How to choose an AI visibility and attribution tool
Eight questions to ask any vendor, including us. Each one comes with what a good answer looks like, so you can judge the reply yourself.
The short answer
- Decide first what you need: knowing how often AI names you, knowing what to change, or knowing who AI sends you. Some tools do one, some do all three.
- Ask how answers are collected and how often each question is asked. AI answers vary, so one run proves little.
- Ask to see the sources behind each answer, and whether the tool shows its limits.
- If pipeline matters, ask how a visit is linked to an AI answer and what reaches your CRM.
1. Which AI assistants does it check, and how?
Ask for the exact list, not "all major models". Ask whether answers come from the real consumer apps or from an API, because they can differ.
A good answer names each assistant and explains the method for each one.
2. How many times is each question asked?
The same question can get a different answer every time. A number built on one run per question is mostly luck.
A good answer says how many times each question is asked, how often, and shows how much the answers varied.
3. Where do the questions come from?
Results are only as useful as the questions behind them. Ask whether the vendor writes them, you write them, or they come from your real buyers.
A good answer lets you see and edit every question, and ideally builds some from deals you've won.
4. Can you see the pages AI read before it answered?
AI assistants read reviews, blog lists and forum threads before they recommend anyone. Those pages are where you can act.
A good answer shows the sources per answer, and says plainly when an assistant doesn't show them.
5. Does it tell you what to do next?
A chart of how often you're named doesn't change anything on its own. Ask what you get on Monday morning.
A good answer is a short, ordered list of jobs, with the reason for each and a way to check later whether it worked.
6. Can it see who AI sent to your site?
Visits from AI assistants often show up as "Direct" in analytics. Ask how the tool tells an AI visit apart, and what it can tell you about the visitor.
A good answer explains the signals it uses, what happens when they're missing, and what is identified: a company, or a person.
7. What reaches your CRM, and is it lawful where you sell?
Ask which CRMs are live today and which are planned. Ask what data is written, and whether people or only companies are identified in the EU and UK.
A good answer separates "live" from "coming soon" and is clear about consent.
8. What can't it do?
Every tool has limits: assistants that hide sources, visitors that can't be matched, small samples. Ask the vendor to list theirs.
A good answer is specific. If a vendor can't name a limit, treat the rest of the answers with care.
See how we answer these questions
Every Targetlytics feature page has a "What it can't do" section. Start with the free audit to see real results first.