Glossary · Measurement
Citation Rate
How often a specific source is cited by AI engines across the prompts and answers being tracked in a category.
Why it's tracked
On engines that cite sources directly — Perplexity is the clearest example — the domains that show up most often across many answers are the ones that engine treats as trustworthy for that topic. A high citation rate is a strong signal of influence over what the engine ultimately says.
How brands use it
Identifying which sources get cited most (and which cite competitors but not you) turns into a prioritized outreach or content list — pursuing coverage from the sources that actually shape AI answers, rather than a generic media list.
See more terms in the full glossary, or read the AI Visibility 101 guide for the full picture.