Check what every cited page really says about you
An AI citation checker reads the pages and videos that AI engines such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini cite, then tells you what each one actually says. Proofsource fetches every cited page, finds the passage the answer used, judges whether the page supports or works against your brand, flags citations to pages that no longer exist, and keeps a dated screenshot of each as proof. Built for marketing, PR and SEO teams.
Passage used: "Otter remains the default pick for teams that want live transcripts, while Fireflies wins on integrations."
AI citation checker, in short
The facts, ready to quote.
- Reads
- Every page and YouTube video cited by up to 10 AI engines
- Passage
- Finds the part of the cited page the answer drew on
- Stance
- Each cited page marked as supporting, neutral or against your claim
- Dead citations
- Flags cited pages that return an error or no longer exist
- Blocked pages
- Falls back to a full browser render when a page is blocked or too thin to read
- Proof
- Dated full-page screenshots of cited pages are kept as evidence
- Not fetched
- A page that cannot be read is marked not fetched, never counted as a yes
- Threads
- Reddit posts and comments, and X account posts, can be searched and checked alongside cited pages.
AI citation checking, explained
AI answer engines list sources under their answers, but a source link alone tells you little. The cited page might praise you, name only your competitors, describe an old version of your product, or be gone entirely. AI citation checking means opening each cited page and reading it the way the engine did: what the page says, which passage the answer leaned on, and whether that passage helps or hurts the brand.
This matters because AI engines repeat what their sources say. If a cited review calls your product expensive, the answer often does too. If a cited best-of list leaves you out, the answer usually does as well. And when an engine keeps citing a page that now returns a 404, it is working from memory of a page that no longer exists, which is a gap you can fill with a live page of your own.
Proofsource reads every page and video your tracked answers cite. Its own crawler fetches each page and pulls out the main text; when a site blocks automated readers or returns a thin shell, it retries with a full browser render. Videos are read through their captions and metadata. Each cited page gets a stance for your category claim, the passage the answer used, and a dated screenshot, so every judgment can be checked by a person.
How it works
Reads every page and video AI answers cite, checks what it says about you, and keeps dated proof of each one.
Collect cited links
Every source listed under your tracked answers on every engine your plan covers is queued to be read.
Fetch and read each page
Proofsource's crawler fetches the page, handles bot walls, falls back to a full browser render when needed, and extracts the main text without menus and footers.
Read cited videos
For cited YouTube videos, Proofsource reads the captions and the title, channel, date and length, and notes where your brand is named.
Check what it says
It finds the passage the answer used, marks the page as supporting, neutral or against your claim, and flags pages that are gone.
Keep dated proof
A full-page screenshot of each cited page is stored with its date, so anyone can see what the page said when it was cited.
See it in the product
Screens from the Proofsource app, drawn with sample data for an example brand.
| Cited page | State | Cited by |
|---|---|---|
| techblog.io/otter-vs-driffle-2024 | Page gone (404) | ChatGPTClaude |
| notesreview.com/driffle | Redirects to home page | Perplexity |
| g2.com/products/driffle/reviews | Read, supports | ChatGPTPerplexity |
| fathom.video/compare/driffle | Read, against | Google AI Overviews |
| Cited video | Channel | Length | Driffle named |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best AI note takers 2026 | Tech Daily | 12:04 | At 02:14, positive |
| Otter vs Fireflies vs Fathom | Notes Lab | 15:40 | No |
| Driffle review after 3 months | Remote Work Weekly | 8:31 | Throughout, mixed |
| Notes and bots 2026 roundup | Stack Weekly | 10:12 | No |
r/productivity: "Best AI notetaker for Zoom?" 38 comments, Fathom named 9 times, Driffle 4 times.
Every capability, live today
9 shipped capabilities behind AI citation checker, each in the product now.
Ghost citation detection
Flags cited pages that are gone, error out or redirect away, so you know when engines are citing something that no longer exists.
Citation verification
Checks a cited page on request and records what it really says, so a citation is confirmed rather than assumed.
Cited passage audit
Finds the part of each cited page that the answer drew on, so you see the exact words the engine leaned on.
Citation stance
Marks each cited page as supporting your category claim, neutral, or against it.
Cited page reader
Reads each cited page with Proofsource's own crawler, probing first and handling bot walls politely, then retries with a full browser render when a page is blocked or too thin. It keeps the main text and leaves out menus and footers.
Cited video reader
Reads the captions of a cited video, trying more than one route so a transcript is found whenever one exists, and shows its title, channel, date, length and where your brand is named.
Proof archive
Keeps dated full-page screenshots of cited pages, so you can show what a page said when it was cited.
Page capture and brand kit
Captures proof screenshots of pages and reads a brand's logo, colors and fonts from its site.
Reddit and X search
Searches Reddit posts and comments and reads X account posts, so community discussion behind answers can be checked.
