When an AI model searches the web while answering, it can attach links to the pages it drew on. OpenAI’s API documentation for web search, for example, describes answers that include inline citations, each carrying the URL and title of the cited source, and a separate list of every source the model consulted, which is often longer than the list it cites.
A citation is different from a brand mention. An answer can cite your page without naming your brand in its text, or name you while citing only other websites. Both are worth tracking: citations show which pages an engine trusts in your category; mentions show whether buyers actually read your name.
Citations also tell you where the answer’s information comes from when you’re not in it. If the answers that leave you out keep citing the same review site or comparison article, that page is part of how the engine sees your category.
Bing Webmaster Tools added an AI Performance report in February 2026 that shows how often a site’s pages are cited in Microsoft’s AI experiences. See which websites ChatGPT cites.