What is an AI Citation?
Last updated 2026-06-19
An AI citation is a source that an assistant points to when it answers a question. When the model cites your domain, you are not just mentioned. You are the evidence, which is the strongest position to hold in an AI answer.
Why citations are the prize
A mention is good. A citation is better. When the model cites your page, it is telling the user your content is the reason for the answer. That builds trust, drives the occasional click, and signals to the model that you are an authority worth repeating.
How to earn AI citations
- Publish original, specific, verifiable facts
- Be the clearest source for questions in your category
- Earn references on sites the model already trusts
- Make your content easy to crawl and quote