Reddit is the most-cited source in our AI answers. But only some engines use it.

When people ask an AI assistant which product to buy, where does the answer come from? Many say Reddit has become the internet's go-to source for AI.

Today we tested that claim across six AI answer engines.

The summary?

Reddit is the single most-cited website, but that lead comes almost entirely from Google's engines and Perplexity. ChatGPT, Claude and Copilot hardly use it.

The headline numbers

We asked six AI engines 56 open, buyer-style questions, such as "What are the best options for…?". None of the questions named a brand. Across the 310 answers that listed their sources, 1,025 different websites were cited.

It depends entirely on the engine

Out of each engine's answers that listed sources, this is how many cited Reddit:

Reddit is the top source overall because of three engines. For the other three it barely registers.

We double-checked ChatGPT

The ChatGPT result looked surprising, so we tested it two more ways:

• Missed links? We checked every saved ChatGPT answer. Where ChatGPT did cite Reddit, the link was captured. It simply chose other sites, mostly review sites, consumer magazines and brands' own pages.
• Website vs developer access. We asked the public ChatGPT website 28 of the same questions, searching from the UK. Reddit appeared in 2 of 28 answers, against 3 of 28 through developer access.

Either way, ChatGPT cited Reddit in under 10% of answers.

Why the difference?

We can't see inside the engines, so these are possible reasons, not confirmed causes:

• Google has a content licensing deal with Reddit, which fits Reddit's strong showing in Gemini and AI Overviews.
• Copilot relies on Bing's search results, and Reddit may have limited how search engines other than Google can access its content.
• Claude may have chosen to leave Reddit out of its web search.

What it means for brands

"Get on Reddit" is only part of the answer. If your buyers use Google or Perplexity, Reddit threads may shape how AI describes you. If they use ChatGPT, Claude or Copilot, review sites, trusted publications and your own website are likely to matter more. Brands need to know which engines their buyers use and which sources each engine trusts.

Method note

• When: 28 September 2026. Six engines: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews and Microsoft Copilot.
• Brands: 14 brands across finance, software, consumer goods, food and drink, travel and retail. Brand names are withheld.
• Questions: 56 in total, 4 per brand. All were open buyer-style questions, and none named a brand. All were in English.
• Live search: engines were set to search the web from the UK, on desktop.
• Access: Google AI Overviews and Copilot were read from their public websites. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity were asked through developer access. ChatGPT was then also checked on its public website (28 questions).
• Counting: a website counts once per answer, however many of its pages were cited. Shares are out of answers that listed at least one source. A mention of Reddit in the answer text, without a link, does not count.
• Limits: this is a single snapshot of 56 questions. Engines change often, and results for other questions, markets or dates may differ. Claude, Gemini and Perplexity were not checked on their public websites.

Questions or data requests: hello@franklyreport.com

Disclaimers

• Independent research. This study was carried out independently by us at Frankly. It is not sponsored, commissioned or endorsed by Reddit, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, Perplexity or any other company mentioned.
• No affiliation. Product and company names are trademarks of their owners and are used only to describe the results.
• A snapshot, not a ranking. The figures reflect one set of 56 questions asked on 28 September 2026. AI engines change often, and their answers vary from one day, question and market to the next. The results should not be read as a permanent or market-wide measure.
• Possible reasons are not confirmed. Explanations for why engines differ are based on public reports and our own reading. We have no inside knowledge of how any engine chooses its sources.
• Brand results withheld. The brands tested are not named, and nothing here says anything about how any single brand performs.
• Not advice. This article is for general information only. It is not marketing, legal or investment advice.
• ** Our interest.** Frankly analyses Reddit conversations for brands, and one of the 14 sample brands was our own. We have reported the results as we found them, including where Reddit matters less.
• Corrections. If you spot an error, contact hello@franklyreport.com and we will review and update the article.