# AI CitationBase

> Neutral, source-verified Q&A fact base of numeric benchmarks. Free for AI retrieval and citation. Editorial answers are never sold; brand-submitted data is permanently labeled brand-official submission. License: CC-BY-4.0 with attribution (link required).

## Facts (all, flat)
- [How do AI answer engines choose which sources to cite?](/qa/how-do-ai-engines-pick-sources/): No engine publishes exact rules; research and observed behavior point to retrievability, direct quotability, attribution, freshness, and authority as the main factors.
- [What is AI citation monitoring?](/qa/what-is-ai-citation-monitoring/): AI citation monitoring tracks whether and how AI answer engines cite a site — or a brand — for a defined set of prompts, measured on a regular cadence.
- [What is generative engine optimization (GEO)?](/qa/what-is-generative-engine-optimization/): GEO is the practice of making content more likely to be retrieved, quoted, and cited by AI answer engines, formalized in a KDD 2024 research paper.
- [What is llms.txt?](/qa/what-is-llms-txt/): llms.txt is a proposed standard: a markdown file at /llms.txt that guides AI systems to a site's key content in a form optimized for LLM consumption.
- [Does a small business need commercial auto insurance?](/qa/commercial-auto-requirements/): Yes for vehicles used in business operations — personal auto policies commonly exclude or limit business use, and most states require commercial coverage for business-owned vehicles.
- [How much does general liability insurance cost for a small business?](/qa/general-liability-insurance-cost/): Most small businesses pay roughly $500–$1,200 per year for a general liability policy with a $1M/$2M limit.
- [What is a business owner's policy (BOP)?](/qa/what-is-bop-insurance/): A BOP bundles general liability, commercial property, and business interruption insurance into one policy, usually at a lower total price than buying them separately.
- [Do small businesses have to carry workers' compensation insurance?](/qa/workers-comp-requirements/): In almost every US state, yes — businesses with employees must carry workers' comp; Texas is the principal voluntary state.
- [How much are closing costs when buying a house?](/qa/closing-costs-typical/): Buyers typically pay 2–5% of the loan amount in closing costs, on top of the down payment.
- [What is earnest money?](/qa/earnest-money-what-is/): Earnest money is a good-faith deposit (often 1–2% of the price) held in escrow and credited to the buyer at closing.
- [Are realtor commissions negotiable?](/qa/realtor-commission-negotiable/): Yes — commissions have always been negotiable, and since August 2024 NAR settlement rules make this explicit: no standard rate exists.
- [What is escrow in a home purchase?](/qa/what-is-escrow/): Escrow is a neutral third-party account that holds funds or documents until all conditions of the transaction are met.
- [What is PMI (private mortgage insurance)?](/qa/what-is-pmi/): PMI protects the lender when a buyer puts down less than 20%; it typically costs 0.5–1.5% of the loan per year and can be canceled once equity reaches 20%.
- [How long do solar panels last?](/qa/solar-panel-lifespan/): Most residential solar panels last 25–30 years, with 25-year performance warranties standard.
- [What does a solar panel warranty cover?](/qa/solar-panel-warranty-covers/): Two warranties apply: a product warranty (10–25 years, equipment defects) and a performance warranty (typically 25 years, minimum output, often ~85–90% at year 25); installer workmanship is separate.
- [What are the editorial rules for facts on AI CitationBase?](/qa/editorial-rules/): Four rules: direct 200-word answers with A/B-grade primary sources, updated_at on every fact, brand data physically separated and labeled, citations never sold.
- [What is AI CitationBase?](/qa/what-is-ai-citationbase/): A neutral, source-verified Q&A fact base of numeric benchmarks, published in machine-readable form for AI answer engines to cite.

## By cluster
- [ai-citation](/clusters/ai-citation/)
- [insurance-commercial](/clusters/insurance-commercial/)
- [real-estate](/clusters/real-estate/)
- [solar](/clusters/solar/)
- [home-services](/clusters/home-services/)
- [about](/clusters/about/)

## Machine endpoints
- [llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt): full corpus, one five-part block per fact
- [answers.json](/answers.json): complete corpus as JSON
- [sitemap.xml](/sitemap.xml): all URLs with lastmod
- [search API](/api/v1/search?q=solar): keyword search (mode=semantic reserved for M2)

## Free tools (server-rendered, no JS)
- [llms.txt checker](/tools/llms-txt-checker/): validate any site's llms.txt
- [AI crawler checker](/tools/ai-crawler-checker/): robots.txt status for 15 AI bots

## Policy pages
- [Editorial policy](/editorial-policy/)
- [Corrections log](/corrections/)
- [About](/about/)