Citation rate: definition and formula

citation rate = answers that cite your domain ÷ successful answers

Same run, your site is cited in 3: 3 ÷ 22 = 14%.

An answer cites you when one of the sources the engine returned with it is on your domain, subdomains included. A link to your site written only in the answer text doesn’t count.

Mention and citation are separate: an answer can name you without citing your pages, or cite a page of yours without naming the brand (Mention rate).

Like the mention rate, it is computed over successful answers; failed calls are left out.

Your domain is matched on its registrable part, so shop.example.com and www.example.com both count as example.com.

• Pages about you on other sites: a marketplace listing or a review of your product is not your domain and doesn’t count.
• Answers without a source list: if an engine returns none, that answer can’t cite anyone.
• Which of your pages was cited: the rate doesn’t say, the sources stored with each answer do.
• Prominence: a citation counts the same wherever the source appears in the answer.
• One stable number: answers vary from run to run, and the rate depends on the questions.

• The stored sources show what engines cite in your place for each question, by type: marketplace, review, editorial, forum, social, reference, or a site not in our lists, often another store.
• AI search index bots build the index answer engines search (Agent purpose); the Search and user agents allowed (robots.txt) check shows whether your robots.txt blocks AI search and user agents.

AI visibility (paid plans): What we record when we ask AI answer engines shopping questions about your category.

• Mention rate
• Share of voice

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