Updated July 2026

AI Citation Data & Benchmarks

12,430 prompts. Four AI platforms. One citation map.

This AI citation data hub tracks which sources AI search platforms actually cite — every benchmark below comes from the CiteMP source analysis, July 2026, the same dataset that powers our AI citation marketplace.

  • 12,430prompts analysed
  • 4AI platforms
  • 132sources per prompt avg
  • Monthlyrefresh cadence

Source types AI cites most

CiteMP source analysis, July 2026 · n = 12,430 prompts

Top source type

Comparison articles — 31% of citations

01
Comparison articles
31%
02
Industry publishers
24%
03
Listicles
18%
04
Review platforms
13%
05
Original research
9%
06
Other
5%

Share of all cited URLs by format, averaged across ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity and Claude.

Citation mix by platform

Every platform weights formats differently — which is why one generic backlink plan never fits. Browse format-matched inventory in the AI link building marketplace.

ChatGPT

Leans listicles
Listicles
34%
Comparison articles
29%
Review platforms
14%

Share of platform citations · July 2026

Google AI Overviews

Leans comparisons
Listicles
22%
Comparison articles
33%
Review platforms
18%

Share of platform citations · July 2026

Perplexity

Leans listicles
Listicles
27%
Comparison articles
26%
Review platforms
21%

Share of platform citations · July 2026

Claude

Leans listicles
Listicles
30%
Comparison articles
28%
Review platforms
15%

Share of platform citations · July 2026

Source format benchmarks

Demo benchmark values · CiteMP source analysis, July 2026

Source formatAvg citation shareMedian DR of cited pagesAvg content ageRefresh frequency
Comparison articles31%724.2 moMonthly
Industry publishers24%687.5 moQuarterly
Listicles18%643.1 moMonthly
Review platforms13%815.8 moWeekly
Original research9%7611.2 moAnnually
Other5%5214+ moRarely

Formats map one-to-one to the placement types quoted in campaign pricing — the mix a package buys mirrors the mix the data shows.

What the data means for your campaign

Comparison + listicle share

49%

Two formats carry almost half of all AI search citations — the first placements a GEO link building campaign should buy.

Median authority of cited pages

DR 64+

Cited pages clear DR 64 in every format, so filter publisher placements by authority before price.

Avg age of cited comparisons

4.2 mo

AI platforms favour fresh pages, which is why AI citation building runs as a refresh cycle, not a one-off.

Methodology

  • Sample. 12,430 commercial-intent prompts across 41 industries, collected January–July 2026.
  • Collection. Each prompt run on ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity and Claude; an average of 132 cited sources per prompt classified by format.
  • Cadence. The dataset refreshes monthly; figures on this page are demo benchmarks from the July 2026 run.

Get the citation map for your prompt.

We run your prompt through the same pipeline behind these benchmarks and return the exact sources — and placements — to target.