Understanding citation categories and domains

Fresh

Updated: 2026-03-16

Learn what the different citation categories mean (Social, News, Review, Academic, etc.) and how domain classification works.

When you look at your Citations page, you'll notice that cited domains are organized into categories. Understanding these categories helps you make sense of where AI models get their information and where to focus your engagement.

What are citation categories?

Every domain that AI models cite is classified into a category based on the type of source it is. CrowdReply automatically categorizes hundreds of domains so you can quickly understand the landscape of sources influencing AI answers.

The categories

Social

Community and social media platforms where users discuss and share content.

• Examples: reddit.com, quora.com, twitter.com, linkedin.com, facebook.com, stackoverflow.com, producthunt.com
• Why it matters: These are your primary engagement targets. AI models heavily cite social discussions because they contain real user opinions and recommendations.

News

Journalism and news publications, including tech, business, and industry media.

• Examples: techcrunch.com, forbes.com, bloomberg.com, wired.com, theverge.com, cnbc.com
• Why it matters: News citations indicate that AI models value editorial authority for your industry. Getting featured or mentioned in press can boost your citation coverage.

Review

Product review and comparison platforms.

• Examples: g2.com, capterra.com, trustpilot.com, trustradius.com, alternativeto.net, wirecutter.com
• Why it matters: When AI models cite review sites, they're pulling competitive comparison data. Having a strong presence on review platforms (good ratings, detailed profiles) influences how AI talks about your brand.

Blog

Blog and content publishing platforms.

• Examples: wordpress.com, blogspot.com, medium.com, substack.com, ghost.io
• Why it matters: Blog citations show that AI models are finding relevant long-form content. Your own blog or guest posts on these platforms can become citation sources over time.

Academic

Research, scientific, and academic publications.

• Examples: scholar.google.com, nature.com, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, arxiv.org, researchgate.net
• Why it matters: Most relevant for healthcare, science, and education brands. Academic citations carry high authority with AI models.

Wiki

Reference and encyclopedia sources.

• Examples: wikipedia.org, britannica.com, investopedia.com
• Why it matters: Wiki sources are commonly cited for foundational definitions and concepts. Having your brand mentioned on Wikipedia (where appropriate) can influence AI answers.

Marketplace

E-commerce, app stores, and job/service platforms.

• Examples: amazon.com, apps.apple.com, play.google.com, shopify.com, npmjs.com
• Why it matters: Relevant for product brands. AI models cite marketplace listings when recommending specific products to purchase or download.

Government

Government agencies and public health organizations.

• Examples: cdc.gov, nih.gov, fda.gov, who.int, nhs.uk
• Why it matters: Primarily relevant for health, finance, and regulatory topics. These carry extremely high authority.

Documentation

Technical documentation and developer resources.

• Examples: developer.mozilla.org, docs.aws.amazon.com, learn.microsoft.com, kubernetes.io, reactjs.org
• Why it matters: Relevant for developer tools and technical products. If your documentation is well-structured and publicly accessible, it can become a cited source.

Competitor

Domains belonging to your competitors (based on the competitor domains you configured in your project settings).

• Why it matters: When a competitor's own website is cited, it means AI is pulling directly from their content. This highlights areas where competitors have a content advantage.

Corporate

Company websites that aren't classified as competitors.

Community

Forum and community sites not classified under Social.

Other

Domains that don't fit neatly into the above categories.

How to use categories strategically

Focus engagement on Social

Social platforms especially Reddit are where you have the most control. You can directly engage on cited threads to build your brand's presence.

Monitor Review platforms

If review sites are heavily cited, make sure your brand has a strong profile on G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, etc. Good ratings and detailed listings influence what AI models say about you.

Track Competitor citations

If your competitor's own website is being cited frequently, it means their content is well-optimized for AI. Study what content they have that's getting cited and consider creating similar (but better) content.

Don't ignore News

Being mentioned in tech publications or industry media creates high-authority citations. PR and media outreach can complement your engagement strategy.