Glossary · Technical
Knowledge Cutoff
The date after which a model's training data stops, meaning it has no built-in knowledge of anything that happened after that point unless it retrieves live information.
What it means
Every model is trained on a snapshot of data collected up to a certain date. Ask it about something that happened after that date and, without live retrieval, it either says it doesn't know or — worse — guesses based on outdated patterns.
Why it matters for AI visibility
A brand's launch, rebrand, product change, or recent news won't exist in a model's trained knowledge if it happened after the cutoff. Without real-time browsing or retrieval layered on top, the model will answer from whatever it last knew — which can mean an outdated name, an old product lineup, or no knowledge of the brand at all.
See more terms in the full glossary, or read the AI Visibility 101 guide for the full picture.