Summary
Source Presence measures how often a specific source or domain appears in AI-generated responses over a given period.
Definition
Source Presence shows the frequency with which an external source is used by AI models when generating answers. It tracks the number of responses that include a particular domain, giving marketers visibility into how consistently that source shapes AI search outputs.
For example, if forbes.com appeared in 80 out of 200 responses during a given month, its Source Presence would be 40 percent. This metric helps identify influential publishers and domains that frequently appear in generative search results.
Source Presence can be measured across different types of sources, including both cited sources (listed at the end of an answer) and inline sources (linked directly in the text). Tracking this over time shows how the role of specific domains shifts as AI platforms evolve and adopt new content sources.
Use cases
Identify Influential Sources: Discover which domains most frequently appear in AI-generated results.
Content Strategy: Target publications with high Source Presence to improve your brand’s visibility in AI search.
PR Measurement: Track whether mentions in key sources translate into appearances in AI responses.
Competitive Insights: Compare which sources consistently influence responses mentioning your brand versus competitors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Source Presence change over time?
Yes. As AI models update and rely on new or different sources, Source Presence scores shift, showing how influence changes across domains.
Does Source Presence apply to all types of sources?
Yes. It can be tracked across both cited sources and inline sources, depending on how the AI platform references content.
Why is Source Presence important?
It highlights which sources most consistently influence AI-generated answers, helping marketers focus on the publishers that matter.
How is Source Presence calculated?
It is calculated by dividing the number of AI responses containing a specific domain by the total number of responses in a given period.