Quick Answer
If you're seeing different citation percentages in different parts of the platform, you're not looking at a bug—you're seeing two different metrics that each measure something important:
Citation Share (donut chart) = Your share of total citation volume
Citation Consistency (line charts, prompts table) = How often you appear across responses
💡 Both numbers are correct. They just measure different aspects of your citation performance.
The Two Citation Metrics Explained
Citation Share (Share of Voice)
Where you'll see it: Dashboard donut chart, top citation tile
What it measures: Your brand's percentage of all citation URLs across all AI responses we've collected.
How it's calculated:
(Your brand's citations) / (Total citations from all sources)
Example:
We collect 10 AI responses
Each response includes 10 citations (100 total citations)
Your brand accounts for 8 of those 100 citations
Result: 8% Citation Share
⚠️ Important: One response can contribute multiple citations. If AI cites 4 of your pages in a single answer, that counts as 4 separate citations toward your Citation Share.
Citation Consistency (Share of Responses)
Where you'll see it: Prompts table, line charts, detailed breakdowns
What it measures: The percentage of responses where your brand was cited at least once.
How it's calculated:
(Responses with ≥1 brand citation) / (Total responses)
Example:
We collect 10 AI responses
Your brand appears in 3 of them (whether once or multiple times)
Result: 30% Citation Consistency
⚠️ Important: Each response only counts once, no matter how many times you're cited within it. If AI cites 4 of your pages in one answer, that still counts as just 1 response.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Aspect | Citation Share | Citation Consistency |
Also known as | Share of Voice | Share of Responses |
Where you see it | Donut chart / Top tile | Line charts / Prompts table |
What it counts | Total citation URLs | Responses (yes/no) |
Multiple citations per response | Each counts separately | Counts as 1 |
Best for | Competitive positioning | Coverage & reliability |
Why the Numbers Look Different
You might see 8% Citation Share in the donut chart but 30% Citation Consistency in the line chart.
This is normal. Here's what it means:
8% = You account for 8 out of every 100 citations across all sources
30% = You appear in 30 out of every 100 responses collected
These measure different things, so they'll almost always be different numbers.
Common Patterns & What They Mean
High Share + Low Consistency
Example: 47% Citation Share, but only 11% Citation Consistency
What's happening: When AI does cite you, it's citing multiple pages from your brand in the same response (3-4 citations per response).
What it means: This is actually a good sign—it indicates content depth. When AI finds your content relevant, it finds multiple pages worth citing.
Understanding With Analogies
🏀 Think of it like a basketball season:
Scenario: 10 games, 100 total points scored by all teams, your team scores 8 points
Citation Share (8%) = Your team scored 8 out of 100 total points
Citation Consistency (80%) = Your team showed up to 8 out of 10 games
Completely different measurements, both useful.
📊 Think of it like website analytics:
Citation Share = Total impressions (overall volume)
Citation Consistency = Keyword ranking frequency (% of queries where you appear)
Which Metric Should You Focus On?
⭐ Most teams find Citation Consistency more valuable for strategic planning because it shows how reliably you appear across different queries, not just total volume.
Citation Consistency tells you:
How regularly you appear in relevant AI conversations
Your consistency of presence across different topics
How many distinct opportunities you're capturing
Citation Share tells you:
Your competitive positioning
Total citation volume vs. competitors and third-party sources
Overall "share of voice" in your space
Use both together to get the full picture of your AI search performance.
What About Third-Party Citations?
If you're seeing that 90%+ of citations are third-party sources (not your brand or competitors), this is completely normal.
✅ This is expected behavior. AI platforms prioritize authoritative, independent sources. When your brand is mentioned on reputable third-party sites (news publications, industry blogs, review sites), that's actually a win.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a bug? The numbers don't match!
No, this is not a bug. Citation Share and Citation Consistency are two different calculations, both working as designed. They measure different aspects of your performance.
Why is my Citation Share so low?
Remember that Citation Share includes all sources—your brand, competitors, and third-party sites. Third-party sources typically account for 90%+ of citations, which is normal. A 2-5% Citation Share is often solid performance in competitive spaces.
Which number should I track over time?
Both are valuable, but Citation Consistency tends to be more actionable because it shows how reliably you're appearing across different user queries. Track both, but lead with Consistency for strategic decisions.
Can I see both metrics in the same view?
The donut chart always shows Citation Share. Line charts and the prompts table always show Citation Consistency. This is by design—each view is optimized for its specific metric.