The sources that own AI answers
The quarter's most-cited sources: youtube.com 2.4%; reddit.com 1.7%; facebook.com 1.6%; instagram.com 0.8%; google.com 0.7%; gov.uk 0.4%; tiktok.com 0.3%; which.co.uk 0.3%.
Data table
| Series | share |
|---|---|
| youtube.com | 2.4% |
| reddit.com | 1.7% |
| facebook.com | 1.6% |
| instagram.com | 0.8% |
| google.com | 0.7% |
| gov.uk | 0.4% |
| tiktok.com | 0.3% |
| which.co.uk | 0.3% |
| wikipedia.org | 0.3% |
| linkedin.com | 0.3% |
Quarter-on-quarter movement
The biggest moves vs the previous 13 weeks: youtube.com +0.8pts; reddit.com +0.4pts; instagram.com -0.4pts; facebook.com +0.2pts; google.com -0.2pts; gov.uk +0.2pts.
Data table
| Series | previous quarter | this quarter | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| youtube.com | 1.6% | 2.4% | +0.8pp |
| reddit.com | 1.3% | 1.7% | +0.4pp |
| instagram.com | 1.2% | 0.8% | -0.4pp |
| facebook.com | 1.3% | 1.6% | +0.3pp |
| google.com | 0.8% | 0.7% | -0.1pp |
| gov.uk | 0.1% | 0.4% | +0.3pp |
| moneysupermarket.com | 0.1% | 0.2% | +0.1pp |
How long a citation lasts
Once a domain starts earning AI citations, stickiness decays fast: 37% still cited after 1 week; 22% still cited after 2 weeks; 18% still cited after 4 weeks; 33% still cited after 8 weeks; 19% still cited after 12 weeks (pooled cohorts of newly cited domains clearing the citation floor).
Data table
| Series | first week | 1w | 2w | 4w | 8w | 12w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still cited | 100% | 36.5% | 22.2% | 18% | 32.5% | 18.6% |
The four-week cliff: 82% of newcomers have stopped being cited (4w)
Each model’s favourites
Gemini: reddit.com (2.5%), youtube.com (2.0%), facebook.com (1.4%). Google AIO: youtube.com (5.3%), facebook.com (3.9%), reddit.com (2.9%). ChatGPT: gov.uk (1.6%), kia.com (0.8%), moneyhelper.org.uk (0.8%). Claude: wikipedia.org (0.7%), yahoo.com (0.3%), infobae.com (0.2%). Google AI Mode: youtube.com (4.8%), facebook.com (2.7%), google.com (2.5%). Perplexity: youtube.com (2.1%), reddit.com (1.5%), linkedin.com (0.9%). Grok: tesla.com (0.8%), kia.com (0.7%), europa.eu (0.7%).
Get the full report
The complete quarterly white paper, including per-market breakdowns and sponsored-link volumes, is available as a branded PDF or PPTX download on the AI Source Index page.
Data table
| Series | Units per 100 |
|---|---|
| youtube.com | 2.4 |
| reddit.com | 1.7 |
| facebook.com | 1.6 |
| instagram.com | 0.8 |
| google.com | 0.7 |
| gov.uk | 0.4 |
Method & limitations
- The window is the latest 13 complete weeks of citation snapshots, compared with the 13 weeks before them, aligned to data completeness, not calendar-quarter boundaries.
- One citation = one domain cited in one AI response; domains are registrable roots.
- Only domains cited across at least 2 independent projects are named; totals count every citation.
- Half-life cohorts pool every domain whose first appearance cleared the citation floor; survival means any citation in the exact horizon week.
How every figure on this page is counted, floored and reviewed: our methodology.