# AI-O Optimiser module boundaries

AI-O Optimiser is the **measurement and site-diagnostics** product in the AI-O ecosystem.
The long-term boundary was updated on 5 September 2026: traditional Search Ops will move into
AI-O Content Pal rather than becoming a separate fourth plugin.

Current modules:

- `core` — shared settings, visibility log storage and safe HTTP primitives.
- `visibility` — passive AI crawler, assistant-fetch and referral measurement.
- `guidance` — llms.txt delivery, Connector Hub access and environment/system checks.
- `schema` — rendered schema observation, provider ownership and conservative managed fallbacks.
- `metadata` — current compatibility runtime containing technical metadata plus bundled traditional
  Search Ops functionality during the migration period.

## Search Ops transition

The current `metadata` module still contains Search Console storage/acquisition, Search
Opportunities, opportunity workflow and related search-demand logic. That is transitional.

Target ownership:

- **Connector Hub** owns Google authentication, OAuth tokens, refresh handling and provider
  brokering.
- **AI-O Optimiser** keeps measurement/diagnostics: AI visibility, technical metadata health,
  Schema, Local/NAP, system health and related site evidence.
- **AI-O Content Pal / Search Ops** owns traditional GSC/Bing query-performance, search
  opportunities, content gaps, cannibalisation and editorial prioritisation/actions.

Do not add new traditional Search Ops features to Optimiser unless they are required to keep the
current transition line safe. New Search Ops product work belongs in Content Pal.

The existing external-active/suppression boundary (`AIO_SEARCH_OPS_VERSION`,
`AIO_SEARCH_OPS_STANDALONE`, or the equivalent capability check) remains useful as a migration
seam. Content Pal will eventually declare the Search Ops capability once its implementation is
validated, allowing Optimiser to skip the bundled runtime without duplicate hooks or provider
polling.

Existing `ai_o_optimiser_metadata_*` and preserved legacy search/opportunity data must not be
deleted merely because ownership moves. Migration/adoption is tracked in GitHub issue #1; the
OAuth retirement is tracked in #160; the cross-product evidence contract is #27.

Read `/ECOSYSTEM.md` before cross-repo work. It is the canonical coordination record.