Who it is for
Know which articles work against you
See the cited articles marked against your claim, read the passage the engine used, and decide whether to correct, respond or pitch a better source.
Replace dead citations
When engines keep citing a comparison page that now returns a 404, publish a current page that answers the same question and can take its place.
Find the videos that shape answers
See which YouTube videos AI cites in your category, whether they name you, and where in the video you come up.
Keep evidence of what was said
Dated screenshots of cited pages give you a record when a page changes or a claim needs to be disputed.
Why it matters
See the words AI repeats
The passage behind a citation explains why an answer says what it says about you.
Catch citations to nothing
Dead and redirected citations are open slots that a live page of yours can fill.
Never a false yes
A page that cannot be read is marked not fetched, never counted as a mention.
Proof that lasts
Dated screenshots keep a record of each cited page even after it changes.
Google AI OverviewsGoogle AI Mode
AI citation checker: Proofsource and other tools
Several AI visibility tools look beyond the citation link to the page itself. This table lists what each one's public pages describe.
| Capability | Proofsource | Profound | Peec AI | Semrush | Ahrefs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What cited pages say about you | YesReads every cited page, finds the passage used and whether you are named | RelatedClassifies how AI describes the brand, with source reasonsSource | RelatedBrand perception with claim fact-checkingSource | RelatedNarrative Drivers: cited pages with sentimentSource | Not listed |
| Stance of each cited page | YesSupports, neutral or against your category claim | Not listed | Not listed | RelatedCited pages with sentimentSource | Not listed |
| Dead or outdated citations | YesFlags cited pages that are gone, error out or redirect | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | RelatedPrebuilt skill for citation freshnessSource |
| Cited videos read | YesYouTube captions, title, channel, date and length for every cited video | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | YesThumbnails, titles, descriptions and transcripts as offsite sourceSource |
| Dated screenshots of cited pages | YesFull-page screenshot of each cited page, kept with its date | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Which pages AI cites | YesEvery cited page with its engines, how often it is cited and whether you are on it | YesShows which websites are cited in AI answers; citation authority trackingSource | YesDomains and URLs AI cites: G2, Reddit, news, editorialSource | YesReports list top cited domains and pages, usable as outreach targetsSource | YesWhich URLs AI cites when it mentions tracked brandsSource |
| Cited lists that leave you out | YesFlags lists cited in many answers that do not mention you, as pitch targets | Not listed | Not listed | YesMissing filter shows prompts and source domains where competitors appear and you do notSource | RelatedFind sources AI tends to citeSource |
| Reddit and community threads behind answers | YesSearches Reddit posts and comments and reads X account posts | Not listed | RelatedBrand and competitor YouTube, Reddit, LinkedIn, TikTok in AI searchSource | Not listed | RelatedReddit results in Google, with titles, descriptions and subreddit snippetsSource |
Where each of them shines
Profound explains sentiment with the source reasons behind it, across a wide engine panel. Compare in full
Peec AI brings brand perception, objection grouping and claim fact-checking together in one view. Compare in full
Semrush links cited pages to sentiment and the prompts that shape the brand story. Compare in full
Ahrefs treats YouTube and TikTok as real offsite sources, with transcripts in the mix. Compare in full
Questions about AI citation checker
What does an AI citation checker do?
It opens the pages and videos an AI answer cites and reads them. Proofsource records what each cited page says, which passage the answer used, whether it names you, whether it supports or works against your claim, and whether the page still exists.
Which engines does it work with?
Proofsource reads the sources cited by every engine your plan covers, up to 10: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Grok, DeepSeek and Meta AI. The free scan runs four of them.
What is a ghost citation?
A ghost citation is a source an AI engine still cites that has since been removed, returns an error or redirects elsewhere. The engine is relying on a page that no longer says anything, so a current page of yours that answers the same question has a good chance to replace it.
What happens when a cited page blocks automated readers?
Proofsource first fetches the page with its own crawler. If the page is blocked or returns too little text, it retries with a full browser render. If the page still cannot be read, it is marked not fetched and never counted as a mention.
What does citation stance mean?
Stance says whether a cited page supports your category claim, is neutral, or argues against it. A list that recommends a competitor for your main use case would be marked against.
Can it read YouTube videos that AI cites?
Yes. For cited YouTube links, Proofsource reads the captions and shows the title, channel, date and length, along with where in the video your brand is named.
Why keep screenshots of cited pages?
Pages change. A dated full-page screenshot shows exactly what a page said when an engine cited it, which helps when you dispute a claim or report on progress.
How is this different from Semrush or Ahrefs citation reports?
Semrush links cited pages to sentiment and Ahrefs reads videos as offsite sources, and both are strong. Proofsource reads every cited page in full, records the passage the answer used and its stance, flags dead citations, and keeps a dated screenshot of each page as proof.
Keep exploring
Try it on your own brand.
Proofsource is live: scan your brand and see AI citation checker at work with your own answers, competitors and sources.
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