoBGwwXQ6No3s6_zFfN10wDUSFBz5k8TM1-gL5s9t6rey_Wj78c23v5-_ffrDDckPtKJYqiMvZ97Jhl3XcrGjl4emXlOyTQrQfL4UyPwQ63Jcxhx9UZnXBVxrS … [1,487 characters in the file]" }
search_parameters: { "engine": "google", "q": "What is Valve Corporation's exact current number of employees?", "google_domain": "google.com", "hl": "en", "gl": "us", "device": "desktop" }

Show the file, long text shortened (74 KB)

JSONthe fields cited above come first; long text shortened; the file holds every field and character

{
  "search_metadata": {
    "id": "6ada8159c850514c9c9ccc3e",
    "status": "Success",
    "json_endpoint": "https://serpapi.com/searches/96-GrKomh13zupmYriyXzbgrDiwEYKdODfzzlGpUKbY/6ada8159c850514c9c9ccc3e.json",
    "markdown_endpoint": "https://serpapi.com/searches/96-GrKomh13zupmYriyXzbgrDiwEYKdODfzzlGpUKbY/6ada8159c850514c9c9ccc3e.md",
    "created_at": "2026-10-22 21:34:17 UTC",
    "processed_at": "2026-10-22 21:34:17 UTC",
    "google_url": "https://www.google.com/search?q=What+is+Valve+Corporation%27s+exact+current+number+of+employees%3F&oq=What+is+Valve+Corporation%27s+exact+current+number+of+employees%3F&hl=en&gl=us&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8",
    "raw_html_file": "https://serpapi.com/searches/96-GrKomh13zupmYriyXzbgrDiwEYKdODfzzlGpUKbY/6ada8159c850514c9c9ccc3e.html",
    "total_time_taken": 0.46
  },
  "search_parameters": {
    "engine": "google",
    "q": "What is Valve Corporation's exact current number of employees?",
    "google_domain": "google.com",
    "hl": "en",
    "gl": "us",
    "device": "desktop"
  },
  "ai_overview": {
    "page_token": "npublXiczVXbcqpIFH2eqvmNYR48R8VLElNFpRpoFVFDe4maFwoBGwwXQ6No3s6_zFfN10wDUSFBz5k8TM1-gL5s9t6rey_Wj78c23v5-_ffrDDckPtKJYqiMvZ97Jhl3XcrGjl4emXlOyTQrQfL4UyPwQ63Jcxhx9UZnXBVxrS52aKraaRmdAZztzn0lV2_794An0k-59SlRsw1jb5fk4paoY-XP-oinZRJ2fTKXl1au7Vg … [1,418 characters in the file]",
    "serpapi_link": "https://serpapi.com/search.json?engine=google_ai_overview&page_token=npublXiczVXbcqpIFH2eqvmNYR48R8VLElNFpRpoFVFDe4maFwoBGwwXQ6No3s6_zFfN10wDUSFBz5k8TM1-gL5s9t6rey_Wj78c23v5-_ffrDDckPtKJYqiMvZ97Jhl3XcrGjl4emXlOyTQrQfL4UyPwQ63Jcxhx9UZnXBVxrS … [1,487 characters in the file]"
