> ## 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.

# Plain-words glossary

> Every ZeroRank word, explained in plain language.

Here is every ZeroRank word, sorted A to Z and explained in plain language.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="AEO">
    Answer Engine Optimization — making your content easy for AI to find and quote. Think of it like setting out clear signs so AI can easily spot you.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="AI answer engine">
    A tool that answers questions in full sentences instead of a list of links. ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini are AI answer engines. We also call this an AI engine.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Brand mention">
    When an AI engine names your brand in its answer. It is like hearing your name come up in someone else's conversation.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Chat">
    The answer an AI engine gave back. Each time we ask a question, we save the full chat so you can read it later.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Citation">
    A website the AI pointed to as its source. It is like the footnote at the bottom of a school report that says where a fact came from.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Competitor">
    Another brand you want to compare yourself against. We watch when they show up in answers next to you.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Gap">
    A question where competitors show up but you do not. Think of it like an empty seat at the table that someone else took.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="MCP">
    Model Context Protocol, a doorway that lets your AI assistant read your ZeroRank data. You ask your assistant a question, and it walks through that doorway to fetch the answer.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Prompt">
    A question we ask AI engines for you. We run your prompts every day and save each chat that comes back.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Query fanout">
    The smaller questions AI asks itself behind one question. It is like a librarian breaking your one request into a few quick searches.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Rank / ranking">
    The position your brand takes in an answer compared to other brands. Ranking is the running record of those positions over time, like a leaderboard.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Sentiment">
    Whether the AI talked about you in a good, neutral, or bad way. It is like the tone of voice someone uses when they mention you.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Source">
    A website AI engines get information from. Sources are the books AI quotes from.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Tag">
    A label you create to organize prompts. Use tags like sticky notes to group prompts however you like.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Topic">
    A subject area you picked at setup that groups prompts. Think of topics like the chapters that hold related prompts together.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Visibility score">
    The share of AI answers that mention your brand. A higher score means your brand shows up in more answers.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Workflow">
    A set of steps that runs tasks for you, like Lego blocks for tasks. You snap the steps together once, and they run on their own.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Workspace">
    The shared home for your team and all its data. Everyone you invite works inside the same workspace.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Keep going

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="What is ZeroRank" icon="circle-help" href="/start/what-is-zerorank">
    See the big picture before you dive in.
  </Card>

  <Card title="How it works" icon="workflow" href="/start/how-it-works">
    Follow a prompt from question to answer.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>