AI Conversation Citation Rate Analysis
Citation Rate Analysis tracks how often AI platforms provide source links when mentioning your brand. Citations indicate AI platforms are confident enough in their recommendation to back it with references—a stronger signal of trust than mentions alone.
Quick start
1. Select 30 Days and the target Project
2. Compare citation rates across AI platforms
3. Check the spline line for average citations per recommendation
4. Click the settings icon (⚙) to filter by specific brands
Understanding the display
Citation rate measures the percentage of brand mentions that include at least one source link. A 40% citation rate means 4 in 10 mentions of your brand include citations. The chart also tracks average citations—how many links AI platforms provide when they do cite sources.
Two metrics
| Metric | Formula | What it shows |
| Citation Rate | Mentions with citations ÷ Total mentions × 100 | How often AI backs up your brand with sources |
| Avg Citations | Total citations ÷ Total mentions | How many sources AI provides on average |
Platform breakdown view (Yesterday)
When "Yesterday" is selected, the chart displays as a stacked column chart with an overlay line:
| Element | Description |
| X-axis | AI platforms (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity) |
| Left Y-axis | Citation rate percentage |
| Right Y-axis | Average citations per recommendation |
| Stacked columns | Citation rate by journey phase (Awareness, Consideration, Decision) |
| Spline line | Average citations per recommendation across all phases |
The stacked columns show citation rate broken down by customer journey phase. The spline line overlays the average citation count, using the right Y-axis.
Trend view (7+ days)
When the date range spans 7 days or more, the chart displays as a line chart showing citation rate trends by platform:
| Element | Description |
| X-axis | Dates across the selected period |
| Y-axis | Citation rate percentage (0–100%) |
| Coloured lines | Each platform's citation rate over time |
| Gaps in lines | Days with no data for that platform |
The trend view reveals whether citation behaviour is improving, declining, or stable over time. Rising rates suggest AI platforms are finding more citable content about your brand.
What should I do next?
Citation patterns guide content and SEO strategy:
| Pattern | Action |
| High citation rate, all platforms | AI platforms trust your content. Maintain quality sources. |
| Low citation rate overall | AI mentions you but doesn't link. Strengthen authoritative content. |
| High on Perplexity, low elsewhere | This is typical—Perplexity cites frequently by design. |
| High at Awareness, low at Decision | Decision-stage content lacks authoritative sources. |
| Citation rate declining | Content freshness or authority may be degrading. |
| High avg citations (2+) | AI provides multiple sources—strong trust signal. |
Using the filters
Date range
The date range determines both the data period and the chart display mode:
| Option | Display mode | Best for |
| Yesterday | Platform breakdown (columns) | Current citation behaviour by platform and phase |
| 7 Days | Trend (lines) | Recent citation changes |
| 30 Days | Trend (lines) | Trend analysis (default) |
| 90 Days | Trend (lines) | Quarterly citation patterns |
| 180 Days | Trend (lines) | Long-term citation tracking |
Platform
Filter to a specific AI platform to analyse citation behaviour on that system. Perplexity shows higher citation rates by design. ChatGPT and Claude rarely include citations in standard responses.
Phase filter
Focus on a single customer journey phase. Decision-phase citations carry more weight—they represent AI platforms backing purchase recommendations with sources.
Chart settings
Click the settings icon (⚙) to open the Chart Settings modal.
Group your brands
When enabled (default), citation rate is measured across all your configured brands combined. This shows overall citation behaviour for your brand portfolio.
When disabled, select specific brands to analyse. This helps identify whether citation rates differ between your product lines or sub-brands.
Brand selection
When grouping is disabled, select up to 12 brands to include in the analysis. Only citations for selected brands are measured.
Session only: Brand selections reset when you leave the page.
Interactive features
• Hover over any column or point to see exact percentages and averages
• Click legend items to show or hide specific phases or platforms
• Export via the menu icon (⋮) to download as PNG, JPEG, or SVG
Troubleshooting
No citation data available
Citation tracking requires your brand to be mentioned in AI responses.
• Expand the date range to capture more data
• Select "All" for platform and phase filters
• Verify brands are configured in AI Visibility Settings
• Check visibility metrics—citations require mentions first
Citation rate shows 0%
A 0% citation rate means AI platforms mentioned your brand but didn't include source links.
• This is typical for ChatGPT and Claude
• Perplexity and web variants typically show higher rates
• 0% doesn't indicate a content problem—focus on visibility and sentiment
Chart shows columns instead of lines
The chart has two display modes based on date range:
• Yesterday: Stacked columns showing platform/phase breakdown plus avg citations line
• 7+ days: Line chart showing citation rate trends over time
This is expected behaviour. Select 7 Days or longer to see the trend chart.
FAQ
What counts as a citation?
A citation is a source link that AI platforms include when mentioning your brand. This includes URLs to websites, articles, documentation, reviews, or any external reference the AI provides as supporting evidence.
Why do citation rates differ dramatically by platform?
Each AI platform has different citation behaviour. Perplexity is designed to cite sources and typically shows 50%+ citation rates. ChatGPT and Claude rarely include citations in their base responses. Compare trends within platforms rather than across them.
What's the difference between citation rate and avg citations?
Citation rate measures how often citations occur (percentage of mentions with at least one citation). Avg citations measures the total number of links divided by total mentions. A platform with 50% citation rate providing 3 links each time would show avg citations of 1.5.
How often does data update?
Data updates daily. Exact timing depends on account configuration.
Does higher citation rate mean better content?
Not necessarily—citation rates depend heavily on platform behaviour. Perplexity cites everything; ChatGPT cites almost nothing. Focus on trends within each platform rather than absolute rates.
Why does the spline line matter?
The spline shows average citations per recommendation. When AI platforms do cite, more citations indicate stronger source support. An avg of 3+ suggests AI found multiple authoritative sources about your brand.
Getting help
Contact support for data issues or unexpected patterns