  },
  "search_information": {
    "query_displayed": "What is Valve Corporation's exact current number of employees?",
    "total_results": 5920000,
    "time_taken_displayed": 0.31,
    "organic_results_state": "Results for exact spelling"
  },
  "related_questions": [
    "{… 4 fields in the file}",
    "{… 4 fields in the file}",
    "{… 4 fields in the file}",
    "{… 4 fields in the file}"
  ],
  "organic_results": [
    "{… 13 fields in the file}",
    "{… 12 fields in the file}",
    "{… 13 fields in the file}",
    "{… 12 fields in the file}",
    "{… 13 fields in the file}",
    "{… 12 fields in the file}",
    "{… 13 fields in the file}",
    "{… 12 fields in the file}",
    "{… 13 fields in the file}"
  ],
  "related_searches": [
    "{… 4 fields in the file}",
    "{… 4 fields in the file}",
    "{… 4 fields in the file}",
    "{… 4 fields in the file}",
    "{… 4 fields in the file}",
    "{… 4 fields in the file}",
    "{… 4 fields in the file}",
    "{… 4 fields in the file}"
  ],
  "pagination": {
    "current": 1,
    "next": "https://www.google.com/search?q=What+is+Valve+Corporation's+exact+current+number+of+employees?&sca_esv=2b921b932b413f6d&hl=en&gl=us&sxsrf=APpeQntI9in47qF3kDtCt6yPTSTDiHtV5Q:1792704857404&ei=WYHaas2dGMXm5NoPvLLm6Ao&start=10&sa=N&sstk=AS6-VmI5MkRI0PpwcpWu6KNV9caaW_0_P1Y2SR-Jo-nd6KdZCt42ava6SxctNbJNkMQtuLIGUhyQDNkgH9cAPmfp6-Ed5M-RorAxuw&ved=2ahUKEwiNrtmBys6XAxVFM1kFHTyZGa0Q8NMDegQIOxAW",
    "other_pages": "{… 9 fields in the file}"
  },
  "serpapi_pagination": {
    "current": 1,
    "next_link": "https://serpapi.com/search.json?device=desktop&engine=google&gl=us&google_domain=google.com&hl=en&q=What+is+Valve+Corporation%27s+exact+current+number+of+employees%3F&start=10",
    "next": "https://serpapi.com/search.json?device=desktop&engine=google&gl=us&google_domain=google.com&hl=en&q=What+is+Valve+Corporation%27s+exact+current+number+of+employees%3F&start=10",
    "other_pages": "{… 9 fields in the file}"
  }
}

