Findable glossary
What is an AI citation?
An AI citation is when a generative AI shows a specific web page as the source of its answer. It is different from a mention, where the brand name simply appears in the answer text.
Mention versus citation
A mention is the brand name appearing in the answer. A citation is your page being linked as a source. A mention without a citation can mean the AI knows your brand through someone else's description.
What tends to be cited
Pages that answer the question in the first paragraph, put sources next to claims, and show authorship and update dates tend to be chosen. A page that fully answers one question also helps. These are tendencies, not rules that guarantee citation.
When non-official sites are cited
Blogs, wikis, news articles, and communities are often cited instead. Rather than only fixing the official site, check that these outside sources carry accurate information.
How do you measure it?
Repeat the same question set, collect the cited addresses in each answer, and tally them by domain. Look at how often your domain appears and which outside domains are cited in your place.
Services cite differently
Some services always show sources; others only do so with web search on. No source does not necessarily mean no mention.
Frequently asked questions
Do more links get more citations?
Quality of the answer and evidence matters more than link count. Pages with clear sources, current information, and visible authorship are the baseline.
How do I know whether AI cited my page?
Check the source cards or links in the answer, or collect cited addresses with a repeated-measurement tool. Server-log visits from that AI service's crawler are supporting evidence.
Related terms
For more measurement methods and case studies, visit Findable insights.