> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.attensira.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Citations

> Learn how Citations measure when AI platforms reference your content as a source. Understand what drives citations and strategies to get your pages cited more often.

**Citations measure how often your pages are cited as sources by AI models.** When AI references your content, it signals trust and authority — and drives awareness of your brand.

## How Citations work

When users ask AI platforms questions, the AI often cites sources to back up its recommendations. These citations are links to pages that AI considers authoritative and relevant.

```
User: "What's the best CRM for small agencies?"

AI Response: "For small agencies, I'd recommend considering these options...
[Your comparison page is cited as a source]"
```

Attensira tracks which of your pages get cited, how often, and in what context.

### What drives citations

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Content depth and quality" icon="file-lines">
    AI cites pages that comprehensively answer questions. Thin content rarely gets cited. Detailed, well-structured pages earn more citations.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Relevance to queries" icon="crosshairs">
    Citations happen when your page directly addresses what the user asked. The more closely your content matches user intent, the more citations.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Authority signals" icon="certificate">
    Pages from established domains with quality backlinks and positive references elsewhere are more likely to be cited.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Freshness" icon="clock">
    Recently updated content may be preferred over stale pages, especially for topics that change over time.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Citations vs. Brand Mentions

Important distinction:

| Type              | Definition                        | Example                            |
| ----------------- | --------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
| **Citation**      | AI links to your page as a source | "\[Source: yoursite.com/features]" |
| **Brand mention** | AI talks about your brand         | "Acme CRM is a good option..."     |

You can have citations without mentions (AI cites your page but doesn't recommend your brand) or mentions without citations (AI recommends you without linking to your site).

<Warning>
  Pages getting cited but not leading to brand mentions represent missed opportunities. Use the Sources view to identify and fix these.
</Warning>

## Improving your Citations

### Quick wins

1. **Audit your most-cited pages** — Understand what's working
2. **Improve uncited pages** — Add depth and relevance
3. **Create citation-worthy content** — Guides, comparisons, data

### Strategic improvements

<Steps>
  <Step title="Identify citation gaps">
    Use Page Details to find pages that should be cited but aren't.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Analyze competing sources">
    See what sources AI cites instead of you. What do they have that you don't?
  </Step>

  <Step title="Improve content depth">
    Add comprehensive details, examples, and data to thin pages.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Optimize structure">
    Use clear headings, lists, and tables that AI can parse and reference.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Monitor results">
    Track citation changes over 2-4 weeks after improvements.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Citations by platform

Different AI platforms cite your content differently based on their architecture and data sources:

| Platform                                                                                                                                                                                                         | Citation behavior                                     | Notes                                                         |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| <span style={{display:'inline-flex',alignItems:'center',gap:'8px'}}><img src="https://registry.npmmirror.com/@lobehub/icons-static-png/latest/files/light/openai.png" width="20" />**ChatGPT**</span>            | Cites in browsing mode, inline references             | Citations appear when web browsing is enabled                 |
| <span style={{display:'inline-flex',alignItems:'center',gap:'8px'}}><img src="https://registry.npmmirror.com/@lobehub/icons-static-png/latest/files/light/claude.png" width="20" />**Claude**</span>             | References sources when using web search              | May cite from training data without explicit links            |
| <span style={{display:'inline-flex',alignItems:'center',gap:'8px'}}><img src="https://registry.npmmirror.com/@lobehub/icons-static-png/latest/files/light/perplexity.png" width="20" />**Perplexity**</span>     | Heavily citation-focused, sources shown prominently   | Most citation-forward platform, prioritize optimizing here    |
| <span style={{display:'inline-flex',alignItems:'center',gap:'8px'}}><img src="https://registry.npmmirror.com/@lobehub/icons-static-png/latest/files/light/gemini.png" width="20" />**Gemini**</span>             | Cites from Google's index, links to sources           | Benefits from strong SEO and structured data                  |
| <span style={{display:'inline-flex',alignItems:'center',gap:'8px'}}><img src="https://registry.npmmirror.com/@lobehub/icons-static-png/latest/files/light/grok.png" width="20" />**Grok**</span>                 | References X/Twitter posts and real-time sources      | Citations reflect trending and recent content                 |
| <span style={{display:'inline-flex',alignItems:'center',gap:'8px'}}><img src="https://registry.npmmirror.com/@lobehub/icons-static-png/latest/files/light/copilot.png" width="20" />**Copilot**</span>           | Cites from Bing index, inline source links            | Citations tied to Bing search results and Microsoft ecosystem |
| <span style={{display:'inline-flex',alignItems:'center',gap:'8px'}}><img src="https://registry.npmmirror.com/@lobehub/icons-static-png/latest/files/light/google.png" width="20" />**Google AI Mode**</span>     | Cites from Google Search index, links to source pages | Deep integration with Google Search results                   |
| <span style={{display:'inline-flex',alignItems:'center',gap:'8px'}}><img src="https://registry.npmmirror.com/@lobehub/icons-static-png/latest/files/light/google.png" width="20" />**Google AI Overview**</span> | Links to source pages from Google index               | Sources shown alongside overview summaries                    |

<Tip>
  Perplexity is the most citation-forward platform. If improving citations is a priority, optimize for Perplexity first — it shows sources prominently and users often click through to cited pages.
</Tip>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Share of Voice" icon="chart-pie" href="/metrics/share-of-voice">
    Understand your market share
  </Card>

  <Card title="Prompt Results" icon="file-lines" href="/optimization/prompt/results">
    Analyze prompt-level performance
  </Card>
</CardGroup>