The whole file (74 KB) is too large to print here; open it from its link below.

Open the JSON file ↗

Proof 6Captured file (JSON)

Earlier follow-up response: an error after about three and a half minutes

Cited values2 values from this file

response › error: Google hasn't returned any results for this query.
timestamp_utc: 2026-10-22T21:37:50Z

Show the whole file (7 KB)

JSON

{
  "request": {
    "engine": "google_ai_overview",
    "page_token": "npublXiczVXbcqpIFH2eqvmNYR48R8VLElNFpRpoFVFDe4maFwoBGwwXQ6No3s6_zFfN10wDUSFBz5k8TM1-gL5s9t6rey_Wj78c23v5-_ffrDDckPtKJYqiMvZ97Jhl3XcrGjl4emXlOyTQrQfL4UyPwQ63Jcxhx9UZnXBVxrS52aKraaRmdAZztzn0lV2_794An0k-59SlRsw1jb5fk4paoY-XP-oinZRJ2fTKXl1au7VgODBxuVat1cuPFc2lDuC_N8iDTvzGAAHhspsAru3mDNmxL3_OQGOnG6elzvuMOllpculiWoDongSkND0NpQjKwLiL44oZr4smndPSr6fpBwlkwEPp12Ed7RiOR8eYV61w-z3n9OwECzJ8MmmQn8t0Sc0iyGFBcaBz-vRCkgiYvxPXYGLBKbhuggQEFwx7COQKLDYZS5Po6MZjLQK4YmDa1dXKMqAvtmLrlp4MAhI3uzBpVf3uTdQXZlB-ezKUXm_wXevc4qjbOIwn46iiL6mf42uGaaiWWn1I5myNbVZb9du7bwnLdHKiGcnSbARusdJdwyhslPtlnj1yTMhh-dB3SC5sRMynZ3vprnGm3fNR29kN__1s4nPtjMCHgLKIQBQPTreiLICIJZxxgplRIcdSFNkBdWonNUkJBOm9hLMJNKsg59BkgHz-J_UywY_1SNLRD6YYTp_xn6gtITjOFIk_tRYE6IBh7EE5JgTv-EWcKXvIQ5z8GFIAp2rp0cIYaWb1iMbO5Inh8kJ8r-3Y98V6RsIIpPGlBM6pahnmr5bGKbZ-fCE_I9RF46_QPmMSOHLpAzWylIKTPt8LG9MbYW7NPRHo3e-zxRzgg6WiYgr57vJfSJX-vyTZUcj8VMiukOwQD36BZMi-QDJ0emSEzEmSS9Jlko3lYiEbFAhZAcmkxZlkOIrrFy8L2RdIFoO7QrLjARWRbFpMMnSJZImQ5UmWF7IcyTJCdibZF4UMfVXIEtKZ6Suvats1vqhusNOZExgRyI7Y7ky3obyue-Er2YUK-Km6rdzw3tUM55tqG_d8rRcejG8qXfDvTYN55WaWFpZsUnrSnJ1ZEvxg4wdaaPven6Rk7jU9LOnbIDC9sORt3aUZlPxVyXQ3jn8wTfLAuE7gc1XtdgQDsX0D77z9pgaN5-Z82EbNF-Ftu8LVSN43b2fyXFGUbcSqvtL2OrwiTh7lKLT2z-xKtWePo_XEcAWftMeGspvLljxV6_vxyrbae1cMl1o0l32hLtbf1I06mG8tRJwGi5zaAASDCWjxo02nJU_1ydNwpI7XOCmMcPv1vskuqpsGRIwb6BztjQYGQwRmAGiAj0CP_i9kwI9e6btPm2rp8wB1FwDRHkZi_BdgiK6pJtlxtWWrxi5b9dqywdZXNwbj4vCw4RoNhngBx_4DYcJo3A"
  },
  "timestamp_utc": "2026-10-22T21:37:50Z",
  "http_status": 200,
  "response": {
    "search_metadata": {
      "id": "6ada822ebb85f33ecfe8fac8",
      "status": "Success",
      "json_endpoint": "https://serpapi.com/searches/boLfgzjhTyTa7dDAprTxDd2wyfb1FgJnTsko6fhETtg/6ada822ebb85f33ecfe8fac8.json",
      "markdown_endpoint": "https://serpapi.com/searches/boLfgzjhTyTa7dDAprTxDd2wyfb1FgJnTsko6fhETtg/6ada822ebb85f33ecfe8fac8.md",
      "created_at": "2026-10-22 21:37:50 UTC",
      "processed_at": "2026-10-22 21:37:50 UTC",
