> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.zerorank.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Sources

> Where AI gets its information, sorted by website and page type.

When an AI engine answers a question, it pulls facts from websites. A **source** is one of those websites. The **Sources** page sorts them for you, so you can see which sites AI engines trust in your space.

<Tip>
  Think of sources as the books AI quotes from. If your page is not on the shelf, the AI cannot read from it.
</Tip>

## Two ways to look at sources

ZeroRank shows your sources in two views. Each one answers a different question.

**Domains** — whole websites, like `wikipedia.org` or a rival's full site. Use this view to see which sites get quoted most.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/zerorank/Rrc4d8NyGBVOHIyT/ZeroRank-Source-Domains.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Rrc4d8NyGBVOHIyT&q=85&s=99a1678c465eac96323e1a737f86945c" alt="Zero Rank Source Domains" width="2226" height="1356" data-path="ZeroRank-Source-Domains.png" />
</Frame>

**URLs** — single pages, like one blog post or one product page. Use this view to see which exact pages win the answer.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/zerorank/Rrc4d8NyGBVOHIyT/ZeroRank-Sources-URLs.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Rrc4d8NyGBVOHIyT&q=85&s=f972e193175bcfd49d20f74405e0e899" alt="Zero Rank Sources UR Ls" width="2230" height="1462" data-path="ZeroRank-Sources-URLs.png" />
</Frame>

<Tip>
  Start with domains to spot the big players. Then switch to URLs to find the precise page you need to beat.
</Tip>

## Domain types

ZeroRank tags every domain with a type, so you can tell what kind of site it is at a glance. There are 7 domain types.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Corporate">
    Company websites, run by a business to talk about itself.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Editorial">
    News and magazine sites that publish stories and reviews.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Institutional">
    Official bodies like governments, schools, and non-profits.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="UGC (user-generated content)">
    Sites where people post, like forums and Reddit.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Reference">
    Encyclopedias and dictionaries, like Wikipedia.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Competitor">
    Your rivals' sites. These are the competitors you chose to track.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Other">
    Any site that does not fit the types above.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/zerorank/Rrc4d8NyGBVOHIyT/ZeroRank-Sources-Domain-Type.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Rrc4d8NyGBVOHIyT&q=85&s=fce6b2b444b79085f6efd379ff34d59b" alt="Zero Rank Sources Domain Type" width="2398" height="794" data-path="ZeroRank-Sources-Domain-Type.png" />
</Frame>

## Page types

ZeroRank also tags every cited page with a type, so you can see what kind of page earned the quote. There are 11 page types.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Homepage">
    The front page of a website.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Category">
    A page that groups many items, like "running shoes".
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Product">
    A page about one product or service.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Listicle">
    A "top 10" style list, like "10 best CRM tools".
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Comparison">
    An "X vs Y" page that puts two things side by side.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Profile">
    A page about one person, company, or brand.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Alternative">
    An "alternatives to X" page that lists other options.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Discussion">
    A forum thread where people ask and answer.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="HowToGuide">
    A step-by-step guide that teaches you to do something.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Article">
    A regular blog post or news story.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Other">
    Any page that does not fit the types above.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/zerorank/Rrc4d8NyGBVOHIyT/ZeroRank-Sources-URL-Type.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Rrc4d8NyGBVOHIyT&q=85&s=0798d43e5faaedb01ef41b94d4537f28" alt="Zero Rank Sources URL Type" width="2408" height="1268" data-path="ZeroRank-Sources-URL-Type.png" />
</Frame>

## Use types to plan your content

These tags do more than label sites. They show you what kind of page AI engines reward in your space.

Here is how to turn that into a plan:

<Steps>
  <Step title="See which page types get cited">
    Open Sources and look at the page types AI engines quote most for your prompts.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Spot the pattern">
    Maybe comparison pages and listicles win the answer, while your homepage never does.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create those pages">
    Build the page types that get cited. If lists win, write a list. If "X vs Y" wins, write the comparison.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  A [citation](/start/glossary) is a website the AI pointed to as its source. Sources collects every citation from your [chats](/results/recent-chats) and sorts them for you.
</Note>

## Keep going

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="How citation tracking works" icon="quote" href="/citations/citation-tracking">
    See how ZeroRank finds and counts the websites AI engines quote.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Turn sources into content" icon="pen-line" href="/improve/create-content">
    Build the page types that win answers in your space.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>