# UGC platforms outcite review sites in ChatGPT answers

Published: 2026-08-10T12:18:00.019Z · Source: Growth Memo (Kevin Indig) (https://www.growth-memo.com/p/community-signals-are-ais-largest)
Source date: 2026-08-10
Entities: chatgpt

UGC platforms accounted for 17.1% of domains cited in ChatGPT answers to SaaS buying queries — more than four times publishers' 4.0% — and outcited review platforms at every stage of the buyer journey, per a Growth Memo analysis of roughly 35,000 citation URLs tracked in Profound over December 2025. Review-site citations ranged from 7.4% at the discovery stage to 13.2% at evaluation, with Wikipedia alone accounting for 10.1 to 14.0 of the 17.1 points.

Why it matters: For AEO strategy, it signals community platforms — not review sites — are the highest-leverage third-party surface for ChatGPT citations, shifting where earned-mention investment should go.

## What this answers

**Do AI chatbots cite UGC or community platforms more than review sites?**

Yes — in a Growth Memo analysis of roughly 35,000 ChatGPT citation URLs for SaaS buying queries, UGC platforms held 17.1% of cited domains versus review platforms' 7.4% to 13.2% depending on buyer-journey stage.

**How much of ChatGPT's UGC citation share comes from Wikipedia?**

Wikipedia alone accounted for 10.1 to 14.0 of the 17.1 percentage points of UGC citation share, per the same analysis.


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