A source reference or link included in an AI-generated answer directing the reader to a supporting webpage.
An AI citation is a reference presented with an AI-generated response that points readers toward a source. It may appear as a link, a source marker or a supporting-source entry, depending on the product. Its useful role is helping a reader inspect where information may have come from.
A citation to a business’s website is different from a recommendation of that business. An answer might cite a guide while discussing the general topic, mention a company without linking to it or recommend an option using other sources. Record those situations separately when reviewing visibility.
Citation presence also differs from citation accuracy. The linked page may not support every nearby statement, or the answer may omit a condition. Likewise, a displayed link does not show that anyone clicked it or became a customer. Those are separate observations requiring their own evidence.
Takeaway: Check what your page is being cited for and whether the associated claim is accurate. Measure resulting visits and inquiries separately rather than assuming every citation brings high-intent traffic.
Example
An AI response cites a printing company’s paper-size guide while explaining document formats. That is a source reference to the guide, not necessarily advice to hire the company. If the answer misstates a measurement, the citation does not excuse the error.
What to check
Save the response, prompt, platform and date when documenting a citation. Record the actual destination URL and surrounding claim. Do not count a plain brand name as a linked citation.
For more detail, see Gao et al.: Enabling Large Language Models to Generate Text with Citations.