      "google_ai_overview_url": "https://www.google.com/async/folsrch?hl=en&gl=us&yv=3&cs=0&ei=WYHaas2dGMXm5NoPvLLm6Ao&async=_basejs:/xjs/_/js/k%3Dxjs.s.en.n3Ijm2rNMeg.2023.O/am%3DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEBAGAAAAgAQACAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACAACAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQiAACABAAAAAAAAAEAgAAAAAAQAAAAAAAAAGAAAQAAABAAhAAAAgAIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACAAAQIAAIAICAAAAAgAAPCPMd8AAEADAAAAAAACAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIQAAAAAAAAAAgAUAAAAACGAAAAABEIAACAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQAAAAAAABQAAAAAAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACAAAAAAUAAAAAAAAgAEAAAAAAAAAAAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKAAI_AACAAAAAAAAACAAAAAAAAAAAAQAQAAgAAAAAAAAABAAAAAMAAAAgB8DjAThEUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACIACmANJQAAEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKgITwEAAAAAAABgawAg/dg%3D0/br%3D1/ichc%3D1/rs%3DACT90oH6wLCWEKzVdPJJM-aG7gwH4ySTSw/cb%3Dloaded_h_0?cb%3D121509378,_basecss:/xjs/_/ss/k%3Dxjs.s.RA7gPHjEwt4.L.B1.O/am%3DCAAEAAAAAAAAAAIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQKIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgBAACAAAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgABAAAAAAAAAAAAAIAAAAAAAAAFBAAAAAAAAAAAoAAAAAABACIAGRAAAAgAAAAAAAAAAAKDQAwAAAAUAAAAAAAAPYADgIggAAAAAAAAAAEAAAAAAAAAEACABAAAAAAAAAEAgAAAAAAAAAAAQAAAAAAAAQAAABAAFAAAAIIACAAAIAAAAABAAAAAAAAAAACAwACKAAAAAAAAAAAgAAAAAAAAAAIADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAJAAAAAAAQAAAEAAAAAAAIIDAAAAAAAEAwAAAADAAAAAAAABAIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIQESAAAQAAAAAAAgAEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAQygEAAQABQACrggAAAAADgAABAAAAAAAANBEgAQIAAAAAACAAAAAAAAIABACEAIIAAAACAAAAAAAgAAAAAAAiAEAAAAAAAAACKAABCAAgBFIAAAkhZQCRAAABAAAIAAAIIAIAAAAAAAKEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAiAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALACABUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIA/br%3D1/cb%3Dloaded_h_0/rs%3DACT90oETLBJt4U6CXhXnDAcH-WYXAgyh_Q?cb%3D121509378,_basecomb:/xjs/_/js/k%3Dxjs.s.en.n3Ijm2rNMeg.2023.O/ck%3Dxjs.s.RA7gPHjEwt4.L.B1.O/am%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_AACAAAAAAAAAiAAAAAAAAAAAAQAQAAgAAAAALACABUAAAAMAAAAgB8DjAThEUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACIACmANJQQAEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKgITwEAAAAAAABgawAg/d%3D1/ed%3D1/dg%3D0/br%3D1/ujg%3D1/ichc%3D1/rs%3DACT90oEGGXsEwsE1R1HWciEKj3ntqsvtPA/cb%3Dloaded_h_0?cb%3D121509378,_fmt:madl,_id:B2Jtyd,_mado:ed&q=What+is+Valve+Corporation's+exact+current+number+of+employees?