Definition
Citation rate requires a denominator: a fixed question set, a named engine or mode, a date range, and a stated scoring rule. Without those boundaries, the percentage is not interpretable.
A citation is different from a mention. A system can name a brand without linking to it, or cite a page without recommending the brand.
Why it matters
Citation rate can help a team observe whether its pages or third-party evidence recur in answer outputs. It is a diagnostic measure, not a revenue metric.
Distinction
What it is—and what it is not.
Mention rate records whether the brand appears. Citation rate records whether a qualifying source is cited. Share of voice usually compares visibility against a defined competitor set.
Example
If 20 fixed prompts are run under the same documented conditions and 5 answers cite an approved company domain, the observed citation rate for that run is 25%. The result remains specific to that protocol.