{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "DefinedTerm",
  "schema_version": "1.1",
  "content_item_id": "dictionary-source-attribution.en",
  "translation_group_id": "dictionary-source-attribution",
  "locale": "en",
  "type": "glossary",
  "section": "dictionary",
  "slug": "source-attribution",
  "title": "Source attribution",
  "description": "Source attribution is a visible connection between a claim in an AI answer and a named source, such as a label, source card, or link. It states provenance but does not by itself prove that the source supports every word of the answer.",
  "direct_answer": "Source attribution is a visible connection between a claim in an AI answer and a named source, such as a label, source card, or link. It states provenance but does not by itself prove that the source supports every word of the answer.",
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "Working meaning",
      "paragraphs": [
        "Attribution answers who or what the interface credits for information. Depending on the product, it may appear as a domain, publication title, source card, or link next to a passage. The working unit is an archived answer with a visible source reference."
      ],
      "source_ids": [
        "google-ai-search",
        "gemini-sources"
      ]
    },
    {
      "heading": "How to distinguish",
      "paragraphs": [
        "Retrieval is the system selecting context, citation is an observable link, and attribution is the user-visible relationship between a claim and a source. They may coincide but need not: a source may be used without a visible link, while a source card may lead to a page that supports only part of the wording."
      ],
      "source_ids": [
        "google-ai-search",
        "gemini-sources"
      ]
    },
    {
      "heading": "Example",
      "paragraphs": [
        "If Gemini shows three source cards beneath a paragraph, record each card and check which sentence it actually supports. A domain appearing in the source list does not mean the entire paragraph is based on that domain."
      ]
    },
    {
      "heading": "Testing",
      "paragraphs": [
        "Preserve the query, full answer, date, product mode, card order, final destination URLs, and a screenshot. Then map each checkable claim to the destination text and code the support as full, partial, or absent."
      ]
    },
    {
      "heading": "Interpretation limit",
      "paragraphs": [
        "Attribution measures the presentation of one answer, not a permanent relationship between a system and a site. It proves neither retrieval, ranking influence, user referral, nor the publisher's agreement with the AI wording."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "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/source-attribution/",
  "claims": [
    {
      "claim_id": "source-attribution-scope",
      "text": "Attribution should be recorded as a visible element of a specific answer, then checked separately to see whether the named source supports the adjacent claim.",
      "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"
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Interfaces and source-display rules change. Compare only archived answers from the same product, mode, language, and period; whether an attribution is substantively correct requires a separate check of the source."
  ],
  "corrections": []
}