Quick answer
Perplexity builds every answer around numbered citations, so visibility depends on being a source. Publish pages that answer questions directly in clear language, keep them fresh and crawlable, earn independent coverage, and check which domains are cited for your category.
Key takeaways
- Perplexity builds every answer around numbered citations, so visibility depends on being a source. Publish pages that answer questions directly in clear language, keep them fresh and crawlable, earn independent coverage, and check which domains are cited for your category.
- Measure before and after with the same prompts.
- There is no way to guarantee a mention, so aim for clear facts and credible sources.
What influences whether Perplexity names a brand?
- Whether a page answers the question directly and clearly
- Freshness and crawl accessibility of your content
- Independent reviews and articles cited alongside you
- Distinct, quotable facts rather than generic marketing copy
A step by step playbook
- 1List the questions buyers ask in your category and check which pages answer each one.
- 2Run them on Perplexity and record the cited domains.
- 3Identify domains that are cited but never mention you.
- 4Improve or create pages that answer the question with a clear, sourced fact.
- 5Earn coverage on the independent domains that recur.
- 6Rerun and compare citation rate.
Prompts to test
- Best [category] for [need] with reviews
- How do I choose [category]?
- [Brand A] versus [Brand B]: which is better for [use]?
Keep in mind
How Perplexity documents its crawlers
Perplexity documents two agents. PerplexityBot is designed to surface and link websites in Perplexity search results, and Perplexity states that it is not used to crawl content for AI foundation models. It respects robots.txt, and Perplexity recommends allowing it if you want to appear in results. Perplexity-User supports user actions: when a person asks a question, it might visit a web page to help provide an accurate answer. Because a user requested the fetch, Perplexity says it generally ignores robots.txt rules.
| Agent | Purpose | robots.txt |
|---|---|---|
| PerplexityBot | Surface and link websites in Perplexity search results | Respected; allow it to appear in results |
| Perplexity-User | Visit a page when a user asks a question | Generally ignores robots.txt because the fetch is user-requested |
Why sources decide visibility here
Perplexity builds each answer around numbered citations and a visible source list, so being a cited source is close to being visible at all. That makes it the easiest of the main assistants to analyse: you can see exactly which domains were used and whether they mention you. A domain that keeps being cited for your category and never mentions you is a specific, checkable gap.
Its share is small, and that is not the whole story
Similarweb's August 2026 estimate is that Perplexity holds about 0.9% of tracked generative AI website traffic, down from 2.0% a year earlier. Website traffic understates products used through apps and integrations. A small share is a reason to weigh Perplexity by your own customers' behaviour, not a reason to ignore it, and its habit of showing sources on every answer makes it unusually useful for understanding your category.
Share of generative AI website traffic
Similarweb, worldwide website visits, August 2026 against August 2025. Website traffic only. It leaves out mobile apps and system-level entry points such as Android or Windows, so it understates assistants that live inside other products.
- ChatGPT55.5%vs 73.3%
- Gemini25.6%vs 12.9%
- Claude9.3%vs 1.9%
- DeepSeek3.4%vs 4%
- Grok2.4%vs 2.6%
- Copilot1.6%vs 2%
- Perplexity0.9%vs 2%
August 2026August 2025
A source-led playbook
- 1Write twenty questions buyers ask in your category and run them on Perplexity.
- 2Save every cited URL and group the domains by owner: yours, competitors', independent.
- 3For domains that recur and never mention you, decide whether to earn a mention, correct a description or publish something better.
- 4Make your own pages answer the question directly, with a clear, dated fact near the top.
- 5Rerun the same questions after a few weeks and compare which domains are cited.
Wording changes what is retrieved
Why does Perplexity matter if its traffic share is small?
Its answers expose the sources behind a recommendation, which makes it a clear window into what earns visibility.
Why does Perplexity matter if its traffic share is small?
Its answers show their sources on every response, so it is the clearest window into which pages shape a category. Insights from it often transfer to how other search-connected assistants work.
Should I block Perplexity-User?
Perplexity says it generally ignores robots.txt for user-requested fetches, so a robots.txt rule would not achieve that. Protect private content with authentication.
Sources
- 1. Perplexity platform page on BrandWater AI (Sep 2026)
- 2. Perplexity: Crawlers (Accessed Sep 2026)
- 3. Similarweb: Generative AI landscape 2026 (AI Search Stats) (Covers June 2025 to May 2026)
Cite this page
BrandWater AI Research. (2026, 23 September 2026). How to get your brand mentioned in Perplexity. https://brandwaterai.in/guides/get-mentioned-in-perplexity
How we work
Figures are dated and linked to their sources. Where none exist we say so. Read our methodology and AI transparency pages.