---
title: "Citation rate: definition and formula · Specoria"
description: "The share of AI answers that cite a page on your site as a source: answers that cite your domain divided by successful answers, on paid plans."
source_url: "https://specoria.com/glossary/citation-rate/"
lang: "en"
---

GLOSSARY Score model v2.6 · last reviewed October 8, 2026

# Citation rate: definition and formula

The share of AI answers that cite a page on your site as a source.

## Formula

`citation rate = answers that cite your domain ÷ successful answers`

## Example

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

## How to read it

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](https://specoria.com/glossary/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.

## What it does not tell you

- 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.

## What moves it

- 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](https://specoria.com/glossary/agent-purpose/)); the [Search and user agents allowed (robots.txt)](https://specoria.com/method/checks/bots-search/) check shows whether your robots.txt blocks AI search and user agents.

## Related terms

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

- [Mention rate](https://specoria.com/glossary/mention-rate/)
- [Share of voice](https://specoria.com/glossary/share-of-voice/)

[Run the free test →](https://specoria.com/#contact)[All terms in the glossary →](https://specoria.com/glossary/)