{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "DefinedTerm",
  "schema_version": "1.1",
  "content_item_id": "dictionary-grounding.en",
  "translation_group_id": "dictionary-grounding",
  "locale": "en",
  "type": "glossary",
  "section": "dictionary",
  "slug": "grounding",
  "title": "Grounding",
  "description": "How an answer is tied to checkable context and why a link is not enough.",
  "direct_answer": "Grounding is the tying of a generated answer to provided or retrieved data that can be used to verify its claims. Strong grounding requires a match between a specific claim and its evidence; a list of links beside an answer does not guarantee that match.",
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "Working meaning",
      "paragraphs": [
        "In this observatory, grounding means verifiable support for an answer in supplied context or retrieved sources. Source availability is not enough; the semantic relationship matters, so a reviewer should be able to show which evidence passage supports which claim."
      ],
      "source_ids": [
        "google-ai-search",
        "gemini-sources"
      ]
    },
    {
      "heading": "How to distinguish",
      "paragraphs": [
        "Retrieval selects context, attribution displays sources to the user, and grounding concerns whether the answer follows that context. An answer may show tidy links yet make a stronger conclusion than the sources permit; attribution exists, but grounding is weak."
      ],
      "source_ids": [
        "google-ai-search",
        "gemini-sources"
      ]
    },
    {
      "heading": "Example",
      "paragraphs": [
        "A source says a feature is available to some users, while the AI says it is available to everyone. The link points to the right page, but the quantifier changed. The answer is not fully grounded even though the domain and topic match."
      ]
    },
    {
      "heading": "Testing",
      "paragraphs": [
        "Split the answer into checkable claims, open the final URLs, and code each claim as fully supported, partially supported, contradicted, or unsupported. Preserve the supporting passage and date because the source page may change after the answer."
      ]
    },
    {
      "heading": "Interpretation limit",
      "paragraphs": [
        "Even a fully grounded answer may be incomplete, use a stale corpus, or omit an important source. A grounding assessment proves neither retrieval quality, coverage, neutrality of selection, nor future repeatability."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "published_at": "2026-09-11",
  "modified_at": "2026-09-11",
  "data_through": "2026-09-11",
  "next_review_at": "2026-10-11",
  "author": "GeoAeoAle Editorial",
  "origin": "editorial",
  "publisher": "GeoAeoAle Editorial",
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "canonical_url": "https://geoaeoale.com/en/dictionary/grounding/",
  "claims": [
    {
      "claim_id": "grounding-scope",
      "text": "Grounding should be evaluated claim by claim because a source may support one passage while failing to support the next.",
      "status": "inference",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "source_ids": [
        "google-ai-search",
        "gemini-sources"
      ],
      "publication_status": "public",
      "confidentiality": "public"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "source_id": "google-ai-search",
      "canonical_url": "https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ai-features",
      "title": "Top ways to ensure your content performs well in Google's AI experiences",
      "publisher": "Google Search Central",
      "source_type": "official",
      "locale": "en",
      "published_at": null,
      "checked_at": "2026-09-11",
      "sha256": "c6b267ed42c26ee63151c87d27de45d8882a5b7dc77c3d3dece510b21d63c300",
      "license": "Source terms apply",
      "visibility": "public"
    },
    {
      "source_id": "gemini-sources",
      "canonical_url": "https://support.google.com/gemini/answer/14143489?hl=en",
      "title": "Find and verify sources in Gemini Apps",
      "publisher": "Google Gemini Help",
      "source_type": "official",
      "locale": "en",
      "published_at": null,
      "checked_at": "2026-09-11",
      "sha256": "1eb891b72a08ad755d3deef0cab6d30244ad0b54d97f252cb701d7cb82cae353",
      "license": "Source terms apply",
      "visibility": "public"
    }
  ],
  "related_slugs": [
    "ai-visibility",
    "retrieval",
    "source-attribution"
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "The assessment depends on the archived answer and available source version. Without internal traces, it measures agreement with visible evidence but does not reveal all context supplied to the model."
  ],
  "corrections": []
}