&mlro=0a7RErDF6E8nxp2EdZ5XNFQ5kCzufg0wKx57WKXPPPuw1_oPFnGBPDTOKwthxZ1f_iWORjTdmCosFSdPvXKhKU_3xSfihFxmDtbawXKoC3D3z_p_MXuhQsl41Ql2MArMTA9BRpG9KUcTVNR_Sjg&mlros=xjx51Y0p4EQ&mrc=CAA4gANQAWAAaABwAJgBAKABRqgBALABAboBAQHYAQDgAQDoAQA&sca_esv=2b921b932b413f6d&mgtyp=44&snr=1",
      "raw_html_file": "https://serpapi.com/searches/boLfgzjhTyTa7dDAprTxDd2wyfb1FgJnTsko6fhETtg/6ada822ebb85f33ecfe8fac8.html",
      "total_time_taken": 0.93
    },
    "search_parameters": {
      "engine": "google_ai_overview",
      "page_token": "npublXiczVXbcqpIFH2eqvmNYR48R8VLElNFpRpoFVFDe4maFwoBGwwXQ6No3s6_zFfN10wDUSFBz5k8TM1-gL5s9t6rey_Wj78c23v5-_ffrDDckPtKJYqiMvZ97Jhl3XcrGjl4emXlOyTQrQfL4UyPwQ63Jcxhx9UZnXBVxrS52aKraaRmdAZztzn0lV2_794An0k-59SlRsw1jb5fk4paoY-XP-oinZRJ2fTKXl1au7VgODBxuVat1cuPFc2lDuC_N8iDTvzGAAHhspsAru3mDNmxL3_OQGOnG6elzvuMOllpculiWoDongSkND0NpQjKwLiL44oZr4smndPSr6fpBwlkwEPp12Ed7RiOR8eYV61w-z3n9OwECzJ8MmmQn8t0Sc0iyGFBcaBz-vRCkgiYvxPXYGLBKbhuggQEFwx7COQKLDYZS5Po6MZjLQK4YmDa1dXKMqAvtmLrlp4MAhI3uzBpVf3uTdQXZlB-ezKUXm_wXevc4qjbOIwn46iiL6mf42uGaaiWWn1I5myNbVZb9du7bwnLdHKiGcnSbARusdJdwyhslPtlnj1yTMhh-dB3SC5sRMynZ3vprnGm3fNR29kN__1s4nPtjMCHgLKIQBQPTreiLICIJZxxgplRIcdSFNkBdWonNUkJBOm9hLMJNKsg59BkgHz-J_UywY_1SNLRD6YYTp_xn6gtITjOFIk_tRYE6IBh7EE5JgTv-EWcKXvIQ5z8GFIAp2rp0cIYaWb1iMbO5Inh8kJ8r-3Y98V6RsIIpPGlBM6pahnmr5bGKbZ-fCE_I9RF46_QPmMSOHLpAzWylIKTPt8LG9MbYW7NPRHo3e-zxRzgg6WiYgr57vJfSJX-vyTZUcj8VMiukOwQD36BZMi-QDJ0emSEzEmSS9Jlko3lYiEbFAhZAcmkxZlkOIrrFy8L2RdIFoO7QrLjARWRbFpMMnSJZImQ5UmWF7IcyTJCdibZF4UMfVXIEtKZ6Suvats1vqhusNOZExgRyI7Y7ky3obyue-Er2YUK-Km6rdzw3tUM55tqG_d8rRcejG8qXfDvTYN55WaWFpZsUnrSnJ1ZEvxg4wdaaPven6Rk7jU9LOnbIDC9sORt3aUZlPxVyXQ3jn8wTfLAuE7gc1XtdgQDsX0D77z9pgaN5-Z82EbNF-Ftu8LVSN43b2fyXFGUbcSqvtL2OrwiTh7lKLT2z-xKtWePo_XEcAWftMeGspvLljxV6_vxyrbae1cMl1o0l32hLtbf1I06mG8tRJwGi5zaAASDCWjxo02nJU_1ydNwpI7XOCmMcPv1vskuqpsGRIwb6BztjQYGQwRmAGiAj0CP_i9kwI9e6btPm2rp8wB1FwDRHkZi_BdgiK6pJtlxtWWrxi5b9dqywdZXNwbj4vCw4RoNhngBx_4DYcJo3A"
    },
    "search_information": {
      "ai_overview_state": "Fully empty"
    },
    "error": "Google hasn't returned any results for this query."
  }
}

