# Profound adds citation-lifespan tracking

Published: 2026-08-16T20:37:57.296Z · Source: Profound research blog (https://www.tryprofound.com/blog)
Source date: 2026-08-13

Profound launched a feature called Citation Decay on August 13, tracking week-over-week citation counts for every cited URL to show how a citation's presence in AI answers spikes, plateaus, or fades over time, per the company's own announcement. The feature turns Profound's existing citation tracking from a point-in-time count into a longitudinal one, letting brands see whether a piece of content's AI visibility is sustained or already declining.

Why it matters: Most citation tools report a snapshot; tracking decay over time treats a citation as having a lifespan, which is a different (and more useful) question for anyone trying to sustain visibility rather than just win it once.

## What this answers

**Can you track how long an AI citation lasts?**

Profound launched a Citation Decay feature on August 13, 2026 that tracks week-over-week citation counts for each cited URL, showing whether a citation spikes, plateaus, or fades over its lifetime rather than treating citations as a single static count.


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