What is AI citation?
An AI citation is a source an answer engine shows for a statement in its response, usually as a link or a named page. It is evidence the engine attached to the answer, not a guarantee the claim is correct. A brand mention with no source is not a citation.
Why it matters for AI visibility
Citations are how a reader, and a brand, can see which pages an assistant relied on. They matter more than a passing name because they show the evidence trail: a docs page, a review, a comparison, or a news article. Different engines cite differently. Some answers list several links, some cite one, and some name a brand with no link at all. A citation can also point to a page that mentions you, rather than to your own domain. Counting only your domain undercounts coverage that still influences the answer, and counting every mention as a citation overstates it. Log the engine, the prompt, the date, and the exact URL. Then decide whether that URL is yours, a partner’s, or an independent source.
Example
An answer recommends four CRMs and links to one magazine roundup. The roundup names your product. That is an AI citation of the magazine, and a brand mention of you inside the cited page. It is not an AI citation of your homepage unless the answer links to you as well.
Related terms
Citation share asks what portion of those links point to you. Grounding is the general idea of tying an answer to retrieved sources. Brand mentions in LLMs count names even when no link appears. Keep the three ideas apart in reports.