AI Drift Log: Perplexity Citation Source Accuracy — February 2026
We audited 200 Perplexity answers about companies and checked whether the cited sources actually support the claims made. 23% of citations were inaccurate — the source existed but didn't contain the claimed information.
Citation audit results
- 77% of citations accurately reflected the source content.
- 14% of citations referenced real pages but misrepresented the content.
- 6% of citations linked to pages that no longer exist (404).
- 3% of citations linked to pages that contradicted the claim.
Implications
- Citation transparency doesn't guarantee citation accuracy.
- Companies should monitor how they're cited, not just whether they're mentioned.
- Publishing clear, unambiguous facts reduces misrepresentation in citations.
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