ChatGPT included citations successful 22.6% of recreation answers and 4.8% of acquisition answers successful May, against an mean of 6.8% crossed each answers, according to Similarweb’s 2026 Generative AI Landscape report. The figures screen U.S. desktop use.
Similarweb sells AI visibility search products, and the study is gated down a download form.
How often a ChatGPT reply carries immoderate nexus differs sharply by taxable successful Similarweb’s data. Where less answers transportation links, location are less answers your tract tin look in.
How Often ChatGPT Cites Sources, By Topic
Similarweb classed 9 sectors based connected the proportionality of answers that included astatine slightest 1 citation. Travel led astatine 22.6%, followed by unit astatine 13.5% and sports astatine 10.7%. Finance was astatine 8.0%, somewhat higher than the wide mean of 6.8%. Technology, health, media and entertainment, and acquisition each fell beneath this average, pinch acquisition astatine the lowest astatine 4.8%.
According to Similarweb, ChatGPT goes to the web astir erstwhile group comparison products, scheme purchases, aliases inquire astir things that change.
The Overall Rate Climbed Through The Year
The wide complaint went up from astir 1.3% successful June 2025 to 6.8% successful May 2026, thing that Similarweb describes arsenic much than a fivefold summation successful little than a year.
The emergence wasn’t steady: it went complete 6% successful October, past dropped backmost to astir 4.5% by February, earlier climbing again done spring. That emergence sits adjacent to SEJ’s April report, which noted that Resoneo observed ChatGPT citing astir 20% less websites per response aft the GPT-5.3 Instant update. The reports travel from abstracted datasets that count different things. One looks astatine whether an reply includes a citation astatine all, and the different counts really galore domains look wrong a azygous response.
ChatGPT Cites Different Sites In Different Topics
Similarweb besides collapsed down which kinds of sites get cited, utilizing what it labels the apical 10,000 citations recorded connected U.S. desktop successful May.
Across each ChatGPT answers, reviews and user-generated contented (UGC) accounted for 28.9% of citations, while news and patient sites relationship for 26.0%. Retail and e-commerce websites correspond 14.1%.
But, erstwhile we look astatine circumstantial topics, the patterns tin beryllium rather different. For example, successful beauty, unit and e-commerce sites are the astir common, making up 54.7% of citations. In travel, reviews and UGC accounted for 54.1%. In finance, finance-specific sites clasp 36.6%, pinch news and patient sites astatine 28.0%.
Overall, Similarweb highlights that nary azygous playbook covers each topic. Instead, brands should attraction connected knowing which types of sites are astir often cited wrong their peculiar areas.
Meanwhile, SEJ has looked astatine this from a different angle. Roger Montti’s May article discusses really root preferences alteration betwixt AI engines. Similarweb’s analysis, however, focuses connected topics.
What The Data Covers
All figures mention to U.S. desktop usage. The root operation is based connected what Similarweb labels the apical 10,000 citations successful May. The study states that each of its information are estimates and extrapolations drawn from third-party sources, and are not warranted for accuracy aliases completeness. The study does not see API usage, desktop applications, aliases AI features integrated into different mobile and web apps.
Why This Matters
Citation rates differed sharply by taxable successful May. Less than 5% of acquisition answers carried links, while complete 20% of recreation answers did. A citation push successful acquisition is chasing a acold smaller excavation of cited answers than the aforesaid activity successful travel.
Additionally, the sources of citations alteration by domain. In beauty, astir citations are from unit and e-commerce sites, whereas successful finance, they travel chiefly from finance-specific websites and news outlets. A marque focusing connected its ain niche mightiness observe different websites being cited depending connected the field, and the types of referenced contented tin alteration greatly crossed areas.
Looking Ahead
Citation rates moved a batch crossed the 12 months Similarweb tracked, and not successful a consecutive line. The complaint counts answers that transportation astatine slightest 1 outer link, and it tin move connected its ain without thing a patient does.
Keep an oculus connected really the complaint changes complete time, not conscionable its existent level. The wide complaint dipped during the wintertime but past bounced back. Also, retrieve that Similarweb’s taxable breakdown only looks astatine a azygous month.
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