Citations (Frequency)

Definition

Citations frequency shows how many times a page or source was cited in AI responses.

Each citation adds 1 to the count for that specific URL or domain.

What it means

Citations frequency tells you which pages or sources your AI relies on most when answering users.

Higher frequency means the AI is repeatedly using that page or source as evidence. Lower frequency means the AI rarely needs that page, or your users are not asking questions that require it.

How it is counted

The metric is a simple count of responses that cite a page or source.

• When an AI response includes a citation to a URL, that URL's frequency goes up by 1.

• If the same response cites multiple URLs, each cited URL gets its own +1.

• If the same URL appears in multiple responses, every response that cites it contributes another +1.

The result is a total number of responses that referenced each page or source within the time window.

How to interpret it

Use citations frequency to answer questions like:

• Which pages are most important as sources for AI answers?

• Are key pages (such as docs, pricing, or policies) actually being used by the AI?

• Do certain domains or sections of your site dominate the AI's reasoning?

In general:

• High frequency suggests a page is central to many answers, often because it is clear, relevant, and frequently needed.

• Low frequency suggests a page is rarely needed, hard for users to reach through their questions, or less relevant to current conversations.

Tips

Use these tips to get more value from citations frequency:

• Spot your true "source of truth" pages
  Pages with consistently high frequency are your real reference points. Keep these accurate, up to date, and easy to understand.

• Look for important pages with low frequency
  If a page is strategically important but rarely cited, review whether the content is discoverable, clear, and aligned with how users ask questions. You may also want to review how you use sources in your setup.

• Track changes week over week
  Compare the current 7-day pattern to previous weeks to see how updates, campaigns, or new launches influence which pages the AI cites.

• Pair with other metrics
  Combine citations frequency with engagement or satisfaction metrics to see whether heavily cited pages also lead to better answers.

• Use it to guide content planning
  When you see growing frequency around certain topics, invest in improving or expanding content in those areas to support more accurate AI responses.

Related pages

• Metrics Overview
• Sources Overview
• Visibility
• Share of Voice
• Position