Category: Entities & Citations
Definition:
An AI Citation is a reference, link, or attribution to a source that an AI-powered search or answer system uses to support information presented in its response.
Why it matters:
Being cited by an AI system can demonstrate that your website or brand is considered a relevant source for a particular topic or question. AI citations can therefore be an important signal when measuring visibility in AI search.
However, being mentioned and being cited are not always the same thing. A brand can appear in an AI-generated answer without receiving a direct link or formal source citation.
Example:
A user asks an AI search engine, “What are the best accounting tools for freelancers?” The system recommends several products and links to the websites it used as sources. Those linked sources have received an AI citation.
Related terms:
AI Visibility · Brand Mention · Source Attribution · Citation Rate · Generative Search · Answer Engine · GEO · AEO
In simple terms:
An AI Citation is when an AI-generated answer references your website or another source to support its information.
