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Core concept · Citation & Visibility Measurement

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Definition

An attributed citation is a direct reference to a source URL or brand name within an AI-generated response — explicitly naming the source and often providing a link. Attributed citations are the most visible and trackable form of AI brand mention. Attributed citations are the gold standard of AI search visibility — the brand is not just mentioned but explicitly credited. Platforms like Perplexity show attributed citations as numbered footnotes; Google AI Overviews display source links. Tracking attributed citation rates across platforms provides the clearest measure of AI search performance.

Brand citation rate

Dark citation

Unlinked brand mention

AI traffic

Mention-to-citation ratio

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AI Search Visibility Assessment Context Map