How to check what AI says about you
A practical step-by-step guide to see what AI models already say about your brand — and what to do about it.
Updated March 1, 2026
Key takeaways
- Check the three platforms that cover most AI search: ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity — for free.
- Ask the questions your customers actually ask, in natural language, not keywords.
- Distinguish a mention (AI names you) from a citation (AI uses you as a source) — only citations drive traffic.
- Answers change constantly; check manually monthly or automate with daily monitoring.
Step 1: Open the three main AI platforms
Start with ChatGPT (chat.openai.com), Gemini (gemini.google.com) and Perplexity (perplexity.ai). These three cover over 90% of AI search traffic. You only need free accounts to get started.
Step 2: Ask questions your customers would ask
Type in questions your potential customers would ask. For example: 'Who are the best [your industry] companies in [your city]?', 'Which [product/service] is best for [use case]?', 'Can you recommend a good [your category]?'. Use natural, conversational language.
Step 3: Compare the answers
Note: Does AI mention your brand? Does it recommend your competitors? Does it link to your website (citation) or just mention the name (mention)? Write down answers for each platform — they often give completely different recommendations for the same query.
Step 4: Understand mentions vs. citations
A mention is when AI names your brand without linking. A citation is when AI uses your website as a source. Only citations drive traffic. If you have mentions but not citations, it means AI knows you but doesn't trust your content enough to use it as a source.
Step 5: Test with industry-specific questions
Go deeper with specific questions about your niche. Ask about prices, comparisons, recommendations and 'best of' lists. The more specific the questions, the more revealing the answers.
Step 6: Automate the monitoring
Manual checking gives a snapshot, but AI answers change constantly. For systematic monitoring, you can use CitationLab AI Monitor which automatically tracks what AI says about your brand across all major platforms — daily.
Key terms
- Mention
- When an AI model names your brand in the answer without linking to your website as a source.
- Citation
- When an AI model uses your website as a source and links to it. Only citations drive clicks and traffic.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. All three platforms (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity) offer free access. You don't need any paid subscriptions to do the check.
AI answers change regularly. We recommend checking manually at least once a month, or using automated monitoring for daily updates.
Then you've identified a gap. Start by strengthening your digital presence: better structured data, more authoritative content, and presence on third-party sources AI uses as references.
It depends on your customers, but ChatGPT has the widest reach, Perplexity shows sources most clearly, and Gemini ties into Google AI Overview. Check all three — they often give different answers to the same question.
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