Outreach to the pages AI cites, with the follow-up done for you
Proofsource automates the slow parts of citation outreach. Approved pitches to the lists and pages AI cites send on time from your own mailbox, follow-ups are planned for day 3 and day 7, replies are drafted for you, and every list you pitched is re-read weekly to see if you were added. Live pages get social posts that publish at their scheduled time.
| List | Sent | Next | Weekly check |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 best AI meeting assistants | Oct 28 | Day 7 follow-up, Nov 4 | Not added yet |
| Otter alternatives for teams | Oct 21 | Replied | Driffle added |
| Top note takers for sales | Queued | Sends Nov 3, 3:00 PM | |
| Fireflies vs Fathom vs others | Oct 30 | Day 3 follow-up, Nov 2 | Not added yet |
AI citation outreach automation, in short
The facts, ready to quote.
- Sending
- Queued pitches send when due, from the team member's own mailbox.
- Follow-ups
- Follow-ups are drafted and day 3 and day 7 sequences are planned.
- Review first
- A review copy goes to approvers, who are nudged until they answer.
- Replies
- Replies are drafted, unanswered replies are nudged, and call briefs are written.
- Did it work?
- Every list you sent a note to is re-read each week.
- Distribution
- Social posts for a live page publish at their scheduled time, only once you turn them on.
AI citation outreach, explained
AI engines lean on a small set of third-party pages when they answer buyer questions: best-of lists, comparison articles, review roundups and community threads. If those pages name your competitors and not you, AI tends to repeat that. Citation outreach means contacting the people who run those pages and giving them a good reason to include you.
The work is simple but slow: find the right page, write a useful note, send it, follow up, answer replies and check later whether the page changed. Proofsource finds the lists AI cites that leave you out and drafts the note. Once a pitch is approved, sending, follow-ups, reply drafts and weekly re-checks of the list run on their own.
Agencies get the same loop across clients, with a review step before anything leaves a member's mailbox, an inbox that drafts replies and writes call briefs, a morning brief email, and recurring tasks written a week ahead. For pages you already have live, Proofsource drafts a post per social channel and publishes each at its time once you switch it on.
How it works
Pitches to the lists and pages AI cites go out on time with follow-ups, replies get drafted, and pitched lists are re-read weekly.
Find the pages AI cites
Lists and articles AI cites that name competitors but not you.
Draft and review the pitch
A note per editor; agencies send a review copy to approvers first.
Send on time
Approved pitches go out when due from your own mailbox.
Follow up for you
Day 3 and day 7 follow-ups are planned and drafted.
Handle replies
Replies are drafted, unanswered ones are nudged, and call briefs are written.
Check the list weekly
Each pitched list is re-read every week to see whether you were added.
See it in the product
Screens from the Proofsource app, drawn with sample data for an example brand.
Hi Sam, here is the pitch for Driffle before it goes out. The list is cited by ChatGPT and Perplexity for 'best meeting notes app for sales'. Approve or edit, and it sends from my mailbox with day 3 and day 7 follow-ups.
| From | About | State |
|---|---|---|
| Editor, techroundup.io | Happy to look at Driffle | Reply drafted |
| Editor, saasnotes.co | No reply for 3 days | Nudge drafted |
| Client call, Driffle | Thu 10:00 AM | Call brief written |
Nothing goes out until you turn a post on.
Every capability, live today
6 shipped capabilities behind AI citation outreach automation, each in the product now.
Outreach send
Sends queued pitches when due, drafts follow-ups and plans day 3 and day 7 sequences.
Pitch review
Sends a member's review copy from their own mailbox and nudges approvers.
Pitched list re-check
Every week, re-reads each list you sent a note to, to see if it changed.
Agency inbox and morning brief
Drafts replies, nudges on unanswered replies and writes call briefs. Each agency also gets a morning brief email.
Recurring tasks a week ahead
Recurring tasks in the Work tool are written a week ahead.
Scheduled distribution posts
Publishes each scheduled social post for a live page at its time.
Who it is for
Get onto the lists AI reads
Pitch the best-of lists AI cites and let follow-ups and weekly checks run without a spreadsheet.
Outreach across clients
Review copies, sequences and reply drafts for every client, from each member's own mailbox.
Start the day informed
A morning brief, drafted replies and call briefs before the first meeting.
Share live fixes
Turn on the drafted posts for a new page and they publish at the scheduled time.
Why it matters
Follow-ups never slip
Day 3 and day 7 sequences run on time.
Sent as you
Pitches come from your own mailbox, not a shared sender.
Reviewed first
Approvers see a review copy and nothing posts until you turn it on.
Outcome tracked
Pitched lists are re-read weekly, so you know which notes worked.
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AI citation outreach automation: Proofsource and other tools
Several AI visibility tools help you reach the sources AI cites. Here is what each describes on its own pages.
| Capability | Proofsource | AthenaHQ | Writesonic | SE Ranking | Semrush | Ahrefs | Scrunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outreach to the sources AI cites | YesPitches with review, sending from your mailbox, and day 3 and day 7 follow-ups. | YesCitation outreach targets the sources that shape AI recommendationsSource | YesDraft Email feature for citation outreach requestsSource | RelatedTraffic, Domain Trust and backlink checks to choose sources to contactSource | RelatedTop cited domains and pages, usable as outreach targetsSource | Not listed | Not listed |
| Weekly re-check of pitched lists | YesEach list you sent a note to is re-read every week. | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Scheduled social posts | YesA post per channel for a live page, published at its time once on. | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | YesSocial Media Manager (beta): plan and publish to LinkedIn, X, Instagram, FacebookSource | Not listed |
| Scheduled summary in your inbox | YesEach agency gets a morning brief email. | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | RelatedSchedule recurring report deliverySource | RelatedConnected add-on: bulk prompts, scheduled summaries, alerts, reports, dashboardsSource | RelatedScheduled reportsSource |
Where each of them shines
Citation outreach aimed at the sources that shape AI recommendations, alongside PR press kits.
Outreach email drafts built into its GEO workflow.
Source metrics such as traffic and Domain Trust to choose who to contact.
Cited domain and page reports that double as outreach target lists. Compare in full
A social media manager for planning and publishing posts, next to cited domains and pages reports. Compare in full
Scheduled reports and alerts on changes in rank, citations and AI bot behavior. Compare in full
Questions about AI citation outreach automation
Who sends the pitches?
Pitches send from the team member's own mailbox, once approved. Replies land in that mailbox, so the conversation stays with the person who sent it.
How do follow-ups work?
When a pitch is sent, Proofsource drafts follow-ups and plans a day 3 and a day 7 step. Each step sends when it is due.
Can a manager approve pitches first?
Yes. A review copy goes to approvers from the member's own mailbox, and approvers are nudged until they answer.
How do I know if a pitch worked?
Every list you sent a note to is re-read each week, so you see when you were added.
Which lists should I pitch?
The ones AI cites for your buyer questions in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Google AI Overviews and other engines (up to 10 in all) that name competitors but not you. List finder surfaces them daily.
Will Proofsource post on social media without asking?
No. It drafts a post per channel for a live page, and nothing goes out until you turn a post on. Then it publishes at its scheduled time.
What is in the agency morning brief?
A daily email for each agency summarizing what needs attention, alongside an inbox that drafts replies, nudges unanswered threads and writes call briefs.
Keep exploring
Try it on your own brand.
Proofsource is live: scan your brand and see AI citation outreach automation at work with your own answers, competitors and sources.
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