Top 100 LLM Sources: BotRank Study on 1.2M AI Responses

Our methodology: 1.2 million responses put under the microscope

Using our tracking technology, we collected and analysed the source links provided by AI engines for the responses they generated. We then aggregated this data to identify the root domains most frequently called upon to build those responses.

Our sample of 1,200,000 analysed responses is particularly robust because it is not biased towards any specific industry. It reflects the real queries of BotRank users, covering a very broad spectrum:

• Company profiles: Startups, SMEs, mid-market and enterprise accounts.
• Industries: Tech & Software, Banking & Insurance, Healthcare, Education, E-commerce, B2B Services, etc.
• Query types: Informational (guides, definitions), transactional (comparisons, reviews) and navigational.

Here is the exact breakdown of AI engines queried in our dataset:

• ChatGPT (OpenAI): 23%
• Gemini (Google): 22%
• Perplexity AI: 20%
• Google AI Overview: 18%
• Mistral: 12%
• Claude / Copilot / Grok: 5%

The percentages shown in the table below represent the usage rate of each source within this Top 100. For example, if a source shows 10%, it means it accounts for 10% of all citations generated by the 100 most popular sites.

The official Top 100 LLM sources

Here is the complete ranking of the 100 most influential domains in AI-generated responses in 2026.

Ranks 1 to 50

Analysis: the biggest surprises in the ranking

Reading this Top 100 overturns several common assumptions about how AI actually works. Here are the three major trends that emerge from our study.

The Top 10 LLM sources are overwhelmingly dominated by community platforms and encyclopaedic references.

The overwhelming dominance of UGC (User Generated Content)

This is the standout finding of the study: Reddit (11.47%) and YouTube (9.87%) take the top two spots, ahead of the ever-present Wikipedia (9.43%). LLMs, particularly ChatGPT and Perplexity, place a massive premium on authentic user experience and community discussions. AI seeks to humanise its responses by drawing on real-world accounts rather than polished brand messaging.

The critical weight of review platforms and comparison sites

The presence of Trustpilot (7.96%) in 4th place globally is a wake-up call for every brand. When a user asks an AI "What is the best tool for...", the model will systematically consult review platforms to build its recommendation. This trend runs throughout the ranking, with Appvizer (8th), Capterra (36th), G2 (37th) and Sortlist (26th) all featuring prominently. Third-party reputation is no longer optional - it is the engine of your AI visibility.

General and specialist press remains a safe bet

Journalistic authority continues to carry significant weight in LLM training and RAG pipelines. Le Figaro (6th) and Le Monde (7th) appear in the Top 10, followed by specialist media such as TechRadar (9th) and Le Blog du Modérateur (30th). Digital PR therefore plays a direct role in your GEO strategy: securing an explicit citation or a backlink from an authoritative media outlet is a major trust signal that LLMs immediately absorb when constructing their responses.

4 GEO tips to make the most of this data

Now that you know where AI gets its information, how do you adapt your marketing strategy? Here are 4 actionable tips to boost your AI visibility rate.

1. Invest heavily in customer reviews

If you are a software publisher, your presence on G2, Capterra and Appvizer is vital. If you operate in B2C or services, Trustpilot and Google My Business should be your priority. Put automated campaigns in place to collect regular, detailed reviews. LLMs love synthesising customer verbatims to justify their recommendations.

2. Become active on Reddit and specialist forums

Since Reddit is the world's number one source, you can no longer afford to ignore it. Be careful, though: the Reddit community dislikes aggressive self-promotion. The goal is to add genuine value, answer technical questions and subtly mention your solutions when it is relevant. This is a long-term effort that requires an authentic approach.

3. Structure your data to make it easy to read

Even though third-party sources are crucial, your website remains the primary source of information about your own brand. Make sure AI bots can read you easily. Do not block crawlers in your robots.txt and use Schema.org markup. For guidance, consult our technical documentation on micro-data.

4. Monitor your visibility with the right tool

It is impossible to manually check every day what ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity are saying about you. That is where a platform like BotRank comes in. Our tool lets you:

• Measure your AI share of voice: track your positions across all AI engines on the market, every day.
• Analyse your influence sources: find out exactly which media, blogs or forums influence AI responses in your specific market.
• Technically audit your pages: our GEO scan analyses 24 criteria (technical, structure, content, authority) to give you a clear action plan.
• Deploy your content with Bob: our built-in GEO agent can write optimised articles and generate content tailored for Reddit or your social media channels.

Try BotRank now, for free!