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Overview

Source metrics track how AI models use and cite content sources when generating responses. These metrics reveal which domains have content authority — the ability to influence what AI search engines say. Sources are analyzed at two levels:
  • Domain level — aggregated across all URLs from a domain (e.g., all pages on techcrunch.com)
  • URL level — individual page performance (e.g., techcrunch.com/article-1)

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Citation count

Definition: Total number of times a source is explicitly referenced in AI responses.

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Formula

Citation count = Total citations of the domain (or URL)
Each citation in a response counts separately. If one response cites two different URLs from the same domain, that’s two citations for the domain. 
Domain: techcrunch.com
Time period: Last 7 days

Response 1: Cited techcrunch.com/article-1, techcrunch.com/article-2 (2 citations)
Response 2: Cited techcrunch.com/article-1 (1 citation)
Response 3: Cited techcrunch.com/article-3 (1 citation)
Response 4: No citations from techcrunch.com

Citation count = 2 + 1 + 1 = 4
Content from techcrunch.com was explicitly cited 4 times across 3 responses.

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Average citations

Definition: The average number of times a source is cited per AI response where it appears.

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Formula

Average citations = Total citations of source / Responses where source was cited
Higher values indicate deeper trust — when an AI model uses the source, it tends to cite multiple pages or cite it multiple times. 
Domain: techcrunch.com
Time period: Last 7 days

Response 1: 2 citations from techcrunch.com
Response 2: 1 citation from techcrunch.com
Response 3: 1 citation from techcrunch.com

Total: 4 citations across 3 responses

Average citations = 4 / 3 = 1.33
When AI uses techcrunch.com, it cites an average of 1.33 unique URLs from the domain per response.

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Used percentage

Definition: A composite metric measuring how extensively a domain influences AI responses, combining both breadth (how often the domain appears) and depth (how many URLs are cited per response).

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Formula (domain level)

Used (%) = Avg unique URLs per response x (Responses with domain / Total responses) x 100
Where: 
Avg unique URLs per response = Total unique URLs cited / Responses that cited the domain

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Formula (URL level)

At the URL level, “used” is a simple count of responses where that URL was cited. 
Domain: techcrunch.com
Time period: Last 7 days

Response 1: Cited 2 unique URLs from techcrunch.com
Response 2: Cited 1 unique URL from techcrunch.com
Response 3: No citations from techcrunch.com
Total responses analyzed: 100

Calculation:
Avg unique URLs per response = (2 + 1) / 2 = 1.5
Responses with domain = 2
Total responses = 100

Used = 1.5 x (2 / 100) x 100 = 3%
techcrunch.com influenced 3% of AI responses, with an average of 1.5 unique URLs cited when the domain was used.
URL: techcrunch.com/article-1
Time period: Last 7 days

Response 1: Cited this URL (2 times within the response)
Response 2: Cited this URL (1 time)
Responses 3-100: Did not cite this URL

Used = 2 responses
This specific article was used as a source in 2 AI responses, regardless of how many times it was cited within each response.
The “used” metric reveals content authority by showing when your content shapes AI responses. It combines frequency (how often a domain appears) with depth (how many unique URLs are cited per response).

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Source categories

Topify.ai classifies cited domains into categories to help you understand the source landscape:
CategoryExamplesDescription
Corporateapple.com, tesla.comOfficial brand and company websites
Editorialnytimes.com, techcrunch.comNews outlets and journalism
Institutional.gov, .edu, who.intGovernment, academic, and institutional sites
Referencewikipedia.org, stackoverflow.comKnowledge bases and reference platforms
UGCreddit.com, youtube.com, medium.comUser-generated content platforms
OtherEdge cases, parked domainsEverything that doesn’t fit the above
These categories help you understand whether AI providers are citing authoritative sources, user-generated content, or your competitors’ sites when answering prompts related to your brand.

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Using sources data

Sources data helps you answer questions like:
  • Which of your pages are already being cited? Look for your domain in the top domains list. High citation counts mean AI providers trust your content.
  • Where are the gaps? If competitor domains are cited frequently but yours isn’t, you need content that covers those topics.
  • What content types perform best? Compare citation rates across source categories to understand what AI providers prefer to cite.
  • Which pages should you optimize? URLs with high “used” counts are already influencing AI responses — improving them could increase your visibility further.