A citation source is a normalized HTTP or HTTPS URL exposed alongside an AI-generated answer — through provider grounding, citation metadata, or a listed source set. Sources are recorded independently of brand mentions: an answer can cite a page without naming the brand, and can name a brand without citing anything.
In plain terms
The product prefers resolved source-preview URLs and drops opaque redirects that cannot be mapped to a usable cited page.
A source may be the monitored site, a competitor, a publisher, a community thread, or another third party.
Recurring sources show which pages appear beside monitored answers; they do not by themselves prove causal influence over every claim in those answers.
Why it matters
Source data identifies URLs repeatedly exposed with the monitored answers and provides evidence for content, partnership, or distribution research.
A high citation count is descriptive evidence, not proof that the source caused a brand's ranking, sentiment, or share of voice.