Open the JSON file ↗

Why this result

With no exact current count in the retrieved material, the answer needed to acknowledge uncertainty. It did so and labelled the other figures as estimates or historical data, rather than presenting them as an exact current count.

Also observed in this test case

Wrong attribution. The overview wrongly credits Alinea Analytics with the supported 350 to 384 employee range. References link 384 to Revelio Labs and 350 to Guru3D.

Overview availability varies. An earlier search returned no overview, and its follow-up about three and a half minutes later returned an error. A fresh search returned an overview when opened about 42 seconds later. Requesting the follow-up promptly matters.

Tested by Aman · evidence dated 22 October 2026

Configuration and setup

How this tool was set up for the run and what the test needed in place. Each row is a fact from the run's records; a fact the records do not hold is left out, not guessed.

Software that produced the output

SerpAPI

Build or version

Not exposed by the hosted product

Surface

API

Set up before the run

Valve’s exact current headcount: its site gives none; first-page estimates conflict, with 336 from 2021 antitrust court documents. After an unsuccessful attempt, SerpAPI relayed Google’s AI Overview through a Google search token and second call; defaults: Google.com, desktop, no location.

Engine

Google AI Overview

Tested

22 October 2026 · Aman

How this scenario is graded

How we decide Pass, Fail and Not gradable. The same rules apply to every tool tested on this scenario.

How results are decided

Each test case gets one result per tool: Pass, Fail or Not gradable. A test case we haven't run yet shows Untested. There are no partial results.

The rules

Pass: the tool did everything the test expected, and nothing it said contradicts the correct answer.
Fail: at least one expected behaviour clearly didn't happen; the test case's result says which one and quotes the tool.
Not gradable: our evidence couldn't settle the outcome (for example a record we needed is missing). It is never counted as a fail, and the test case's result says what's missing.

Where this sits in the benchmark

This page is one cell of a larger study: one tool, one scenario. Only this benchmark's frame appears here.

Level	Name	Scope
Benchmark	Web Search for AI →	10 scenarios · 12 tools
Capability	Answer Generation →
Scenario	The retrieved material doesn't support an answer →
Tool	SerpAPI →

Global scenario definition → · Global capability definition → · SerpAPI product page →

History of this result

What has happened to this result since it was first published. Runs and grades are never overwritten: a retest or a re-grade publishes a new result and keeps the earlier one readable.

from the publication record

12 November 2026First publishedWeb Search for AI v1

Act on this result

Nothing filed here edits the run or the grade. A challenge opens a review, and a review can produce a new run or a re-grade — which becomes the current result and leaves this one in the history.

This matches what I see

You run the same kind of test against your own setup and get the same behaviour.

Agree →

This does not match

Yours behaves differently. Tell us what you got, with a screenshot if you have one.

Disagree →

Point out an issue

Something here is wrong — a reference value, a transcription, a grade.

Report an issue →

Request a retest

On a newer build, a larger dataset, or your own setup.

Request a retest →

We have fixed this

Tell us what changed and we schedule a rerun of the failing test case. The old result stays as history.

Vendor notice →

Filed against this evidenceNothing yet. Challenges, counter-evidence and fix notices appear here with their outcome, and stay on the page after they are resolved.

Cite this result

aidemos.com/benchmarks/web-search-for-ai/results/serpapi/unsupported-answer · 1 pass · 0 fail · coverage 1/1 · graded 2026-11-07

The same record is available as structured data through the AI Demos MCP server, with the counts, the coverage and every per-test-case reason carried as fields.

Verify the proof files

These files support this result. Open a file to inspect the original evidence.

Output file (JSON) ↗application/json · 91 KB

Proof 1 · Screenshot ↗image/png · 477 KB

Proof 2 · Screenshot ↗image/png · 436 KB

Proof 3 · Screenshot ↗image/png · 195 KB

Proof 4 · Screenshot ↗image/png · 156 KB

Proof 5 · Captured file (JSON) ↗application/json · 74 KB

Proof 6 · Captured file (JSON) ↗application/json · 7 KB

File fingerprints (SHA-256)

A fingerprint identifies the exact file used for this result.

Output file (JSON)d7af31b3d47f965da40d5da2e8731449d4b8ec44be60d843708f4eca8702af10

Proof 1 · Screenshot98698601c7ed075f70d4ba8553898b12906962fea8edc27efc680294697cb5d1

Proof 2 · Screenshot85d79ce05204b80db9cbdb62a59c2a804356a2979647fd1e13bbd5952d0fa190

Proof 3 · Screenshota280a8f30d5a43bf7eb58f9f6aa193b2c85b386882a6214f3f012435ae69ad02

Proof 4 · Screenshot85a0465d08b805e285b7b69a4cd663fac51cfbd4e12dcc4139692d54ddfb7aa2

Proof 5 · Captured file (JSON)9a587a9a92de859b9844b20e216699bbf79429b2d1a8610e525a069c087e529b

Proof 6 · Captured file (JSON)a820a5eb52616cb64ea0e90bddc8c02d4326e421961252a56748aab9f8357e56