What is the difference between mentions and citations?
How the Mentions page tracks brands and the sources AI cites.
Updated November 3, 2026
On the Mentions page you can switch between two views.
- A mention is when an AI answer names your brand in its text.
- A citation is when an AI answer links to a page on your domain as a source.
Both matter: mentions show that AI recommends you, and citations show that AI trusts your content as a source.
Useful views
- Mentions & citations trends show how both change over time.
- Performance by platform breaks down mentions, citations and average position by engine.
- Source position distribution lists the domains and URLs AI engines use when they recommend you or your competitors. These are the pages worth earning a place on. You can export this table.
For the full guide, see About Mentions.