Glossary
What is a source gap in AI search?
A source gap shows which websites AI answers linked to in one group of answers and not in another. It is a place to look, not an answer in itself.
What a source gap is
Many AI answers carry citations, which are source links attached to the answer. Collect enough answers and you can list the websites they linked to. A source gap is what you find when you split those answers into two groups and compare the lists.
A useful split is by business. One group holds answers that named a competitor and left you out. The other holds answers that named you. Websites linked often in the first group and rarely in the second form the gap.
Why the sources behind answers matter
Perplexity's help centre says each answer includes numbered links to the original sources, so readers can check the information. Links like these are the raw material of a source gap.
Developer documentation also separates the pages an assistant consulted from the pages it linked. OpenAI's guide to its web search tool describes a fuller list of consulted pages beyond the inline links. A gap built from links alone covers only the sources the answers offered.
Working through a source gap
Start with the answers, not the list. Open the answers that linked to a website in the gap and read what each answer said beside the link.
Decide what is within your control. You can correct your own pages, update profiles you own and ask other website owners to fix errors. Nothing in a gap promises that a change will make an answer link to you or name you.
What a source gap does not tell you
A gap shows a difference. It does not show that the source caused the difference. An answer that named a competitor may have linked to a directory for reasons unrelated to that business.
The assistant does not tell you why it chose a link. So treat each website in a gap as a question to look into, not a finding to act on straight away.
A gap also depends on how the groups were built. If one group holds far more answers than the other, websites will look more common in the larger group. Compare counts out of each group's total, not raw counts alone.
How Carqo relates to source gaps
In Carqo, open any competitor to see the websites linked for them and never for you. A table adds the websites linked in answers that named them and not you, with the kind of each website.
The sources view also lists websites linked in answers that did not name your business, for the latest completed week. Each one links to example answers, and the page asks you to read them before deciding anything.
In practice
- Pick two groups Choose the split, such as answers naming a competitor against answers naming you.
- Match the conditions Use the same prompts, assistants, period and collection method for both groups.
- List the sources in each Count how many answers in each group linked to each website, and note the size of each group.
- Read before acting Open the answers and pages behind any gap, and check your own details on them.
Common questions
Does a source gap show why a competitor was named?
No. It shows which websites were linked in one group of answers and not the other. The assistant does not report why it chose a source. Treat the gap as a place to look.
Should I try to get a profile on each website in a gap?
Not automatically. Check whether the website matters to your customers and whether a profile makes sense for your business. Some gaps hold news articles or forums where a profile is not possible. Start with the websites your customers already use.
What is the difference between a source gap and a citation?
A citation is a single source link attached to an answer. A source gap compares the citations across two groups of answers. Gaps are built from citations, so check each citation as you would any other.
Does a source gap show why a competitor was named?
No. It shows which websites were linked in one group of answers and not the other. The assistant does not report why it chose a source. Treat the gap as a place to look.
Should I try to get a profile on each website in a gap?
Not automatically. Check whether the website matters to your customers and whether a profile makes sense for your business. Some gaps hold news articles or forums where a profile is not possible. Start with the websites your customers already use.
What is the difference between a source gap and a citation?
A citation is a single source link attached to an answer. A source gap compares the citations across two groups of answers. Gaps are built from citations, so check each citation as you would any other.
Sources
- Perplexity Help Center, How does Perplexity work? Link checked 29 October 2026
- OpenAI API docs, Web search Link checked 29 October 2026