# Citation

> A citation is an AI answer's reference to a specific source (URL). It requires that the page was found, a passage was extracted and that passage was used for the answer.

Source: https://www.codaai.ai/en/knowledge/geo-glossary/citation/
Published: 2026-09-03
May be quoted with attribution and a link to the source.

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A citation is the reference to a source in an AI answer, as a link, footnote or source card pointing to a specific URL. It is the result of the entire selection chain: the page was found in the [initial retrieval](https://www.codaai.ai/en/knowledge/geo-glossary/initial-retrieval/), a passage passed the [re-ranking](https://www.codaai.ai/en/knowledge/geo-glossary/re-ranking/), the [grounding snippet](https://www.codaai.ai/en/knowledge/geo-glossary/grounding-snippets/) was used for the answer, and the model marked it as evidence.

## How does a citation arise?

The model synthesises the answer from several snippets. A source is cited when its snippet carries a statement that appears in the answer: a figure, a definition, a recommendation. Snippets that merely repeat what other sources also say go into the answer without being cited. What is citable is therefore what contributes something of its own ([information gain](https://www.codaai.ai/en/knowledge/geo-glossary/information-gain/)).

## Why do citations matter for AI visibility?

Citations are the proof that your content shapes the answer. They arise almost exclusively through grounding, that is, through your own website, unlike [mentions](https://www.codaai.ai/en/knowledge/geo-glossary/mention/), which mostly arise through third-party sites and model knowledge. But: cited is not visible. A citation rarely brings notable traffic ([zero-click](https://www.codaai.ai/en/knowledge/geo-glossary/zero-click/)), and a source far down in an expanded list has hardly any presence. The value lies in the role as evidence and in the authority that builds from it over time.

## What does this mean for your website?

Provide passages that carry a statement nobody else provides: your own data, concrete figures from experience, clear definitions with numbers. Structure them so that they work as a snippet. Measure the [citation rate](https://www.codaai.ai/en/knowledge/geo-glossary/citation-rate/) with your prompt set and evaluate which third-party sites are cited frequently in your topic area. You need to be present there as well ([source analysis](https://www.codaai.ai/en/knowledge/geo-glossary/source-analysis/)).