Knowledge Base

This is the knowledge base for everyone using Outercite to track, understand, and improve how AI search engines cite their brand. Whether you are new to the concept or already running a multi-client agency, you will find step-by-step guides, plain-English explainers, and reference docs here.

What you'll learn

• What AI search citations are and why they matter for your business
• How to set up Outercite and read your first report
• How to scale tracking across multiple clients as an agency

What is this knowledge base?

AI search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI now answer questions directly. They do not show ten links. They show one answer. If your business is mentioned in that answer, you have a citation. If it is not, you are invisible.

This knowledge base helps you understand this new landscape and get the most out of the Outercite platform. Each article is written in plain English, grounded in real production data, and ends with a direct link into the product so you can act on what you have read.

Choose your track

The content is organised into three tracks. Pick the one that matches how you use Outercite.

Not sure where to start?

If you have never heard of AI search citations before, read What is Outercite? first. It takes about two minutes and gives you the mental model you need for everything else.

If you already understand the concept and want to get the platform running, jump straight to the quickstart for your account type: organisation quickstart or agency quickstart.

If you want to look something up, such as what a confidence score means or how the API works, head to the reference section.

What the data looks like

Outercite checks every prompt across all six major AI engines and verifies each citation with two independent models. The aggregate citation rate is 48%, and the platform tracks six AI engines: ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Google AI, Grok, and DeepSeek. Citation rates vary significantly by engine. Perplexity cites brands in 58% of checks. Google AI cites them in 38%. A brand that looks well-cited on one engine can be nearly absent on another. That spread is exactly why tracking all six matters.

Every citation in Outercite has passed through a two-model verification pipeline designed to keep false positives near zero. When Outercite says your brand was cited, you can trust it. When it says you were not cited, that is equally trustworthy data.

What is AEO?

AEO stands for answer engine optimisation. It is the practice of structuring your content so that AI engines are more likely to cite your brand in their answers. It is different from traditional SEO. A page can rank well on Google and still be ignored by AI engines, or it can be heavily cited by AI while sitting on page three of Google. Outercite's recommendations and insights are grounded in AEO principles. The glossary has a full definition if you want to dig in further.

Try this in Outercite

Ready to see your own citation data? Start your onboarding walkthrough and Outercite will guide you through adding your first keyword and running your first check across all six engines.

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