Sources are the foundation of AI optimization. While you can’t directly influence AI responses or training data, you can influence the sources AI models reference.
Navigate to Sources in your sidebar to analyze which websites and URLs drive your visibility.
Why sources matter
Optimizing sources gives you the most control over your AI visibility. Sources are all URLs AI models access during response generation, while citations are sources explicitly referenced in the response text. Both contribute to AI responses. You have full control over your own website content and can influence external sources through PR, partnerships, and community engagement. When AI models reference sources where you have a stronger presence, your visibility increases.Important limitation: AI models only see HTML content. They can’t read behind paywalls or load JavaScript-dependent content.
Source Domains
In Sources page, click on Domains tab to see Source Usage by Domain. You’ll see:- Source Usage by Domain graph: Shows trends over time for the top 5 domains. Hover over the chart to see which domain each line represents and track how source usage changes over your selected timeframe.
- Sources Type chart: Displays the number of citations by domain category (Editorial, Corporate, UGC, etc.). This helps you understand what types of sources dominate in your industry and where you should focus optimization efforts.
- Source: The domain name of the website.
- Domain Type: Shows “You” for your domains, “Competitor” for tracked competitor domains, or automatic classification (Editorial, Corporate, UGC, Reference, Institutional, Other).
- Click on All Domain Types to narrow your analysis to any of the domain types. You can select just one or multiple.
- Used: Percentage of responses where this domain contributed to AI answers in the last 7 days (or any other time period you have selected).
- Avg. Citations: Average number of times the domain was explicitly cited when used (in your selected time period).
Source Domain Types
Source Type provides a high-level categorization of the entire domain or website. This helps you understand the general nature of the source at a glance.| Class | Description |
|---|---|
| CORPORATE | Official company websites and corporate pages |
| EDITORIAL | News sites, blogs, online magazines, and other publications |
| INSTITUTIONAL | Government, educational, and non-profit organization websites |
| UGC | User-Generated Content from social media, forums, and communities |
| REFERENCE | Encyclopedias, documentation, and other reference materials |
| COMPETITOR | Websites and content from direct competitors |
| OTHER | Miscellaneous or uncategorized sources |
Source URLs
In the URLs view, you can identify specific pages that consistently influence AI responses and discover content formats that perform best in your industry:- Source Usage by URLs graph: Shows trends over time for the top 5 URLs, helping you track which specific pages gain or lose influence with AI models.
- Sources Type chart: A category breakdown covering website page types, such as Article, Comparison, Listicle, Product Page, and others.
- URL: The exact webpage used as a source.
- URL Type: Automatic classification of the specific page type (Homepage, Article, Listicle, Comparison, Profile, etc.).
- Mentions: Which brands were mentioned on this specific URL.
- Used Total: Total number of times this URL was used as a source.
- Avg. Citations: Average number of times the URL was explicitly cited when used (in your selected time period).
- Updated: The latest time we fetched content from this URL.
- Details: Click to see what AI models can actually read from this page.
Source URL Types
URL Type offers a more granular classification, identifying the specific kind of content on a given page. This allows for a deeper analysis of the context in which your brand is mentioned.| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| HOMEPAGE | The main entry page of a website |
| CATEGORY PAGE | A page that lists products, articles, or subcategories |
| PRODUCT PAGE | A page detailing a single product or service |
| LISTICLE | An article structured as a list (e.g., “Top 10 Laptops of 2024”) |
| COMPARISON | An article or page that directly compares two or more products or services |
| PROFILE | A directory-style entry for a company, person, or product (e.g. G2, Yelp, Crunchbase) |
| ALTERNATIVE | An article focused on alternatives to a specific product or service (e.g., “Best HubSpot Alternatives”) |
| DISCUSSION | Content from discussion forums, comment sections, or community threads |
| HOW TO GUIDE | Instructional content with step-by-step guidance on completing a specific task |
| ARTICLE | General articles, news pieces, features, and other editorial content |
| OTHER | Any page type that does not fit into the categories above |
Source Metrics
The key metrics for Sources are “Used” and “Avg Citations”. They both give you an idea how relevant a source is for LLMs but differ in their influence.Used
The “Used” metric measures the percentage of chats where content from one or more URLs from a specific domain contributed to the AI answer, even without a direct citation.This metric reveals when your content shapes AI responses behind the scenes, demonstrating your content’s authority and influence even when not explicitly referenced.
- How authoritative your content is perceived to be.
- Whether AI models trust your content as a reliable source.
- Your content’s influence on AI-generated knowledge.
- Enhance the depth and accuracy of AI-generated information.
- Contribute unique perspectives or data that shape the final response.
- Increase your content’s visibility and authority within the broader ecosystem of referenced materials.
- Identify which content is most influential
- Understand your content’s market position
- Track improvements in content authority over time
Avg Citations
Average Citations measures the average number of times a specific source is explicitly cited within AI responses over the last 7 days. This metric indicates how often AI models find your content relevant enough to reference multiple times when your content is used.Multiple citations in a single response indicate that AI models find your content highly relevant and trustworthy for the topic being discussed.
- How authoritative your content is perceived to be
- Whether AI models trust your content as a reliable source
- Your content’s ability to serve as a comprehensive reference
- Your content covers topics comprehensively
- AI models find your content relevant for multiple aspects of a topic
- Strong content depth and breadth
- Identify which content is most influential
- Understand your content’s market position
- Track improvements in content authority over time
Gap Analyis
Gap Analysis shows sources and URls where your competitors are mentioned but your brand is not, helping you discover content gaps and partnership opportunities you might otherwise miss. How to prioritize opportunities:- Start with high Gap Scores: Focus on sources that are both frequently used and mention multiple competitors.
- Check URL details: Click Details to see what content AI models can actually read from each page.
- Action by domain type: Editorial sites might require PR outreach, while UGC platforms might allow direct community engagement.
How to use Source insights
Different source types require different optimization approaches, and gap analysis helps you prioritize where to focus first. Find the Gap Analysis toggle in your Sources page — either on a domain or URL level. Use high Gap Scores to prioritize sources that frequently mention competitors but not you. These represent your biggest immediate opportunities for visibility improvement. Quick strategies by source type:- Editorial: Focus on digital PR and journalist outreach.
- Corporate: Explore partnerships and directory listings.
- UGC: Engage authentically in communities or work with influencers.
- Reference: Update incomplete information through proper channels.
- Your own website: Optimize content structure and ensure AI readability.
For detailed tactics and implementation strategies, see our complete Sources guide.