What is citation gap?
A citation gap is a buyer prompt where AI answers cite competitors, or other sources, and do not cite you. It can also mean your brand is missing while rivals are named. A gap is specific to a prompt and an engine. It is not a single site-wide score.
Why it matters for AI visibility
Gaps are how AI visibility becomes a to-do list. A total citation rate can look acceptable while the prompts closest to a purchase never cite you. Finding those prompts matters more than lifting an average. For each gap, record the prompt, the engine, who was named, and the URLs that were cited. Read those URLs. The fix depends on what they are. If they are reviews that omit you, the work is earned coverage. If they are pages that answer a sub-question you never wrote, the work is on your site. If the answer is unstable, collect more runs before you brief anyone. A gap is evidence of absence in the checks you ran, not a permanent exclusion. Close it by changing the sources or the page, then repeat the same prompt. Kollavo’s citation gap audit is built to surface this kind of prompt. The audit is a starting list, and the live answer is still the record.
Example
The prompt “best warehouse software for a regional grocer” cites two rivals and a trade roundup. Your brand is neither named nor linked. That prompt is a citation gap. A different prompt, about a feature only you document, cites your docs. The site is not “invisible.” One prompt is a gap and another is not.
Related terms
An AI citation is what is missing on your side of the gap. Citation share falls when gaps are common across the set. Prompt tracking is how you notice a gap persisting rather than appearing once. Work prompt by prompt.