> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.anymorph.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Citation

> See what sources AI answers cite, and find which ones you still need to win

AI engines lean on cited sources when they write an answer. Citation shows what those sources are, whether they belong to you or someone else, and where competitors are earning citations that you are not.

If [AI Visibility](/dashboard/visibility) tells you "how often we're mentioned," Citation tells you **"why we're mentioned that way."**

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/opactor/images/dashboard/citation-overview.png" alt="Citation overview" />
</Frame>

## Tabs

| Tab     | Scope                                             |
| ------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| Overall | Citations at the web domain and page level        |
| Social  | Citations at the creator and social channel level |

Use the engine tabs and the period selector to narrow the scope further.

## Overview

Three cards summarize how your citations are composed.

| Card        | Shows                                      | How to read it                                                               |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Overall     | Your domain's share vs. competitor domains | A low owned share means AI is describing you using sources you don't control |
| Source type | What kind of sites get cited               | Decide where to focus: community, reviews, media, or official sites          |
| Page format | What format of page gets cited             | See which format works: comparisons, listicles, or guides                    |

<Tip>
  Source type and page format tell you what shape your next piece of content should take. If community citations dominate, [Off-Site](/dashboard/off-site) work will move faster than publishing more pages.
</Tip>

## Top cited sources

The domains and pages AI cites most often.

| Type              | Meaning                                 | Next action                                                                    |
| ----------------- | --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Owned domain      | Your page is used as evidence           | Keep it current, and reuse the winning format in [On-Site](/dashboard/on-site) |
| Competitor domain | A competitor's page is used as evidence | Build a comparison or alternative page that answers the same question          |
| Third-party       | Media, community, or review sites       | Track it as a target to win in [Off-Site](/dashboard/off-site)                 |

## Ours vs. competitors

Compares how often you and your competitors are cited, domain by domain. If a source only cites your competitor, that source already belongs to them.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/opactor/images/dashboard/citation-battleground.png" alt="Ours vs. competitors citation comparison" />
</Frame>

| Pattern                    | Meaning        | Response                                                          |
| -------------------------- | -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Only you are cited         | Secured source | Maintain                                                          |
| Both are cited             | Contested      | Check how current and specific your information is on that source |
| Only competitors are cited | Not secured    | Priority target                                                   |
| Neither is cited           | Unclaimed      | The whole category may not be cited from this source yet          |

## Acquisition targets

Automatically surfaces sources where competitors are getting citations but you are not. This is the highest-leverage list on this screen.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/opactor/images/dashboard/citation-acquisition.png" alt="Acquisition targets list" />
</Frame>

Targets here flow into the [Off-Site](/dashboard/off-site) execution queue.

## Social

The Social tab looks at citations by **creator** instead of domain. It shows when AI answers use a specific YouTuber, blogger, or community poster's content as evidence.

Social citation share varies a lot by category. In review-dependent verticals like beauty, appliances, and travel, check the Social tab first.

## Review routine

<Steps>
  <Step title="Check your owned share">
    Look at your domain's share in the Overall card. A low share means owned content isn't being picked up as evidence.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check the weak engine's source mix">
    In [AI Visibility](/dashboard/visibility), pick the engine with the lowest mention rate and see what it cites.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find secured competitor sources">
    List the domains in Ours vs. competitors where only competitors are cited.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Move to execution">
    Send the acquisition target list to [Off-Site](/dashboard/off-site) for execution.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Apply the winning format">
    Check which page format works and carry it into new [On-Site](/dashboard/on-site) pages.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Deciding between On-Site and Off-Site

| Citation composition                           | Bottleneck                          | Do first                                  |
| ---------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| Low owned share, lots of third-party citations | Not enough trusted external sources | Off-Site                                  |
| You're cited, but competitors are cited more   | Not enough content coverage         | On-Site                                   |
| Your pages are cited, but only old ones        | No fresh content                    | On-Site                                   |
| Almost nothing is cited on either side         | Possible site accessibility issue   | [Site Audit](/dashboard/site-audit) first |

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="There's no citation data">
    At least one analysis run needs to finish before this fills in. If you just onboarded, wait for the first run. A "preparing" message means the data is still being aggregated.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The numbers don't match the Citations card on AI Visibility">
    The AI Visibility citations card is a summary, and this page applies its own engine and period filters. Match the filters on both screens before comparing.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Our domain is cited but visibility is still low">
    This happens when a source cites you but the answer doesn't surface your brand name. Check that your brand and product names are stated clearly on the page.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The Social tab is empty">
    AI rarely cites social sources for this category. Focus on the Overall tab instead.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="AI Visibility" icon="eye" href="/dashboard/visibility">
    See how citation changes show up in mention rate.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Off-Site" icon="share-nodes" href="/dashboard/off-site">
    Go win the sources you're missing.
  </Card>

  <Card title="On-Site" icon="file-lines" href="/dashboard/on-site">
    Build pages in the formats that get cited.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Mentions" icon="comment-dots" href="/dashboard/mentions">
    See how a cited source actually gets used in a real answer.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>