Summary
Share of sources measures the percentage of all sources in AI responses that come from a specific domain or website. It shows how much influence different sources have in shaping brand visibility and mentions.
Definition
Share of Sources is a metric that highlights which domains dominate as references in generative AI search. Unlike single-source tracking, this metric looks at the distribution of all sources cited or linked across responses and calculates the share belonging to each domain.
For example, if 200 total sources were used across responses in a month and 50 of them came from nytimes.com, then The New York Times would hold a 25 percent share of sources.
This measure helps marketers and brands understand not just where their mentions come from, but which publications or domains are most likely to shape AI-generated answers. It also highlights whether the content ecosystem is concentrated among a few dominant domains or spread more evenly across many sources.
Share of Sources can be tracked at both the domain level (e.g., forbes.com) and the page level (e.g., a specific article). It can also be split into cited sources (appearing at the bottom as references) and inline sources (embedded directly in the text).
Use cases
Identify Influential Domains: See which publishers or domains most often shape AI-generated answers in your category.
Content Strategy: Learn which sources you should target for PR or partnerships to influence AI search visibility.
Competitive Insights: Compare which sources most often drive mentions for your brand versus competitors.
Ecosystem Mapping: Understand whether AI responses in your industry rely on a narrow set of sources or a broad mix.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Share of Sources change over time?
Yes. As AI models update and pull from new or different sources, the share shifts, showing changes in influence across domains.
Why is Share of Sources important?
It shows which publishers or domains have the most influence on AI-generated answers, helping marketers understand where credibility and visibility come from.
What is the difference between Share of Sources and Source Presence?
Source Presence measures how often a domain appears in responses. Share of Sources looks at the relative percentage of sources a domain represents out of all sources.
How is Share of Sources calculated?
It is calculated by dividing the number of times a domain appears as a source by the total number of sources across all responses in a given period.