The definition
An AI citation is a link or attribution in a generated answer pointing at the source a claim came from. Grounding is the broader practice of tying generated text to retrievable sources rather than model memory.
Citation is distinct from mention. A response can name your business without citing you, and can cite your domain without recommending you.
Why the distinction matters
These are three different outcomes: mention (your name appears), recommendation (you are put forward as an option), and citation (your domain is the source). Collapsing them is the most common way an AI-visibility figure gets inflated, because mentions are far more frequent than recommendations.
A headline number should count recommendations, since that is what a buying question is actually asking for.
What earns a citation
Being specific and checkable. Generic advice is uncitable because it is available everywhere — there is no reason to attribute it to you rather than anyone else.
Check it yourself
Ask an assistant a buying question for your category and read the answer closely. Is your business mentioned, recommended, or cited as a source? They are three different outcomes.
Do it three times. If the answer differs between runs, you have just observed why one screenshot proves nothing.
See where you actually stand
A free Visibility Check runs twelve real buying questions for your category across three surfaces.
Get my free Visibility Check