> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://wiki.platelunchcollective.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Prompted Citation

> A prompted citation is a brand mention that appears in an AI-generated response when the query directly asks about the brand — 'what does Plate Lunch Collect...

*Core concept* · *Citation & Visibility Measurement*

## Definition

A prompted citation is a brand mention that appears in an AI-generated response when the query directly asks about the brand — "what does Plate Lunch Collective do," "tell me about \[brand]" — as opposed to organic mentions that arise from category or topic queries.

## Why It Matters for AI Search

Prompted citations are a measure of AI awareness; organic citations are a measure of AI authority. A brand that appears when directly named but not when its category is queried has awareness without authority — it exists in the AI's knowledge but is not considered relevant enough to surface unprompted. The goal of [AI search optimization](https://www.platelunchcollective.com/services/ai-seo) is to increase organic citation frequency, not just prompted citation accuracy — moving from "AI knows about us when asked" to "AI mentions us when relevant."

## Related Terms

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Organic AI mention" href="/ai-search-glossary/organic-ai-mention" />

  <Card title="Unprompted citation" href="/ai-search-glossary/unprompted-citation" />

  <Card title="Brand citation rate" href="/ai-search-glossary/brand-citation-rate" />

  <Card title="Prompt visibility" href="/ai-search-glossary/prompt-visibility" />

  <Card title="Citation gap" href="/ai-search-glossary/citation-gap" />
</CardGroup>

## Relevant Plate Lunch Collective Services

[AI Search Visibility Assessment](https://www.platelunchcollective.com/services/context-map)  [Context Map](https://www.platelunchcollective.com/services/context-map)