The sources AI cites grouped the way you think about them
AI engines cite review sites, forums, news, competitors and your own pages. The Citations tab lists the most cited sites for your buyer questions with share, category, co-citation rate and your own tags, charts citation share by source type, and shows which sources are cited alongside you. You set the type rules. For PR, content and SEO teams deciding where to get listed.
| Site | Share | Type | Co-cited with you | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| g2.com | 14% | Review site | 31% | Outreach |
| reddit.com | 11% | Forum | 18% | |
| otter.ai | 8% | Competitor | 9% | |
| driffle.ai | 6% | Your site | 100% | |
| techcrunch.com | 4% | News | 22% | PR |
Cited sources by type, in short
The facts, ready to quote.
- Per site
- Share of citations, category, co-citation rate and source tags
- Source types
- Citation categories you edit, with subpath rules and overrides
- Chart
- Citation share by source type
- Alongside you
- Sources cited together with your brand
- Tags
- Add your own tags to sources, such as outreach target or partner
- Export
- Download citation categories as CSV; search, page and export each table
AI citation source types, explained
When an AI engine answers a buyer question, it often shows the sources it used. Those citations fall into types: review and comparison sites, community forums like Reddit, news and analyst coverage, video, competitors' own pages, and your own site. Each type calls for a different action: earn a listing, join a conversation, pitch a journalist, or fix your own page.
Looking at sources one domain at a time makes it hard to see the pattern. Grouping by type answers the strategic question: is AI in your category mostly reading reviews, forums or vendor pages? A category where 40% of citations go to review sites needs a different plan from one dominated by Reddit.
Proofsource lists the most cited sites with their share, category, co-citation rate and tags, and charts citation share by type. You can edit the source types in Settings, including rules that place a subpath such as a site's blog under a different type, and add your own tags. The Cited alongside you table shows which sources tend to appear in the same answers as your brand.
How it works
See the sites AI cites for your buyer questions, grouped into source types you control, tagged, and paired with the sources cited alongside you.
Collect citations
Proofsource stores the sources cited in every tracked answer.
Group by type
Sites are grouped into source types; edit the rules in Settings.
See the share
A chart shows citation share by type for your questions.
See who sits beside you
Cited alongside you lists sources that appear with your brand.
Act and export
Tag outreach targets, copy or visit domains, and export to CSV.
See it in the product
Screens from the Proofsource app, drawn with sample data for an example brand.
Edit source types in Settings
| Type | Rule | Include subpaths |
|---|---|---|
| Review site | g2.com, capterra.com | Yes |
| News | techcrunch.com | Yes |
| Forum | reddit.com/r/sales | Yes |
| Your site | driffle.ai/blog overrides Blog | No |
Every capability, live today
9 shipped capabilities behind cited sources by type, each in the product now.
Citations tab
Most cited sites with share, category, co-citation rate and source tags.
Source share by type
A chart of citation share by source type, with a link to edit types.
Source types
Citation categories with include-subpath rules and category overrides.
Source tags
Add your own tags to sources.
Cited alongside you
Sources cited together with your brand.
Domain search and actions
Search a domain, copy or visit it, and page through rows.
Citations CSV download
Download citation categories as CSV.
Per-table search and export
Each table has its own search, CSV export and page size, with totals.
Cited PDFs and videos
Proofsource reads the PDFs and videos AI cites, so they count as sources you can learn from.
Who it is for
Pick the publications that matter
See which news sites AI cites for your category and pitch those first.
Prioritize review sites and forums
If review sites hold a third of citations, get your listings right.
Map citations to your own pages
Track your site's share and which pages earn citations.
Why it matters
See the pattern
Source types show where AI looks, not just individual domains.
Your categories
Edit types and subpath rules so the grouping matches your market.
Know your neighbors
Co-citation shows which sources travel with your brand.
Easy to share
Search, page and export any table.
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Cited sources by type: Proofsource and other tools
Citation tracking is core to every AI visibility tool. Grouping and tagging sources varies; here is what each lists.
| Capability | Proofsource | SE Ranking | Peec AI | Otterly.AI | Ahrefs | Writesonic | Profound |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most cited sites | YesShare, category, co-citation rate and tags | YesDomains and URLs cited in AI answers with coverage and answer countsSource | YesDomains and URLs AI cites: G2, Reddit, news, editorialSource | YesDomains and URLs cited in AI answers, checked daily, position changesSource | YesWhich domains AI cites when it mentions tracked brandsSource | YesTotal pages cited, your pages cited, third-party pagesSource | YesShows which websites are cited in AI answers; citation authority trackingSource |
| Source types | YesEditable types with subpath rules | YesSources typed as media, blogs, forums, socials, communitySource | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Sources cited alongside you | YesCo-citation table | Not listed | YesDomains and URLs cited next to your brand mentionsSource | Not listed | YesDomains AI cites when it mentions tracked brandsSource | YesThird-party pages mentioning youSource | Not listed |
| CSV export | YesPer table, with search and page size | YesCopy table to clipboard; download CSVSource | YesOn all plansSource | YesExport for stakeholder reportsSource | YesExport data across Brand Radar; formats not statedSource | Not listed | YesCSV and JSON exports on EnterpriseSource |
| Cited videos and PDFs | YesReads the PDFs and videos AI cites, so they count as sources | Not listed | RelatedBrand and competitor YouTube, Reddit, LinkedIn, TikTok in AI searchSource | Not listed | RelatedThumbnails, titles, descriptions and transcripts as offsite sourceSource | Not listed | Not listed |
| Filter citation tables | YesEach table has its own search and page size | Not listed | YesFilter domain and URL tables by brand mentionsSource | Not listed | RelatedStackable filters, past-date view, sort by relevance or search volumeSource | Not listed | Not listed |
| Your own tags on sources | YesAdd tags such as outreach target or partner | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
Where each of them shines
SE Ranking types sources into media, blogs, forums, socials and community, with outreach metrics.
Peec filters domain and URL tables by brand mentions for quick outreach lists. Compare in full
Otterly checks cited domains daily and highlights top winners and losers. Compare in full
Ahrefs pairs Cited Domains and Cited Pages reports with citation discovery and branded keyword data. Compare in full
Writesonic surfaces citation opportunities with domain authority and missed answers.
Profound adds citation authority tracking and a benchmark network of millions of pages. Compare in full
Questions about cited sources by type
Which engines' citations are included?
Citations from every engine your plan covers, up to 10 AI engines, on your tracked buyer questions.
What is a co-citation rate?
How often a site is cited in the same answers that name your brand. A high rate means the site tends to travel with you.
Can I change how sites are categorized?
Yes. Edit source types in Settings, add rules that include subpaths, and override a category for a specific path.
What are source tags for?
Your own labels, such as outreach target, partner or press. Use them to filter and plan work.
Can I export citations?
Yes. Download citation categories as CSV, and search, page and export each table.
How is this different from backlink tools?
Backlink tools show who links to you. This shows which sites AI engines cite when answering your buyers, whether or not they link to you.
Keep exploring
Try it on your own brand.
Proofsource is live: scan your brand and see cited sources by type at work with your own answers, competitors and sources.
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