> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getcited.in/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Grounding

> The process by which an LLM connects its generated text to specific factual sources or retrieved content.

**Grounding** is the process by which a [large language model](/glossary/llm) connects its generated text to specific factual sources or retrieved web content. A grounded response is one that references real, verifiable information rather than generating text purely from learned patterns. [RAG](/glossary/rag) (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) is the primary technical mechanism for grounding — the LLM retrieves real web pages and uses them as the basis for its answer.

## Why it matters

Grounded responses are more factual, more likely to cite sources, and more trustworthy. For brands, grounding creates an opportunity: if your content is high-quality, well-structured, and accessible to AI crawlers, it can serve as grounding material — the factual basis for the AI's answer about your category. Ungrounded responses are more prone to [hallucination](/glossary/hallucination) and less likely to cite any source at all.

## How it applies in practice

The platforms Cited tracks vary in how heavily they ground their responses. [Perplexity](/concepts/platforms/how-perplexity-ranks-sources) is the most grounded — every response is built on real-time retrieved sources. [ChatGPT](/concepts/platforms/how-chatgpt-search-works) in search mode is grounded via Bing retrieval. [Claude](/concepts/platforms/how-claude-search-works) is the least grounded in its standard mode, relying primarily on training data. The degree of grounding directly affects [citation rate](/glossary/citation-rate) patterns across platforms.

## Related concepts

* [RAG](/glossary/rag) — the primary mechanism for grounding LLM responses
* [Hallucination](/glossary/hallucination) — what happens when grounding fails
* [How Perplexity ranks sources](/concepts/platforms/how-perplexity-ranks-sources) — the most heavily grounded platform