RAG & Search
Citation rate
How often a source is mentioned as supporting evidence within a specified collection of AI answers.
Example
A publisher counts cited responses across a tracked query sample.
Why people use it
It helps publishers track how often their sources appear in AI responses.
What you'll hear
“What share of the answers cited us?”
What this means for you
Report the denominator, query set and observation period with the rate.
Can you control it?
No
No direct control. This describes a wider issue, concept or result rather than something you can simply switch on or off in a tool.
Common questions
- Does citation rate have one universal denominator?
- No. It may be calculated per response, query or another unit.
- Does being cited mean the source was represented correctly?
- No. The answer may misstate what the source says.
- Can the chosen questions change the rate?
- Yes. A different set of questions can produce a very different citation rate.